If you are an academic / researcher:
If you are an academic researcher interested in carrying out a study relating to donor conception and would like to find out about recruiting through DCN membership, please visit this page.
If you are interested in taking part in current research:
DCN has a research committee which reviews all the research requests to the Network to ensure that it is conducted appropriately and fits in with our members. Contact DCN if you have any questions on the procedure by emailing research@dcnetwork.org
| Topic | Who can participate | Further details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The social experiences of donor concieved young adults: the project will explore the unique strengths and challenges that from the adult child's perspective - are part of being donor conceived. | If you are a donor-conceived person aged 18-30, for now looking for sperm-donor conceived in any family configuration. |
Find out more about the study in the video here |
UCL Dr Sophie Zadeh |
|
Are you a known egg donor? Could you share what you’ve learned with other women planning to donate? |
Known egg donors - Recipients, please pass on to family members or friends |
Link to take part in online anonymous survey: https://tinyurl.com/known-egg-donation |
De Montfort University Prof Nicky Hudson nhudson@dmu.ac.uk |
Research carried out in recent years in DC Network includes the following studies:
|
Topic |
Population |
Year |
Title |
Summary |
Author detail |
Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pregnancy |
Solo mums, Lesbian coupless |
2019 |
The Circumstances of Pregnancy questionnaire: ensuring its relevance and acceptability to today's generation of new mothers. |
Review of a questionnaire used in UK maternity services and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. The changes reflect the changing views and circumstances of pregnant women in the UK and further afield. |
Geraldine Barret UCL |
Barrett G, Nolan EM, Gürtin ZB, et al. J., Epidemiol Community Health 2020;74:765. |
|
Openness |
All |
2019 |
A review of the Donor Conception Network's Our Story books |
This study conducted a cross-sectional survey with DCN members and non-members to evaluate the use of the Our Story book range in terms of parent/s and children confidence in their donor conception story. |
Ishaq Abdul, Prof. Joyce Harper UCL |
Short summary published in DCN journal (2019) |
|
Surrogacy |
Heterosexual couples |
2019 |
Surrogacy men's experience in heterosexual couples |
A qualitative study of male partners in heterosexual couples experience becoming dads through surrogacy. |
Christina Weis, Wendy Norton De Montfort |
Short summary published in DCN journal (2020) |
|
Donors |
All |
2018 |
Curious Connections: The Impact of Donating Egg and Sperm on Donors' Everyday Life and relationships |
This study explored how donating eggs or sperm impacts on the everyday lives and relationships of donors. It reviewed the UK policy context to donation and the rights and obligations of donors and their families. It also looked at how egg and sperm donors negotiate donation within their everyday lives and relationships. |
Leah Gilman, Petra Nordqvist University of Manchester |
Leaflet: Being an egg or sperm donor: balancing ‘being available’ with ‘knowing your place’? Online event (2020) Curious Connections: The social life of egg and sperm donation: |
|
Solo parenthood |
Solo mums |
2018 |
Single mothers by choice & Social Change: An interdisciplinary and cross-national study |
The study analysed and compared the experiences and motivations of women in becoming single mothers by choice across the UK and Spain. |
Anna Bravo-Moreno UCL |
|
|
Donors |
All |
2018 |
Egg donation in the UK, Belgium and Spain: An interdisciplinary study |
This study (‘EDNA’ for short) explored the social, political, economic and moral configuration of |
Nicky Hudson De Montfort University |
EDNA project blog |
| Parenthood in non-heterosexual family types |
Solo mums Solo dads Same-sex couples |
2018 | Marginalised families online: Exploring the role of digital media for parents in diverse family groups | This study explored the experiences of single and/or LGB parents who have brought children in to their lives through donor conception or adoption and their use of digital media. |
Jai Mackenzie University of Nottingham |
Link to Jai Mackenzie's staff page and publications See Jai's blog, regularly updated with publications and more |
| Health outcomes | All | 2018 |
Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults |
This study compared the self-reported health outcomes for adults conceived throudh donor sperm (n=272) and those conceived naturally. There were higher reports of some health conditions in the donor-sperm conceived group, including for type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, acute bronchitis, allergies,sleep apnoea and having ear tubes/grommets surgically implanted. |
Damian Adams Flinders University, Australia |
Adams, D., Gerace, A., Davies, M., & De Lacey, S. (2020). Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 1-14. doi:10.1017/S204017442000080X |