Feelings of couples who have had a child by donor insemination: the degree of congruence

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the congruence of feelings about donor insemination (DI) in couples who have had a child by this means. Male and female partners of 50 couples (in continuing relationships) who had had a child by DI individually completed a questionnaire. A Likert scale (0, very unhappy to 7, very happy)was used to assess feelings before, during and after treatment, and the perception of their partner's feelings. Individual partner's responses were also compared for views about the donor and assessment of their relationship. For both males and females, their feelings about DI before, during and after treatment did not correlate with their perceived view of their partner's feelings. This difference was much more striking before treatment started with male feelings (mean ± SD) being 4.1 ± 1.8 compared to the females' perception of the males' feelings of 3.5 ± 1.9 (ttest, p= 0.004)and females' feelings of 3.7 ± 2.0 compared to the males' perception of female feelings of 4.3 ± 2.0 (p= 0.05). In comparing attitudes about the donor, individual couples' views did not correlate well, the exceptions being their views on whether or not to have another child and whether they wanted the same donor. All but one couple agreed that the DI child had brought them closer together as well as agreeing that they confided in each other. The marital interaction assessment showed close compatibility in most issues. The impact of DI on couples affected by male factor infertility raises many issues, the views of which may not be shared between partners. This is especially the case of attitudes about the donor and is of some concern when viewed in the wider context of marital and parent-child relationships. It is not known whether these opposing views have an impact on the later development of these relationships but they should be considered as part of the preparation for beginning treatment.

Key Words:

• Congruence
• Couples
• Donor Insemination
• Feelings
• Infertility
• Semen Donors