Australian sperm donors: Public image and private motives of gay, bisexual and heterosexual donors

An inventory of reasons for sperm donation in formal versus informal settings

“…donor. A major motive for sperm donation is altruism, as we and others have described previously (Pedersen et al, 1994;Lui et al, 1995;Daniels et al, 1996;Lui & Weaver, 1996;Emond & Scheib, 1998;Lalos et al, 2003;Almeling, 2006;Ernst et al, 2007;Ekerhovd et al, 2008;Ripper, 2008;Thorn et al, 2008;Riggs & Russell, 2011). Altruism, however, is not unique for donors in formal settings, as this motive is also considered important among donors in informal settings (Ripper, 2008;Riggs & Russell, 2011).…”

“…In a previous study (Bossema et al, 2012), we used a concept-mapping technique to derive three main categories of possible reasons for and against sperm donation: selfi shness (including narcissism and procreation), psychosocial drives (including altruism, detached procreation, and sexual/fi nancial satisfaction), and psychosocial barriers (including moral barriers related to oneself, one ' s spouse, the donor child, and society). Reasons for sperm donation previously cited by other studies are fi nancial compensation and altruism, including empathy and knowing infertile couples, procreation, including having as many children as possible and passing on genes, evaluating one ' s own fertility, having a physical and biochemical examination, helping clinical staff, the desire to parent, the desire not to parent, and curiosity (Pedersen et al, 1994;Lui et al, 1995;Daniels et al, 1996;Lui & Weaver, 1996;Emond & Scheib, 1998;Lalos et al, 2003;Almeling, 2006;Ernst et al, 2007;Ekerhovd et al, 2008;Ripper, 2008;Thorn et al, 2008;Riggs & Russell, 2011). Some of the reasons identifi ed by previous studies only apply to sperm donation in formal settings, such as receiving a physical and biochemical examination and helping clinical staff, whereas other reasons may apply more to sperm donation in informal settings, such as the desire to parent.…”

“…This legislation may have decreased the number of sperm donors in formal settings, that is, in assisted reproduction clinics (Janssens et al, 2006;Hamilton, 2010;Tomlinson et al, 2010), and may have increased the number of sperm donors in informal settings, such as through contacts on the internet (Ripper, 2008). The shortage of sperm donors in formal settings (Janssens et al, 2006;Hamilton, 2010) and the availability of sperm donors in informal settings (Ripper, 2008;Riggs & Russell, 2011) motivated us to investigate why men may prefer a formal or an informal setting for sperm donation.…”

How do anonymous sperm donors signal credibility through their self-presentations?

“…Mohr's (2014) analysis revealed that donating sperm allowed men to enact their identities as idealised moral selves and also to embody an idealised masculinity. Ripper (2008) has shown that although the public image of sperm donation suggests that donors fear potential legal or financial claims made by recipient women and their children, most donors are generally open to the potential for identity disclosure, at least in the future.…”

What women want in their sperm donor: A study of more than 1000 women’s sperm donor selections

“…Research into the characteristics of preferred sperm donors and the women that participate in these markets is relatively new (Riggs & Russell 2010, Ripper 2008, Whyte & Torgler 2015. By utilizing data on donor gamete reservations from an Australian private practice fertility firm, we are able to explore the factors and characteristics preferred by women when choosing a sperm donor.…”