Identifiable semen donors-attitudes of donors and recipient couples

Author:  Purdie A, Peek JC, Irwin R, Ellis J, Graham FM, Fisher PR.

Abstract:  Identifiable semen donors--attitudes of donors and recipient couples. Purdie A, Peek JC, Irwin R, Ellis J, Graham FM, Fisher PR. Fertility Associates, Auckland. Fifty-thr ee couples embarking on donor insemination (DI) replied to an anonymous questionnaire asking what they wanted to know about the donor should they become pregnant. Fifty-one percent were definitely and 32% probably going to tell a child of its donor origins. Items most frequently listed for themselves and on behalf of a child were--interests/spor ts (57%), physical attributes (41%), occupation (37%) and family background (26%). Forty-two percent of the women and 28% of the men thought the child should have access to the identity of the donor eventually. Thirty-eight donors were surveyed by a questionnaire; 68% were agreeable to their identity being available to a donor insemination child when the child reached maturity. When the category of identifiable donor was created, 20 of 36 (56%) new donors and donors still donating chose this option. PMID: 1538858 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]