'Hi, You're My Donor Dad'

52:28

Mina Kim

Jul 27, 2018 at

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Daley Dunham on a family trip with 12 of the children conceived with his donated sperm. (Photo: Brooklynn Rydman)

Until the last two decades or so, secrecy reigned in the world of sperm donation. Few sperm banks provided access to information about donors and many advised parents to keep kids in the dark about their donor-conceived origins. But now, more donors are opting for transparency. That shift, coupled with direct-to-consumer DNA testing, has made it easier for offspring to find their donor dads and half-siblings. We’ll talk to one donor about his experiences connecting with his 17 adult kids and we want to hear from you: what has been your experience with donor conception? Have you connected with a donor parent or child? Please share your experience.

Related Links:

17andMe (The Leap Episode Featuring Daley Dunham and His Kids)
The Donor Sibling Registry
Our Family Coalition
The Overlooked Emotions of Sperm Donation (The Atlantic)
The Sperm Bank of California
Diane Tober’s website

Guests:

Daley Dunham, was a sperm donor in college; featured on KQED's podcast "The Leap"

Diane Tober, assistant professor and medical anthropologist, UCSF School of Nursing; author, "Romancing the Sperm: Shifting Biopolitics and the Making of Modern Families"

Alice Ruby, executive director, The Sperm Bank of California

Ryan Kramer, co-founder, Donor Sibling Registry; first donor-conceived person to locate his donor via DNA testing

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