Abstract
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Pages (from-to) | 473-481 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 0001-6349 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2015 |
