Table I.
Choosing surrogacy as a path to parenthood: gay fathers’ motivations and decisions.
| Genetic father (N = 35) | Non-genetic father (N = 32) | χ2 | Do not know or disclose (N = 7) | Total (N = 74) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | ||
| Desire for parenthood | 0.84 (2), P = 0.66 | (N = 67) | |||
| Genetic parent more strongly | 10 (28.5%) | 6 (19%) | NA | 16 (24%) | |
| Equal desire | 14 (40%) | 13 (41%) | NA | 27 (40%) | |
| Non-genetic parent more strongly | 10 (28.5%) | 11 (34%) | NA | 21 (31%) | |
| Missing | 1 (3%) | 2 (6%) | NA | 3 (5%) | |
| Preferred path to parenthood | 3.43 (2), P = 0.18 | ||||
| Always preferred surrogacy | 13 (37%) | 8 (25%) | 2 (29%) | 23 (31%) | |
| Considered adoption | 20 (57%) | 24 (75%) | 4 (57%) | 48 (65%) | |
| Attempted adoption | 2 (6%) | 1 (14%) | 3 (4%) | ||
| Motivations for surrogacy* | |||||
| Adoption a less desirable path to parenthood than surrogacy | 23 (66%) | 21 (66%) | 0.14 (1), P = 0.71 | 6 (86%) | 50 (68%) |
| Desire for genetic relatedness as an individual or couple | 21 (60%) | 13 (41%) | 1.79 (1), P = 0.18 | 4 (57%) | 38 (51%) |
| Surrogacy was a financially viable option | 6 (17%) | 4 (12.5%) | 0.18 (1), P = 0.67 | 2 (29%) | 12 (16%) |
| Partner's choice | 3 (9%) | 7 (22%) | 2.70 (1), P = 0.10 | 0 | 10 (13%) |
| Desire for involvement in pregnancy and birth | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | 0.01 (1), P = 0.93 | 0 | 2 (3%) |
| Decision about genetic parenthood | 1.17 (4), P = 0.88 | ||||
| Both donated sperm | 16 (46%) | 15 (47%) | 6 (86%) | 37 (50%) | |
| One donated sperm-more important to one than the other | 8 (23%) | 8 (25%) | 0 | 16 (22%) | |
| One donated sperm-turn taking | 6 (17%) | 3 (9%) | 0 | 9 (12%) | |
| One donated sperm-medical reasons | 2 (6%) | 1 (3%) | 0 | 3 (4%) | |
| One donated sperm-family structure (e.g. sister as egg donor) | 2 (6%) | 2 (6%) | 0 | 4 (5%) | |
| Missing | 1 (3%) | 3 (9%) | 1 (14%) | 5 (7%) | |
| Motivations for gestational surrogacy* | N = 31 | N = 28 | (N = 66) | ||
| Prefer to separate genetic and gestational links to the child | 17 (55%) | 13 (46%) | 0.70 (1), P = 0.40 | 3 | 33 (50%) |
| Agency policies | 17 (55%) | 13 (46%) | 0.70 (1), P = 0.40 | 1 | 31 (47%) |
| Gestational surrogacy enabled a specific family set-up | 1 (3%) | 1 (4%) | 0.01 (1), P = 0.95 | 1 | 3 (5%) |
| Missing | 7 (23%) | 6 (21%) | 0 | 13 (20%) | |
| Not applicable (genetic surrogacy chosen) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
*Some fathers described more than one motivation, thus percentages do not equal 100.