Parenthood by adoption and donor insemination: Coping with the knowledge of a specific family status

With the increasing number of childless partnerships and the stable number of children who are available for adoption, the number of children who are produced through new reproductive technologies increases. Under these condi tions new psychological questions and problems occur. In the present articl e the particularity of parenthood and childhood with donor insemination is emphasized. Starting from the work of Hoffman-Riem, this special family sta tus is compared to the status of adoption. The situation of the partnership in the context of donor insemination, the young parents' attitudes and beh avior patterns as well as the results on the child's and adolescent's devel opment of the knowledge about the difference between social and biological parenthood are examined. Coping strategies related to the knowledge about t his particular family status are discussed.