Donor Conception Network
Introduction
As many as one in seven couples may find it difficult to conceive a child. For some of these couples, particularly where the male partner is infertile or carries a genetic disorder, donor insemination may be their only hope of having children. Similarly where the female partner cannot produce eggs, donated eggs are used. There are approximately 2,200 children born each year in the UK to women who have conceived following treatment with donated gametes.
For parents with children conceived in this way a major issue is whether or not to tell their children, other family members or friends. DC NETWORK is a group started in 1993 by parents who had decided to tell their children about their origins and who came together to support each other.
For families
We consider that our children need to grow up with the knowledge of how they have been conceived. In our view the secrecy which doctors used to suggest no longer represents the best advice. We feel that it is best to start talking as early as possible both with children and with our own families and that secrecy over such an important issue as one's origin is an insecure basis for a lasting and loving family relationship. The more open society is about infertility and family creation with donated gametes, the easier this will all become. So we have consciously tried to obtain sympathetic media coverage in a way which will promote wider public acceptance.
How to Contact