Study Reveals That Infertile Couples Have A More Negative Attitude Toward The Use Of Donor Sperm Than Donor Eggs

Professor Julie Shapiro reflects on a recent study finding that infertile couples view donor eggs much more favorably than donor sperm:

The authors looked at male/female couples who, because of infertility issues, were considering the use of third-party eggs or sperm. They wanted to assess the attitudes of the men and women involved towards the use of these materials, and in particular to compare the attitudes of men and women with regard to third-party eggs and sperm. They concluded

“both men and women from infertile couples have a more negative attitude toward the use of donor sperm than donor eggs. Fears of marital conflict, an incomplete gestational experience and societal opinions of parenting abilities were all worse with donor sperm compared with donor eggs.” (emphasis added.)

Stating this slightly differently, the report also says:

There was a pervasive negative connotation with the use of donor sperm that did not exist to the same degree for donor eggs.”

I think what is noteworthy for me is that men and women agree that the use of third-party sperm is more troublesome than the use of third-party eggs. If I’d had to guess, I would have surmised that sperm posed more

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