Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar os fatores que regem a motivação de homens a doarem gametas, anônima e gratuitamente, em banco de sêmen, visando à procriação de pessoas inférteis que se submetem aos tratamentos de reprodução assistida. O material pesquisado aponta para o fato que tanto a prática quanto os doadores costumam ser associados ao utilitarismo, à pecúnia e aos comportamentos desviantes, e mesmo parte dos agentes apresentou dificuldade em assumir-se altruísta. O fenômeno seria justificado por diversos fatores históricos e culturais. Contudo, tomando como base um conjunto de entrevistas realizadas com doadores e a teoria do dom, constatou-se que, para parte do grupo, a experiência com a doação envolveu conflitos que foram transpostos para que fosse cumprido o seu objetivo de vida, ou missão de vida. Nestes termos e, de acordo com os resultados da investigação, afirmamos que a doação de sêmen encontra-se inserida na esfera da dádiva. / This study investigated the factors that are conducive to a motivation of individuals to donate semen, aiming to facilitate procreation by ART users. On the social science field, both donation and donors tend to be associated with utilitarianism, the search for pecuniary compensation, deviant behaviors; for some persons interviewed, there were difficulties to assume that they were being altruistic. These matters of personal conduct can be explained by historical and cultural factors. This research has shown that donation motivation should be considered in the spirit of a gift relationship. This study concludes that the donation of semen was primarily motivated by altruism. The almost entire group of donors had to overcome conflicts in the process of sperm collection, which were resolved by a life mission idea. In these terms, according to the investigation results, semen donation should be construed as a social phenomenon inserted into the gift sphere.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar os fatores que regem a motivação de homens a doarem gametas, anônima e gratuitamente, em banco de sêmen, visando à procriação de pessoas inférteis que se submetem aos tratamentos de reprodução assistida. O material pesquisado aponta para o fato que tanto a prática quanto os doadores costumam ser associados ao utilitarismo, à pecúnia e aos comportamentos desviantes, e mesmo parte dos agentes apresentou dificuldade em assumir-se altruísta. O fenômeno seria justificado por diversos fatores históricos e culturais. Contudo, tomando como base um conjunto de entrevistas realizadas com doadores e a teoria do dom, constatou-se que, para parte do grupo, a experiência com a doação envolveu conflitos que foram transpostos para que fosse cumprido o seu objetivo de vida, ou missão de vida. Nestes termos e, de acordo com os resultados da investigação, afirmamos que a doação de sêmen encontra-se inserida na esfera da dádiva. / This study investigated the factors that are conducive to a motivation of individuals to donate semen, aiming to facilitate procreation by ART users. On the social science field, both donation and donors tend to be associated with utilitarianism, the search for pecuniary compensation, deviant behaviors; for some persons interviewed, there were difficulties to assume that they were being altruistic. These matters of personal conduct can be explained by historical and cultural factors. This research has shown that donation motivation should be considered in the spirit of a gift relationship. This study concludes that the donation of semen was primarily motivated by altruism. The almost entire group of donors had to overcome conflicts in the process of sperm collection, which were resolved by a life mission idea. In these terms, according to the investigation results, semen donation should be construed as a social phenomenon inserted into the gift sphere.

Background: An increasing number of couples turn to treatment with oocyte or sperm donation, but there is limited knowledge regarding the consequences of these treatments in a program using identifiable donors. Aim: The overall aim was to study information-sharing among heterosexual couples following identity-release gamete donation. A further aim was to study donors’ attitudes towards future contact with donation offspring. Methods: The four studies were part of The Swedish Study on Gamete Donation; a prospective, longitudinal study of donors and recipients of donated oocytes and sperm. Study I and II had a quantitative approach with recipients of donated oocytes or sperm participating through questionnaires at start of treatment, two months after the first treatment and when their child was 1-4 years old. Study III was a qualitative interview study with 30 parents following sperm donation with school-aged children. Study IV had a quantitative approach with oocyte and sperm donors participating through questionnaires 5-8 years post-donation. Results: Study I revealed that the recipients of donated gametes in general were open about their treatment with the people around them and supported disclosure to offspring regarding his/her genetic origin. Study II reported that most of those who became parents following donor conception intended to share information about the donation with their offspring and some had already started the information-sharing process with their young child. Study III described information sharing with the offspring to be a process of several levels, revealing various amounts of information about the way of conception. The parent was seen to be the owner of the process and moving the process forward with different aspects and the reactions of the offspring serving as driving or impeding forces of the process. Study IV reported that a majority of the gamete donors seem to have a positive or neutral attitude towards a future meeting with a donation offspring. Conclusion: The present thesis suggests that there is a trend towards more openness among recipients of donated gametes in Sweden. It also points out that most recipients and donors within the Swedish gamete donation programme acknowledge the child’s right to his/her genetic origin and have the best interest of the child in mind.

