Relationships in oocyte recipient couples – a Swedish national prospective follow-up study

Abstract

BackgroundThe long-term effect of treatment with donated oocytes on women’s and men’s perception of their relationship has been little studied. Thus the aim of this study was to analyse satisfaction with relationships in couples at the time of acceptance for treatment and 2–5 years after treatment with donated gametes and to compare them with IVF couples treated with their own gametes.MethodA prospective follow-up study in which data were collected twice on two groups; cohabitating couples receiving oocyte donation and cohabitating IVF couples using their own gametes. A standardised instrument, the ENRICH inventory, was used to gain information about the couples’ subjective experience of their relationships.ResultsAt acceptance for treatment the couples in the two groups assessed their relationships as being very solid on all dimensions and that the women receiving treatment with oocyte showed a higher satisfaction compared to women treated with own gametes. For couples that did have a child, the group of women who had been through the oocyte donating program reported a better quality of their relationship than women in the control group. There were no significant differences in perceived relationship quality between men in the different groups, whether they had a child or not.ConclusionsFrom a long-term perspective couples using oocyte donation treatment have a balanced and solid view of their relationship and treatment, having children or not after treatment did not affect the nature of the relationships.

Parenting stress and its association with perceived agreement about the disclosure decision in parents following donor conception

“…General parenting stress levels among the donor-conceiving parents in this study are in line with parenting stress levels of randomly selected Swedish mothers with children in the same age group (22). Following donor conception, couples have reported stable levels of relationship satisfaction over time (28)(29)(30), which might balance parenting stress levels in general. Marital relationship has been considered "the principal support system for parents" (31), which is supported by the present results that relationship satisfaction consistently and significantly accounted for the variation in parenting stress levels and indicates that relationship satisfaction has a buffering impact on parenting stress.…”

Neonatal outcomes in pregnancies resulting from oocyte donation: a cohort study in Sweden

“…The present observational cohort study is a sequel to the study evaluating the obstetric outcomes in pregnancies resulting from oocyte donation by Elenis et al [ 7 ] and is part of the larger cohort study ”Swedish multicenter study on gamete donation” [ 19 ]. During the period 2005–2008, consecutive couples starting concurrently IVF treatment with either donated or autologous oocytes at University Hospitals in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Uppsala, Umeå, Linköping, Örebro and Malmö (Sweden) were approached regarding participation.…”

Adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnancies resulting from oocyte donation: a retrospective cohort case study in Sweden

“…The Index group comprises of women who later gave birth to one child following treatment with donated oocytes. Women who did not speak and/or read Swedish were excluded [ 16 ]. Written and oral information was given and participants signed an informed consent form allowing the research group to have access to the medical records.…”

“… Heterosexual women (Control group B) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment with their own gametes due to couple infertility at the University hospitals mentioned above. All Swedish speaking women receiving traditional IVF treatment concurrently to the Index group were approached regarding participation on the “ Swedish multicentre study on gamete donation” and constituted the original control cohort [ 16 ]. However solely those who conceived with singleton pregnancies during and on the imminent study period were finally included in Control group B.…”