Adopted Children Have the Right to Know the Identities of Their Birth Parents

Every day children are born to parent’s that give them up for adoption for one reason or another. This reason usually plays an important role in determining whether the biological parent(s) want their identities known by the child. Although the reason may be fundamental to the parents in shaping whether they choose yes or no, its value should not take precedence over the fact that adopted children have the right to know the identities of their birth parents.

Many practical reasons play a part in this argument, one of which is the knowledge of their medical histories. Researchers, Kowal and Schilling reported that 75% of individuals studied were looking for their medical history either for themselves or for the sake of their children (Adamec, 2004). For the adoptee to know if cancer, heart disease, or genetic disorders played a role in their biological parent’s lives could play an important role in saving their own life if disease embarks their bodies. Genetic disorders can be serious, not only affecting the adoptee but can be passed on to their future offspring. Decisions to have children may have to be put on hold due to medical histories being withheld by the biological parents. These problems have not evaded the attention of important experts such as “Former U. S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona who has testified to Congress in support of family history initiatives and the importance of family medical history in preventing and diagnosing disease” (Clough, 2007). For this reason alone, adoptive children should have access to the information about their medical history through their biological parents.

Identity and biological roots are other important elements that concern adopted children around the world. Kowal ...

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