title: Recipients' views on payment of sperm donors.
abstract: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how recipients viewed payment of sperm donors. The study was conducted in Belgium, where, as in many countries, sperm donors receive recompense for their time and expenses. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 heterosexual and lesbian couples who, at the time of data collection, had at least one donor-conceived child aged 7-10 years or who were undergoing donor conception treatment. Although participants commonly described the issue of financial compensation as something that did not really concern them, all supported the idea that some level of payment was acceptable or even necessary. The participants also identified several ways in which donor payment offered advantages to their own position as (future) parents. Although the idea is commonly rehearsed that sperm donation is a gift and that monetary transaction for conception is demeaning, the participants of this study did not generally share this view. To them, a small financial return served as a symbolic acknowledgement of the donor's contribution and helped secure the type of relationship they expected from their donor. There was clearly concern, however, over high payments and the risk of attracting the wrong kind of donor.
authors.affiliation: Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: an.ravelingien@ugent.be.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravelingien
authors.affiliation: Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Provoost
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wyverkens
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buysse
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Sutter
authors.affiliation: Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennings
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007316:Insemination, Artificial, Heterologous; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa; D014019:Tissue Donors
keywords: artificial reproduction; donor conception; ethics; payment; qualitative research