Samantha Torrence - Adopted children may find it a challenge to put together an appropriate medical history especially if the agency or the biological parents do not wish their records to be released. The challenge presented to children of single mothers may be more difficult if the mother does not know the identity or history of the absent biological father. Could our culture of promiscuity and casual acceptance of a one parent household contribute to medical difficulties in today’s society?There was a time in our history where unwed mothers and newly single mothers were in danger of losing their children in favor of being placed in a more stable home. The heartache witnessed by these women eventually led to a shift in culture and thought when it came to a single parent household. However, as the pendulum swings from one extreme to another Americans find themselves now looking at a culture that not only accepts single motherhood but promotes it as well as accepts a more promiscuous society.
The breakdown of the family unit, the lack of proper sex education, and the glorification of casual sex have all contributed to a serious problem. Many children in today’s society do not know who their biological parents are, and they are not fully equipped with the medical history needed to help their doctors with diagnosis and treatment. Adopted children, children of single mothers, or even children conceived through the help of a sperm/egg donor may lack access to necessary knowledge about their medical history.
Many adopted children have found it difficult to find information on their biological parents when they reach adulthood. The knowledge of a biological family is not simply a measure of curiosity, but needed for when a person contracts a serious illness or even wants to have children of their own. The problem is clearly identified so what is the solution?
American society needs to reevaluate its priorities on privacy and family. HIPPA laws, while necessary, have made the transfer of medical knowledge difficult at best. It should be the right of every child to have access to the medical records of their parents if applicable. That would include biological parents of adopted children who should by law release all medical records to the adoption agency to be put on file for their children. It may also be necessary for all adoptive parents to be required to allow that a child not only know they are adopted but also who their parents are and perhaps any potential siblings. Knowing about family ties can help prevent those tragic stories of adopted children getting married and having children only to find out later they are brother and sister.
Many biological children also have emotional needs related to finding the identity of the biological parents, and it is often those unmet needs that adoptive families fear. That fear is in losing the affection and connections with the adopted children, as bonding is often difficult to establish on a life-long basis. Establishing that "kinship with strangers" is complicated by paperwork, bureaucracy and pre-conceived notions of what adoption is or isn't. For agencies it has been the worry that the intrusion of a grown child into the life of someone who has long ago put behind them promiscuity and problems and has made a stable life will be disrupted if the identity becomes known. It is possible, however, to find that happy medium, which means at least giving the adopted child the health history as a protection for the child's future.
Information is power, and clearly the information of one’s biological lineage is the power to avoid tragedy and receive proper medical treatment in the future.