Hello,
I petitioned a Judge in the state I was adopted in. It wasn't even the same town. He gave me a court order to get my original birth certificate, which was sealed once the amended birth certificate was issued. Once I got my original birth certfiicate I had a name and was able to find my birth family. My birth mother had passed away 10 years prior while also searching for me to give me medical info. also. If you petition the court on your own behalf and have a medical doctor state that it is necessary for you to have medical history (isn't that necessary for anyone - why does the law discriminate against adoptees anyway?) - then sometimes a judge will write an order. There are many states now trying to change their laws to allow unconditional access to us adoptees once we reach adulthood, for this very reason. American Adoption Congress (
www.americanadoptioncongress.org) is a group of adoptees and birth parents and adoptive parents and professionals who are working towards this. Hope this helps.
Growing
"Birthright" by Jean Strauss is a good book.