RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether lesbian mothers of 17-year-old adolescents conceived through donor insemination are satisfied with their choice of a known, open-identity, or unknown sperm donor and whether the mothers' satisfaction is associated with psychological health problems in the index adolescent offspring. DESIGN: Mixed-method study. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): One hundred twenty-nine lesbian mothers and 77 index offspring. INTERVENTION(S): Semistructured interviews with the mothers conducted by telephone and the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI) completed online by the adolescent offspring. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Satisfaction with the type of sperm donor selected was assessed through multiple choice questions, and adolescent psychological health problems by the STPI. The reasons for the mothers' (dis)satisfaction were evaluated through a thematic analysis of transcribed interviews. RESULT(S): Overall, 77.5% of mothers were satisfied with the type of donor chosen. There were no significant differences between birth mothers and comothers on (dis)satisfaction. In comparing satisfied with dissatisfied birth mothers by donor type, the only significant differences were that those selecting open-identity donors were more satisfied than dissatisfied and that those using unknown donors were more dissatisfied than satisfied; (dis)satisfaction with donor type was unrelated to offspring psychological health problems. Qualitative analyses revealed six themes concerning all mothers' reasons for (dis)satisfaction. CONCLUSION(S): Donor access and custody concerns were the primary themes mentioned by lesbian mothers regarding their (dis)satisfaction with the type of sperm donor they had selected.
Asunto(s)
Homosexualidad Femenina/psicología , Consentimiento Informado/psicología , Inseminación Artificial Heteróloga/psicología , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Madres/psicología , Madres/estadística & datos numéricos , Satisfacción del Paciente/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Boston/epidemiología , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Homosexualidad Femenina/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Consentimiento Informado/estadística & datos numéricos , Inseminación Artificial Heteróloga/estadística & datos numéricos , Donadores Vivos/psicología , Donadores Vivos/estadística & datos numéricos , Masculino , Trastornos Mentales/psicología , Prevalencia , San Francisco/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Empirical research on the everyday life experiences of adolescents reared by lesbian mothers is limited. The current study gathered self-report descriptive data from 78 adolescents enrolled in the largest, longest-running, prospective longitudinal study of planned lesbian families, with a 93% retention rate to date. Results revealed that the 17-year-old adolescents were academically successful in supportive school environments. They had active social networks and close family bonds. Nearly all considered their mothers good role models. The adolescents rated their overall wellbeing an average of 8.14 on a 10-point-maximum scale. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Homosexualidad Femenina/psicología , Relaciones Madre-Hijo , Responsabilidad Parental/psicología , Psicología del Adolescente , Logro , Actitud , Comparación Transcultural , Relaciones Familiares , Femenino , Amigos/psicología , Identidad de Género , Objetivos , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Actividades Recreativas , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Estudios Prospectivos , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Ajuste Social , Estigma Social , Apoyo SocialRESUMEN
This 4th report from a longitudinal study of U.S. lesbian families presents data from 78 families in which the children were conceived by donor insemination. Results indicate that the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse in these children was lower than national norms. In social and psychological development, the children were comparable to children raised in heterosexual families. Children of unknown donors were indistinguishable from those with known donors in psychological adjustment. In total, 57% of the children were completely out to their peers, and 43% had experienced homophobia. The children demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of diversity and tolerance.