Donor Sibling Networks as a Vehicle for Expanding Kinship A Replication and Extension

• Published in: Journal of family issues Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 248 - 284
• Main Authors: Hertz, Rosanna, Nelson, Margaret K., Kramer, Wendy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2017
• Subjects: parent–child perspectives; Internet; donor siblings; social networks; kinship
• ISSN: 0192-513X; 1552-5481
• DOI: 10.1177/0192513X16631018

This article replicates an earlier study of mothers who had used the same sperm donor to conceive their children and connected through the Internet. The original study finds that these groups interact mainly on the Internet; donor siblings are latent affiliations that could answer questions about the paternal side. This new study of 2,217 parents and 419 offspring offers a comparison of the manner in which these relationships develop, finding that the movement from latent to active ties occurs at a different moment than the earlier study. The data show that parents and offspring interpret relationships with genetic relatives in some ways that are similar. However, offspring are more likely than parents to view donor siblings as members of their extended family. Replication of the original study with a more diverse sample allows us to determine if the basic findings can be generalized to other participants who share the same circumstances.