Claiming What Is Rightfully Mine.

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101603418 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2157-1740 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 21571740 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Narrat Inq Bioeth Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Baltimore, MD : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011-

Access to Information* ; Adoption*/psychology ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Family* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice* ; Information Seeking Behavior* ; Patient Rights*; Birth Certificates ; Emotions ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Health Personnel/education ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Professional-Patient Relations ; United States

Although adopted persons did not choose to be adopted, their life-long task is to come to terms with its meaning, which includes absence of important information about their family health history. Problematic encounters with health care professionals inspired contributors' narratives recognizing compelling need for accurate information about themselves as well as access to empathic and resourceful medical professionals. A key issue pervading the narratives was loss: loss of birth name and identity, loss of birth relatives and history, and often loss of birth culture. In response to this deeply felt sense of loss, many authors expressed the need to claim what they believe to be rightfully theirs, namely, information about their own history. Policy and practice recommendations regarding training of health care professionals as well as access to original birth records and ongoing family health information are discussed.

Date Created: 20180918 Date Completed: 20181219 Latest Revision: 20181219

20231215

10.1353/nib.2018.0051

30220697