Abstract
Reports were based on 23 lesbian couples seeking therapeutic donor insemination (TDI). Seventeen single women and 14 heterosexual couples with known infertility, due to vasectomy, were recipient controls. No group differences were found on self-esteem, psychiatric symptomatology or dyadic adjustment, except that lesbians reported greater dyadic cohesion than heterosexuals. Lesbians and single women were likely to disclose their use of TDI to others and had planned to disclose this to any child conceived; married couples were divided on this issue. Groups were alike in what they wanted to know about the donor (principally health variables and medical history), and in their concerns about the use of TDI (genetic and medical history). Groups differed in the reasons they elected to use TDI, with lesbian couples and single women choosing TDI affirmatively, and married couples accepting it as a last resort.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 203-215 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1999 |
Keywords
- Lesbian mothers
- Therapeutic donor insemination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Psychiatry and Mental health