Disclosure decisions among pregnant women who received donor oocytes: a phenomenological study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the controversy surrounding disclosure among donor oocyte recipients. This controversy is escalating worldwide, yet little research has sought to understand the disclosure experience of pregnant, donor oocyte recipient women. This study aims to provide an in-depth description of the disclosure experience, and identify factors that were significant to recipient women which influenced their reasoning as they formulated disclosure decisions.


METHODS
Qualitative, naturalistic design, using a phenomenological approach.


METHODS
The home or private office of the recipient woman.


METHODS
Donor oocyte recipient women between 9-23 weeks of gestation.


RESULTS
Disclosure decisions were influenced by multiple factors emerging from the women's values and beliefs and their social and cultural environment. Values and beliefs consisted of the right to know and the duty to protect. Social and cultural factors included social support, culture of the family, evolution of the social process, and personal testimonials. Women's age and selection of donor type were interrelated with disclosure decisions.


CONCLUSIONS
Disclosing women voiced the right of the child to know, and perceived social and cultural factors as conducive to disclosure. Nondisclosing and undecided women emphasized protecting normative relationships, perceived a social stigma, and were unable to identify a benefit to disclosing. Women's age and choice of oocyte donor should be considered when counseling recipient women.
Hershberger
Patricia
P
Center for Enhancement and Restoration of Cognitive Function, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. phersh@umich.edu
Klock
Susan C
SC
Barnes
Randall B
RB
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D030881:Disclosure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018587:Oocyte Donation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology