TABLE 2.
Dimensions of recipients’ motives underlying a preference for donor anonymity.
| Main category | Category | Sub-category |
|---|---|---|
| Intention to keep oneself ignorant of donor identity | Create distance from the donor | Avoid considering the donor a person |
| Minimize the donor’s contribution to the recipients’ parenthood | ||
| Avoid psychological closeness with the donor | ||
| Allow for imagining a benign, non-threatening donor figure | ||
| Avoid the emotional challenges of using a known donor | Alleviate feelings of indebtedness toward the donor | |
| Avoid the emotional impact of asking for help | ||
| Avoid the discomfort that comes from using a known donor/family member as a donor | ||
| Preclude the donor from interfering in establishing feelings of normality | Alleviate thoughts on infertility and feelings of inadequacy | |
| Alleviate feelings of one’s family deviating from the standard | ||
| Avoid being reminded of the fact of donor treatment | ||
| Prevent the donor from disturbing the recipient couple’s relationship | Prevent the donor from intruding into the recipient couple’s relationship | |
| Avoid fantasies of adultery between the donor and the biological parent | ||
| Allow for full and truthful disclosure to the child | Ease disclosure of the mode of conception to the child | |
| Allow for full disclosure of available information to the child | ||
| Avoid being blamed by the child for not disclosing donor information | ||
| Enable the stabilization of parental feelings | Avoid disturbance of parental feelings toward the child | |
| Ensure the acceptance of the child by the non-biological parent | ||
| Intention to keep the child ignorant of donor identity | Create distance between the donor and the child | Preclude the child from being able to find or contact the donor |
| Consider the child’s having information about the donor as not important | ||
| Consider the genetic relationship between the child and the donor as not relevant | ||
| Ensure the well-being of the child | Allow the child to create a positive image of the donor | |
| Provide the child with a clear and stable situation | ||
| Save the child the anxiety over whether or not to contact the donor | ||
| Protect the child from the harmful consequences of seeking to contact the donor | Protect the child from being disappointed by the donor | |
| Protect the child from being rejected by the donor | ||
| Allow the consolidation of the recipients’ parentage | Prevent the child from picturing and personalizing the donor as a parent figure | |
| Avoid the child’s rejection of the non-biological parent | ||
| Protect the donor | ||
| Intention to keep the donor ignorant of the child’s identity | Preclude harmful consequences of the donor interfering in the child’s life | |
| Preclude legal claims over the child by the donor | ||
| Prevent the interference of the donor in parenting issues | Prevent parental claims by the donor | |
| Ensure exclusive parental status | ||
| Preclude challenges to the parental legitimacy of the non-biological parent by the donor | ||
| Establish the feeling of being in control in family affairs | Avoid interference by the donor in family life | |
| Ensure family autonomy | ||
| Establish clear family boundaries | ||
| Realize own family ideals | ||
| Ensure long-term stability of the family | ||
| Intention to keep the family’s social environment ignorant of donor identity | Maintain secrecy and privacy | Maintain secrecy toward the social environment |
| Ensure family privacy | ||
| Avoid conflicts within the extended family (in case a known donor were to be used) | Avoid family conflict | |
| Avoid challenges to the legitimacy of the recipient couple’s relationship | ||
| Avoid doubts regarding the parental status of the non-biological parent in the perception of the extended family | ||
| Avoid conflicts in role-perception of extended family members in relation to the child | ||
| Pragmatic reasons | Lack of alternative options | Legal or regulatory constraints |
| Unavailability of a suitable known donor | ||
| Lack of awareness of other options | ||
| Priority of treatment-related aspects over donor type | Higher medical success rate of treatment | |
| Priority of donor characteristics | ||
| Priority of fast treatment | ||
| Financial reasons | ||
| Medical safety concerns | ||
| Compliance with third-party preferences | ||