Kids curious about genetic dads.

• Position: Donor Insemination - Brief Article

The vast majority of children born from open-identity sperm donors feel positively about their conception and simply are curious about their genetic fathers, according to a study by University of California-Davis psychologist Joanna Scheib. The adolescents, ages 12-17, were conceived by donors who allowed their identification to be given to their offspring at age 18.

The study is important because the first children conceived under open-identity conditions in the U.S. now are about 21 years old. A growing number of youngsters conceived through this method will be coming of age in the near future. "Parents are concerned about how their children will react when they learn they are not genetically related," Scheib says.

"This feedback reassures us that the vast majority are curious but not really looking for a father in the donor. The youths are more...