Sperm Donor, Choosing a

This entry describes how prospective parents choose sperm donors to help them have children. Research on choosing sperm donors is limited to studies with heterosexual couples, lesbian couples, and single women (primarily heterosexual, with some bisexual- and lesbian-identified women). The entry focuses on lesbian-identified women but also integrates knowledge from other participant samples. It begins by briefly describing donor-related options for having children, including sperm donation with known donors. It discusses how social and legal factors have historically influenced the availability of unknown donation or donor insemination (DI) for single and/or nonheterosexual women. The entry then reviews how donors are chosen and factors that influence these decisions. By having extensive information available about sperm donors, lesbian prospective parents are able to make choices that benefit ...