The ConnecteDNA Study at The University of Manchester:

The ConnecteDNA Study at The University of Manchester:

A call for sperm and egg donors to take part in a research interview

Dr Leah Gilman, Research Fellow, The University of Manchester,

Have you previously donated egg, sperm or embryos for fertility treatment?

Have you also used, considered using or been impacted in some way by DNA testing websites?

If so, researchers at The University of Manchester would love to hear from you.

About the research project

The ConnecteDNA study is a research project, led by Dr Lucy Frith and based at the University of Manchester, in collaboration with four other UK universities. It began in March 2021 and explores how people involved in donor conception (parents, donors and donor conceived people) use, and are impacted by, direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT), e.g. AncestryDNA and 23andme.

Our findings will be used to improve support for people using online DNA testing and people involved in donor conception and to assess whether any changes to law and policy are needed in this area.

Donors are currently under-represented in our study

We have been interviewing people for around six months and are hugely grateful to everyone who has taken part already. However, egg, sperm and embryo donors are currently under-represented and we think it is important to include their views and experiences in our research.

If you have previously donated egg, sperm or embryos, are aged 18 or over and currently resident in the UK, please consider taking part in a one-off interview with our researcher (Dr Leah Gilman). Interviews are usually conducted via zoom or telephone or a (online) written option is also possible, if preferred.

Participation is strictly confidential and all contributions will be anonymised in publications and outputs.

See our website and/or get in touch with Leah for more details:

leah.gilman@manchester.ac.uk        https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/connecte-d-n-a/