Study Background

• US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study 

  • Created in 1986 to study the health and well-being of the first generation of lesbian families

  • Interviewed the families at different points in family development

    • Wave 1 - interviewed prospective lesbian mothers

    • Wave 2- interviewed mothers + 2 year-old offspring

    • Wave 3 - interviewed mothers + 5 year-old offspring

    • Wave 4 - interviewed mothers + 10 year-old offspring

    • Wave 5 - interviewed mothers + 17 year-old offspring

    • Wave 6 - interviewed 25 year-old offspring

      • 78 invited to complete interview (survey)

      • 76 completed online, anonymous survey

Results

Identity of Donor

• 30% had always known the donor’s identity

• 30% learned the donors identity once reaching adulthood

  • 33% met the donor (average age 20.4 years)

  • 67% have not met the donor

• 40% have never known the donor

Conclusions

Strengths

• High response rate (97% completion)

• Prospective study - limits risk of selection bias

Weaknesses

• Small number of respondents (77 persons)

• Survey on feelings = snapshot in time

Resources

Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Electronic address: ASRM@asrm.org; Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Informing offspring of their conception by gamete or embryo donation: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertil Steril. 2018;109(4):601-605. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.01.001

Koh AS, van Beusekom G, Gartrell NK, Bos H. Adult offspring of lesbian parents: how do they relate to their sperm donors? [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 3]. Fertil Steril. 2020;S0015-0282(20)30441-6. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.05.010

National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study. https://www.nllfs.org/about/

Ombelet W, Van Robays J. Artificial insemination history: hurdles and milestones. Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2015;7(2):137-143.