Stina Isaksson1, Gunilla Sydsjö2, Agneta Skoog Svanberg3, Claudia Lampic4. 1. Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: stina.isaksson@pubcare.uu.se. 2. Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. 3. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 4. Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the attitudes and preferences regarding future contact with donation offspring among identity-release donors of oocytes or sperm. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: University-based fertility clinics in Sweden. PATIENT(S): A total of 210 women and men were questioned 5-8 years after their donation of oocytes or sperm. INTERVENTION(S): Questionnaires given to donors prior to their donation and 5-8 years after donation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Donors' attitudes and preferences regarding future contact with their donation offspring. RESULT(S): A majority of identity-release oocyte (65%) and sperm (70%) donors were positive toward being contacted by an offspring of mature age. More than half wanted to be notified by the clinic when an offspring requested information about them, but about a third were negative toward receiving this information. One in four reported a need for counseling regarding future contact with an offspring. CONCLUSION(S): Several years after donation, a majority of identity-release oocyte and sperm donors show positive attitudes toward future contact with their offspring. Donors appear to have different preferences for information and support regarding such contact. Fertility clinics and health-care services should provide counseling regarding contact with an offspring to the donors who express a need for this.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the attitudes and preferences regarding future contact with donation offspring among identity-release donors of oocytes or sperm. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: University-based fertility clinics in Sweden. PATIENT(S): A total of 210 women and men were questioned 5-8 years after their donation of oocytes or sperm. INTERVENTION(S): Questionnaires given to donors prior to their donation and 5-8 years after donation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Donors' attitudes and preferences regarding future contact with their donation offspring. RESULT(S): A majority of identity-release oocyte (65%) and sperm (70%) donors were positive toward being contacted by an offspring of mature age. More than half wanted to be notified by the clinic when an offspring requested information about them, but about a third were negative toward receiving this information. One in four reported a need for counseling regarding future contact with an offspring. CONCLUSION(S): Several years after donation, a majority of identity-release oocyte and sperm donors show positive attitudes toward future contact with their offspring. Donors appear to have different preferences for information and support regarding such contact. Fertility clinics and health-care services should provide counseling regarding contact with an offspring to the donors who express a need for this.
Authors: Jackson Kirkman-Brown; Carlos Calhaz-Jorge; Eline A F Dancet; Kersti Lundin; Mariana Martins; Kelly Tilleman; Petra Thorn; Nathalie Vermeulen; Lucy Frith Journal: Hum Reprod Open Date: 2022-02-16