Sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards motherhood among single women compared with cohabiting women treated with donor semen: a Danish multicenter study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards motherhood among single women compared with cohabiting women treated with donor semen

T2 - a Danish multicenter study

AU - Salomon, Maria

AU - Sylvest, Randi

AU - Hansson, Helena

AU - Andersen, Anders Nyboe

AU - Schmidt, Lone

N1 - © 2015 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

PY - 2015/5/1

Y1 - 2015/5/1

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, and attitudes towards motherhood in single vs. cohabiting women seeking treatment with donor semen.DESIGN: Baseline data collection in a multicenter cohort study.SETTING: All nine public fertility clinics in Denmark.SAMPLE: In total n = 311 childless women initiating assisted reproduction using donor semen.METHODS: Self-reported questionnaire responses from n = 184 single women seeking treatment by using donor semen were compared with responses from n = 127 cohabiting women.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, attitudes towards motherhood.RESULTS: Single women were 3.5 years older on average when initiating treatment compared with cohabiting women. No significant differences were found regarding sociodemographic characteristics, previous long-term relationships, previous pregnancies, or attitudes towards motherhood between single women and cohabiting women. The vast majority of single women wanted to achieve parenthood with a partner, 85.8% wished to have a partner in the future, and approximately half of them preferred for a partner to take parental responsibilities.CONCLUSIONS: In this study single women seeking treatment with donor semen in the public health system did not differ from cohabiting women, except that they were older. To be a single mother by choice is not their preferred way of parenthood, but a solution they needed to accept.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, and attitudes towards motherhood in single vs. cohabiting women seeking treatment with donor semen.DESIGN: Baseline data collection in a multicenter cohort study.SETTING: All nine public fertility clinics in Denmark.SAMPLE: In total n = 311 childless women initiating assisted reproduction using donor semen.METHODS: Self-reported questionnaire responses from n = 184 single women seeking treatment by using donor semen were compared with responses from n = 127 cohabiting women.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, attitudes towards motherhood.RESULTS: Single women were 3.5 years older on average when initiating treatment compared with cohabiting women. No significant differences were found regarding sociodemographic characteristics, previous long-term relationships, previous pregnancies, or attitudes towards motherhood between single women and cohabiting women. The vast majority of single women wanted to achieve parenthood with a partner, 85.8% wished to have a partner in the future, and approximately half of them preferred for a partner to take parental responsibilities.CONCLUSIONS: In this study single women seeking treatment with donor semen in the public health system did not differ from cohabiting women, except that they were older. To be a single mother by choice is not their preferred way of parenthood, but a solution they needed to accept.

KW - Adult

KW - Age Factors

KW - Attitude

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Denmark

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous

KW - Marital Status

KW - Mothers

KW - Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

KW - Residence Characteristics

KW - Single Person

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

U2 - 10.1111/aogs.12619

DO - 10.1111/aogs.12619

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25847078

SN - 0001-6349

VL - 94

SP - 473

EP - 481

JO - Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

JF - Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

IS - 5

ER -