Open AccessSociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards motherhood among single women compared with cohabiting women treated with donor semen – a Danish multicenter study
Author(s) -
Salomon Maria,
Sylvest Randi,
Hansson Helena,
Nyboe Andersen Anders,
Schmidt Lone
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1111/aogs.12619
Subject(s) - danish , medicine , demography , fertility , cohort , public health , cohort study , fertility clinic , cohabitation , reproductive medicine , gynecology , family medicine , pregnancy , population , environmental health , nursing , biology , genetics , philosophy , linguistics , sociology , political science , law
Objective To examine sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, and attitudes towards motherhood in single vs. cohabiting women seeking treatment with donor semen. Design Baseline data collection in a multicenter cohort study. Setting All nine public fertility clinics in Denmark. Sample In total n = 311 childless women initiating assisted reproduction using donor semen. Methods Self‐reported questionnaire responses from n = 184 single women seeking treatment by using donor semen were compared with responses from n = 127 cohabiting women. Main outcome measures Sociodemographic characteristics, family backgrounds, reproductive histories, attitudes towards motherhood. Results Single women were 3.5 years older on average when initiating treatment compared with cohabiting women. No significant differences were found regarding sociodemographic characteristics, previous long‐term relationships, previous pregnancies, or attitudes towards motherhood between single women and cohabiting women. The vast majority of single women wanted to achieve parenthood with a partner, 85.8% wished to have a partner in the future, and approximately half of them preferred for a partner to take parental responsibilities. Conclusions In this study single women seeking treatment with donor semen in the public health system did not differ from cohabiting women, except that they were older. To be a single mother by choice is not their preferred way of parenthood, but a solution they needed to accept.