Random Families: Genetic Strangers, Sperm Donor Siblings and the Creation of New Kin

Unprecedented families formed by sperm donor siblings have grown up at the intersection of new reproductive technologies, social media, and the human desire for belonging. As the Internet has expanded, parents (and their children) who shared the same donor have discovered that they can connect. When they meet, they wonder: What does it mean to be a donor sibling? Do shared genes make you family? Does “family” even describe our relationship? In an era in which conventional families are shrinking, the idea of connecting with genetically related strangers offers opportunities and risks. Hertz will discuss the contemporary interplay of genetics, social interaction, and culture expectations in an effort to explain the emergence of web-based donor sibling networks. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, her talk is based upon over 350 interviews with donor-conceived children, their parents and donors from her co-authored book, Random Families.