Deborah Dempsey – The Conversation

Today many donor-conceived children are adults and the impacts on their sense of identity have become clear, so Victoria is set to open the records of formerly anonymous donors. Reuters/Kacper Pempel

December 8, 2015

As Victoria opens sperm donor records, the key question is: do contact vetoes work?

Fiona Kelly, La Trobe University and Deborah Dempsey, Swinburne University of Technology

In a world first, Victoria plans to retrospectively open the records of formerly anonymous sperm donors to all donor-conceived people. A system of contact vetoes aims to manage the privacy concerns.

The highest IVF success rates are reported in women under 30 who have an around a 26% chance of having a baby. Philippe Put/Flickr

August 10, 2015

Your questions answered on donor conception and IVF

Damian Adams, Flinders University; Deborah Dempsey, Swinburne University of Technology; Fiona Kelly, La Trobe University; Loretta Houlahan, Monash University, and Roger Cook, Swinburne University of Technology

Thanks to IVF and donor conception, infertile couples, single women and lesbian couples now have a better chance of starting families. But while common, it’s rarely openly discussed.

Cory Bernardi is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, saying children do best when they are raised by both a mother and a father. AAP/Alan Porritt

July 5, 2015

FactCheck: is having a mum and a dad the very best thing for a child?

Simon Crouch, The University of Melbourne

Liberal senator Cory Bernardi, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, has said that “the very best thing” for the development of a child is to have a mum and a dad. What does the research say?

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