Category: Uncategorized

This post is in progress… “OID – Open ID” Cohort The “Open ID” cohort of DCP, who began to turn 18 in October 2023, are able to apply to the HFEA for identifying information. These DCP are given the legal name, date of birth and last known address (likely to be from 18 years ago…

IVF-ICSI is a specialized form of ART where a single, fertile, motile sperm is selected and aspirated into a microscopic injection needle after having the tail cut off. The oocyte is held in place after which it’s outer wall is punctured with the injection needle and the sperm head containing the genetic material is injected…

AID was the term used in the UK for Donor Conception up until fairly recently. British Medical Journal, 1 (4384) (1945), pp. 40-43, Artificial Insemination, Barton M., Walker K., Wiesner B. British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) 1987 AID Leaflet 1980: “Telling the AID child”, that was published in “Adoption and Fostering” Volume 95 Issue 1, April 1979

Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is a process where a collected egg and sperm are placed in a woman’s fallopian tubes and the expectation is that nature will do the rest. It was often used for religious reasons. Historically GIFT was used a fair bit but its use gradually declined as its success rates were low.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamete_intrafallopian_transfer

IVF is the simplest form of ART where motile sperm and fertile eggs collected from the couple undergoing the procedure are allowed to successfully fertilize in an external environment (usually a petri dish) after which they are incubated for five days in specialized incubators and transferred directly into the uterus of the female partner. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/in-vitro-fertilisation-ivf…

Genealogical bewilderment or genetic bewilderment, refers to the psychological distress and confusion that can arise from not knowing or being unsure of one’s biological ancestry. Genealogical bewilderment can lead to a variety of psychological issues, including anxiety, identity confusion, feelings of isolation, and a sense of incompleteness. Not knowing about one’s genetic roots can disrupt…

Sperm mixing in historical donor conception refers to the practice of mixing semen from an infertile husband with semen from an anonymous sperm donor, which was then used for artificial insemination. Sperm mixing was a deception by the fertility industry aimed to not emasculate the husband in the situation. Fertility clinics were in the business…

“Sibling Season” in donor conception refers to the period when people are more likely to unexpectedly discover that they are donor conceived (conceived through sperm, egg or embryo donation) through commercial DNA test kits and then also to discover that they suddenly, and unexpectedly, have donor siblings. “Sibling Season” takes place from January to April…