Unique experiences of transgender and cisgender fathers who use donor sperm
Fatherhood experiences: A qualitative approach of cisgender and transgender fathers in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) situation with sperm donation (Mendes, 2024)
Mendes, N., Woestland, L., Drouineaud, V., Poirier, F., Lagrange, C., Rosenblum, O., Wolf, J.-P., Patrat, C., Brunelle, J., Pommier, F., Cohen, D., & Condat, A. (2024). Fatherhood experiences: A qualitative approach of cisgender and transgender fathers in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) situation with sperm donation. HELIYON. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40501
Geographic Region: France
Research Question: What are the experiences of transgender and cisgender fathers who conceived children through donor sperm insemination and natural conception?
Design: Cross-sectional qualitative study involving individual recorded interviews with fathers (one per child). Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) method used. Fathers who used sperm donors were recruited through CECOS-Cochin sperm bank.
Sample: 79 interviews from 48 fathers, including 16 transgender fathers who used donor sperm, 15 cisgender fathers who used donor sperm, and 17 cisgender fathers who conceived with their own sperm. All fathers were part of heterosexual couples at the time of conception, as donor sperm insemination was available for heterosexual couples only in France until 2021. All fathers had children under the age of 15.
Key Findings
Transgender fathers using donor sperm often described traditional ideas of what it means to be a father (like being involved in sports and physical activities). They felt some inner worries or unease about specific things, like how to raise a son when their own body is different. They put a lot of emphasis on building strong bonds with their children and rarely brought up the topic of sperm donation in their interviews.
Cisgender fathers using donor sperm expressed comfort when they could spot similarities between themselves and their children. They had specific worries about how to tell their children about the sperm donation and whether their children would accept them as "real" fathers. They frequently discussed the sperm donation process and its impact.
Fathers who conceived naturally had the most varied responses. They didn't focus as much on wanting to become fathers and showed less tendency to idealize their children. They also described more diverse views about what being a father means.
Both groups using donor sperm showed stronger emotional attachment to their children compared to the natural conception group.
Transgender fathers seemed to focus more on proving they could be "good fathers" while cisgender fathers using donor sperm focused more on biological connection issues.
Limitations. Limited sample size. Standardized interview format may not capture full family dynamics.
Applications: Support systems need to recognize that a father's self-confidence can be challenged, particularly when they are transgender or don't have a genetic link to their child.
Funding Source: Not explicitly stated
Lead Author: Nicolas Mendes is affiliated with Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Institut IDEAL, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France and Service de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Hôpital Jean Verdier, APHP, Bondy, France.
Regulatory Context
Donor conception is exclusively managed by the state through 23 CECOS (Centre d'études et de conservation des œufs et du sperme humans).
Strict donor anonymity is enforced by law. Surrogacy is prohibited, though parents using surrogacy abroad face no prosecution.
CECOS refuses to provide even non-identifying information, including shared donor status. DNA testing is prohibited except for court-ordered filiation cases.
Donors cannot receive payment.
Current limit is 10 children per donor (increased from 5 in 2004). Lack of centralized registry means this limit is difficult to enforce.
As of 2021, treatment is available to heterosexual and same-sex couples and single women.