Seeking Sperm: Accounts of Lesbian Couples’ Reproductive Decision-Making and Understandings of the Needs of the Child

Almack, Kathryn

doi:10.1093/lawfam/ebi030

Cited by 42 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Previous research into the experiences of parents who have formed a family using donor conception has largely focused on anonymity and disclosure (Almack, 2006;Becker et al, 2005;Bos et al, 2003;Brewaeys et al, 1993;Burr, 2009;Cook et al, 1995;Donovan and Wilson, 2008;Gartrell et al, 2000;Grace et al, 2008;Haimes and Weiner, 2000;Nachtigall et al, 1997;Scheib et al, 2003;Shehab et al, 2008;Suter et al, 2008;Touroni and Coyle, 2002;Werner and Westersthål, 2008) and, more recently, on the experiences of these parents and their offspring with regard to searching for their donor and half-siblings (Blyth, 2012;Freeman et al, 2009;Jadva et al, 2010). Despite this volume of research, the experiences and concerns of the recipients of donor spermatozoa regarding how the sperm banking industry operates has not been thoroughly investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of 1700 women who formed their families using donor spermatozoa

Sawyer

Blyth

Kramer³

et al. 2013

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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This paper reports the results of an online survey of 1700 recipients of donor spermatozoa conducted by the Donor Sibling Registry, aiming to understand the perspectives of respondents who had used donor spermatozoa. The survey examined: choice of sperm bank and donor; reporting of births and genetic disorders; disclosure; contact with donor and half-siblings; regulation of sperm donor activity and genetic testing; and access to medical information. The respondents formed three groups: single women; women in a same-sex relationship; and women in a heterosexual relationship. Some differences between the three cohorts were observed: preinsemination counselling; acceptance of donors without medical records or with chronic or late-onset diseases; awareness of choice of bank and type of donor; and views on the right of offspring to know their genetic origins. However, important areas of common ground were identified: the wish by those who had used an anonymous donor that they had used an open-identity donor; support for, and willingness to pay for, comprehensive genetic testing of donors; and desire for access to their donor's family health information. The implications of these results for policies concerning the use and management of donor spermatozoa will be discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of 1700 women who formed their families using donor spermatozoa

Sawyer

Blyth

Kramer³

et al. 2013

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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“…Dempsey (2010) interviewed twenty femalepartnered mothers pointing out that they did not consider the biological father as an equivalent parent and thus his minimal involvement was the ideal parenting arrangement for them. Similarly, according to Almack (2006), pursuing a known donor brought along the risk that he could demand more involvement than had been previously agreed and sue for children's custody.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It's a bit too much fathering this seed’: the meaning-making of the sperm donor in Italian lesbian mother families

Lingiardi

Carone

Morelli

et al. 2016

Reproductive BioMedicine Online

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How do female-partnered mothers deal with the third-party involved in their reproductive arrangement? The aim of this study is to identify the meaning-making of the sperm donor, exploring different patterns between genetic and non-genetic mothers, as well as between open-identity and anonymous donation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Italian female-partnered mothers, who at the time of data collection had at least one donor-conceived child. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was performed to identify emergent themes. None of the mothers considered the donor as the father of their child. Three patterns of thoughts and feelings recurred: 'donor as an entity', 'donor as a medical process', 'donor as a person'. Genetic and non-genetic mothers constructed shared meanings regarding the donor. Mothers who opted for anonymous donors were more likely to describe the donor as an entity and as a medical process compared with mothers who opted for open-identity donors. Different images of the donor lay beneath each meaning: respectively, donor as a ghost, donor as a place, donor as a kind man. Findings offer important insights for healthcare providers working in fertility clinics. They further suggest the most appropriate terms for third-party reproduction and specific psychological counselling needs of prospective female-partnered mothers.

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“…40 Gradually, under European pressure and following the reception of the Human Rights Act (1998) (see eg, Herring, 1999 ; Frith, 2001 ). Since then the law has been changed and, according to the new regulations entered into force in 2005, the child's right has to be protected and weighed against the donor's interest (see Almack, 2006 ;Wallbank, 2004 ). 41 In sum, the British approach to the child's right to know has now turned into a non-discriminatory and more balanced one, that duly respects the inner core of all competing rights.…”

Section: B Four Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enforcing the Child's Right to Know Her Origins: Contrasting Approaches Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights

Besson¹

2007

International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family

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Seeking Sperm: Accounts of Lesbian Couples’ Reproductive Decision-Making and Understandings of the Needs of the Child

Cited by 42 publications

References 17 publications

A survey of 1700 women who formed their families using donor spermatozoa

A survey of 1700 women who formed their families using donor spermatozoa

‘It's a bit too much fathering this seed’: the meaning-making of the sperm donor in Italian lesbian mother families

Enforcing the Child's Right to Know Her Origins: Contrasting Approaches Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights

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