Experiences of identifying and contacting genetic relatives: an online survey of donor-conceived adults in Germany

This study explores how donor-conceived adults (DCAs) raised in Germany experience identifying and contacting donor-conceived and non-donor-conceived half-siblings and genetic fathers, and how these experiences reshape their self-concepts and family perceptions. Fifty-nine DCAs, conceived between 1974 and 1999 and recruited through the advocacy group Verein Spenderkinder, completed an online survey combining closed- and open-ended questions. Most wished to identify half-siblings (83.1%) and genetic fathers (84.7%). Overall, 57.6% had identified half-siblings and 23.7% their genetic fathers; most of these participants had initiated contact. Positive experiences included joy, recognition, belonging, self-acceptance, access to health and background information, and greater understanding of family diversity. Challenges included fear of rejection, distance, limited interest or secrecy among genetic fathers, and tensions with legal parents. Contact was emotionally complex and ongoing, with some difficulties emerging only later. Identifying and contacting relatives transformed self-concepts and family perceptions, particularly through encounters with genetic fathers, reinforcing genetic relatedness as a resource for identity and kinship-making. These findings support an emerging relational paradigm that frames donor conception as a lifelong relational process. They call for legal, clinical, and counselling frameworks that acknowledge genetic connectedness and facilitate transparent, respectful contact.