Use of fertility services in Australian lesbian, bisexual and queer women's pathways to parenthood.
LGBT person
artificial insemination
fertility preference
in vitro fertilisation
lesbian
Journal
The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology
ISSN: 1479-828X
Titre abrégé: Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol
Pays: Australia
ID NLM: 0001027
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
08 2020
08 2020
Historique:
received:
07
08
2019
accepted:
14
04
2020
pubmed:
20
5
2020
medline:
12
2
2021
entrez:
20
5
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
It is estimated that up to one in three lesbian, bisexual or queer (LBQ) women in Australia have children. In the past decade, it has become common for LBQ women to pursue pregnancy using clinic-acquired donor sperm. The aims of this paper are to explore pathways to parenthood among Australian LBQ women in the context of increased access to fertility clinics and identify the type of clinical fertility services being used. This paper reports on female LBQ parents and expectant/prospective parents who participated in a 2016/2017 online survey of Australian lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) adults exploring reproductive choices, pathways to parenthood, conception method and use of clinical fertility services. More than half the children reported on by current parents (52%) had been conceived using clinical fertility services. When asked what factors influenced a parent respondent's decision to use fertility services: 80% indicated access to donor sperm, 41% indicated fertility problems. Of respondents who had accessed donor sperm, over half (57%) had used in vitro fertilisation (IVF) services. These findings indicate that use of fertility clinics to access donor sperm is common for LBQ women, including those with no known fertility problems, and that most women who access donor sperm conceive using IVF rather than intrauterine insemination. More needs to be known about the context and reasons for this, including factors that influence LBQ women's decision making on their pathway to parenthood.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
It is estimated that up to one in three lesbian, bisexual or queer (LBQ) women in Australia have children. In the past decade, it has become common for LBQ women to pursue pregnancy using clinic-acquired donor sperm.
AIMS
The aims of this paper are to explore pathways to parenthood among Australian LBQ women in the context of increased access to fertility clinics and identify the type of clinical fertility services being used.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
This paper reports on female LBQ parents and expectant/prospective parents who participated in a 2016/2017 online survey of Australian lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) adults exploring reproductive choices, pathways to parenthood, conception method and use of clinical fertility services.
RESULTS
More than half the children reported on by current parents (52%) had been conceived using clinical fertility services. When asked what factors influenced a parent respondent's decision to use fertility services: 80% indicated access to donor sperm, 41% indicated fertility problems. Of respondents who had accessed donor sperm, over half (57%) had used in vitro fertilisation (IVF) services.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that use of fertility clinics to access donor sperm is common for LBQ women, including those with no known fertility problems, and that most women who access donor sperm conceive using IVF rather than intrauterine insemination. More needs to be known about the context and reasons for this, including factors that influence LBQ women's decision making on their pathway to parenthood.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
610-615Informations de copyright
© 2020 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
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