Introduction: The desire to have children and form a family is for many people central for life fulfilment and the desire does not differ by sexual orientation. Due a series of societal changes during the last decade, today we see a lesbian baby boom. Planned lesbian families are a relatively new group of patients and parents in reproductive health care, yet little is known about psychological wellbeing during the transition to parenthood in these families. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to fill a gap of knowledge about the psychological aspects of undergoing treatment with donated sperm, at the time of pregnancy and during early parenthood that affect lesbian couples forming a family. Method: This is a multicentre study comprising all 7 university clinics that perform gamete donation. The study includes lesbian couples undergoing treatment with donated sperm and heterosexual couples undergoing IVF treatment with their own gametes. Participants were recruited consecutively during 2005 and 2008. 165 lesbian couples and 151 heterosexual couples participated in the study. Participants responded questionnaires at three time points (T); time point 1 (T1) at the commencement of treatment, (T2) after the first round of treatment, around 2 month after T1 and (T3) 12-18 months after first treatment when a presumptive child had reached 1 year. Data was analysed with statistical methodology. Results: Lesbian couples reported an all over high satisfaction with relationship quality, good psychological wellbeing and low parenting stress. Heterosexual couples also reported good satisfaction with relationship quality, however somewhat lower than the lesbian couples. Parenting stress in the heterosexual couples was similar to the lesbian couples. A strong association was found between high relationship satisfaction and low parenting stress. Conclusions: Lesbian couples forming a family through sperm donation treatment are satisfied with their relationships, they report a good psychological health and experiences of low parenting stress.

Introduction: The desire to have children and form a family is for many people central for life fulfilment and the desire does not differ by sexual orientation. Due a series of societal changes during the last decade, today we see a lesbian baby boom. Planned lesbian families are a relatively new group of patients and parents in reproductive health care, yet little is known about psychological wellbeing during the transition to parenthood in these families. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to fill a gap of knowledge about the psychological aspects of undergoing treatment with donated sperm, at the time of pregnancy and during early parenthood that affect lesbian couples forming a family. Method: This is a multicentre study comprising all 7 university clinics that perform gamete donation. The study includes lesbian couples undergoing treatment with donated sperm and heterosexual couples undergoing IVF treatment with their own gametes. Participants were recruited consecutively during 2005 and 2008. 165 lesbian couples and 151 heterosexual couples participated in the study. Participants responded questionnaires at three time points (T); time point 1 (T1) at the commencement of treatment, (T2) after the first round of treatment, around 2 month after T1 and (T3) 12-18 months after first treatment when a presumptive child had reached 1 year. Data was analysed with statistical methodology. Results: Lesbian couples reported an all over high satisfaction with relationship quality, good psychological wellbeing and low parenting stress. Heterosexual couples also reported good satisfaction with relationship quality, however somewhat lower than the lesbian couples. Parenting stress in the heterosexual couples was similar to the lesbian couples. A strong association was found between high relationship satisfaction and low parenting stress. Conclusions: Lesbian couples forming a family through sperm donation treatment are satisfied with their relationships, they report a good psychological health and experiences of low parenting stress. / <p>Name change: Paper 2, "Psychological health in lesbian and heterosexual couples undergoing assisted reproduction" in the list of papers has been changed to "Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study"</p>

