The severed triangle: keeping infertility and the use of artificial insemination by donor a secret
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Authors
Powers, Nancy A.
Issue Date
1992
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Infertility is a fairly common and. prevalent problem in the United States. Many couples suffer the pain and anguish of months, sometimes years, of disappointment in trying to have a child. After unsuccessful attempts, many turn to physicians, specialists in reproductive science, for an answer to their problem. In the case where the man is responsible for the couple's infertility, artificial insemination has been a viable and widely used alternative reproductive method. But because D.I. uses the sperm of an unknown donor in the process, and because this procedure is usually kept secret by D.I. recipients and their physicians, it was the goal of this paper to determine the effects of severing one-half of the donor offspring's genetic heritage from consciousness, hence the title: The Severed Triangle. The findings revealed that concealment and secrecy around D.I. are prominent today. And although D.I. has been reported to have negative effects on D.I. recipients, D.I. offspring and the family at large, I was unable to gain access to these people because of this fact. I was, however, able to gather a great deal of information about D.I. In conclusion, I recommend that D.I. be reframed in the context of big business rather than a medical intervention (cure) for infertility. Within this context, D.I. recipients are consumers, not patients, and before making any decision about whether to proceed or not, they should furthermore be well-informed consumers. I also believe the vantage point of all concerned in the process (including the D.I. offspring who are the actual products of D.I.) should be carefully considered.