This study examined mothers who have undergone gamete donation treatment and lack a genetic connection to their adolescent children. The study examined the mothers experience of closeness and similarity with their child, as well as their feelings regarding the child's ability to seek information and contact the donor. Experiences regarding talking to the child and others, as well as their potential desire for support were explored. The study is based on data from the longitudinal study Swedish Study of Gamete Donations (SSGD), which has collected data in five rounds since 2005. Using a mixed-methods design the current study compared egg donation mothers in heterosexual couples (n=41) and non-carrying mothers in lesbian couples (n=59). Participants responded to surveys containing rating scales and free text responses. The material was analyzed using chi2-, Mann-Whitney U-, and t-tests, as well as qualitative content analysis. The majority in both groups reported high levels of closeness to their children and more often perceived similarity in personality than appearance. Participants primarily reported positive emotions related to their child’s ability to access information about and contact the donor. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Some qualitative differences emerged regarding feelings about discussing the donation. A few mothers from both groups expressed a need for support. The study contributes to a broader understanding of mothers who have undergone gamete donation treatment and how interventions for these mothers can be devised. Additionally, the study confirms that these groups generally have close relationships with their children. / Studien har undersökt mammor som genomgått donationsbehandling och inte har genetisk koppling till sitt, idag tonåriga, barn. Studien undersökte mammornas upplevelse av närhet och likhet med sitt barn samt vilka känslor de har inför barnets möjlighet att söka information och ta kontakt med donatorn. Även upplevelser kring att prata med barnet och andra om donationen samt vilket eventuellt stöd mammorna önskar undersöktes. Studien bygger på data från den longitudinella studien Swedish Study of Gamete Donations (SSGD) som samlat in data i fem omgångar sedan 2005. Studien använde en mixad design för att jämföra grupperna äggdonations-mammor i heterosexuella par (n=41) och icke-bärande mammor i lesbiska par (n=59). Deltagarna har besvarat enkäter som innehöll skattningsskalor och öppna frågor. Materialet analyserades genom chi2-, Mann-Whitney U-, och t-test samt kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Majoriteten i båda grupperna upplevde hög nivå av närhet till sina barn och upplevde oftare likhet i personlighet än utseende. Deltagarna rapporterade primärt positiva känslor relaterade till barnens möjlighet till information om och kontakt med donatorn. Det fanns inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader mellan grupperna. Dock fanns vissa kvalitativa skillnader gällande känslor och motivation till att prata om donationen. Ett fåtal mammor ur båda grupperna efterfrågade stöd. Studien bidrar till en bredare förståelse för mammor som genomgått donationsbehandling och hur insatser för dessa kan utformas samt bekräftar att dessa grupper generellt har nära relationer till sina barn.

Nowadays, anonymous sperm donation is indeed a globally discussed topic: the popularity of the use of assisted reproduction technology for the purpose of conception is directly proportional to increasing infertility and technological progress. Also, the duration of its use already started to show, with the first generation of opinionated anonymous donor children growing up. The aim of my work is to analyze what are the today's Western society's current ethical and legal views on the anonymous sperm donation and its alternatives, as well as what they should be, and to demonstrate these on the example of Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. In the first two chapters, I outline the context of ethical and legal thinking about anonymous sperm donation: I analyze the concept and implications of the infertility, as well as the development and types of methods of assisted reproduction. Further, I proceed from the basis of ethical reasoning and the determination whether the right to know one's origins, implying the right to know the circumstances of one's conception, exist, and its competition with the rights of parents and donors in the third chapter, to its legal grounds. First, in the fourth chapter, I deal with legislation on the right to know one's origins and other related rights in the international...

Denna examensuppsats har ämnat undersöka ungdomars och unga vuxnas perspektiv på och upplevelser av föräldraskap och genetiskt ursprung samt aktuell föräldralagstiftning. Examensuppsatsen ämnar vidare utgöra underlag för en rapport som beaktas i en statlig utredning som handlar om att se över aktuella regler kring fastställande av rättsligt föräldraskap. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio unga vuxna i åldern 17 till 32 år har data samlats in och analyserats med tematisk analys. I resultaten fann vi att deltagarnas sätt definiera och tala om föräldraskap är i linje med tidigare forskning. Även internationell forskning kring synen på könscellsdonatorer och deras roll som föräldrar eller icke-föräldrar har kunnat appliceras på vårt intervjumaterial för att förstå donatorsrollen som infallande på ett kontinuum. Nya fynd som framkommit är att avsaknad av rättsliga band ej utgör ett oöverkomligt hinder för utövandet av socialt föräldraskap, både i avseende på att skaffa barn och sedermera uppfostra det. Deltagarna berättar dock att avsaknad av rättsligt föräldraskap har varit problematiskt vid dödsfall och separationer. Funderingar kring genetiskt ursprung och tillkomst beskrivs påbörjas i tidig ålder hos deltagarna och vara avslutat i tidig vuxen ålder, vilket är ett nytt fynd och går emot lagstiftad ålder för kännedom om donator och genetiskt ursprung. Möjlighet till kännedomen om genetiskt ursprung lyfts som barnets okränkbara rättighet. Utifrån dessa fynd drar vi slutsatsen att trots lagmässiga hinder kan ett fullständigt föräldraskap i många fall utövas av icke-juridiska föräldrar samt att avsaknad av genetiska band ej utgör en barriär för relationsskapande eller identitetsutveckling. Däremot anses lagstiftning och samhällsattityder fortfarande vara exkluderande och osynliggörande gentemot regnbågsfamiljer och könscellsdonation. / Statlig offentlig utredning (Kommittédirektiv 2017:28)