scholarly journals A comparison of the characteristics, motivations, preferences and expectations of men donating sperm online or through a sperm bank

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 2208-2218
Author(s):  
S Graham ◽  
T Freeman ◽  
V Jadva
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Sperm Donation ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Sperm Donors ◽  
Sperm Bank ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Competing Interest

Abstract STUDY QUESTION How do the demographic characteristics, motivations, experiences and expectations of unregulated sperm donors (men donating sperm online through a connection website) compare to sperm donors in the regulated sector (men donating through a registered UK sperm bank)? SUMMARY ANSWER Online donors were more likely to be older, married and have children of their own than sperm bank donors, were more varied in their preferences and expectations of sperm donation, and had more concerns about being a sperm donor. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY While studies have examined motivations and experiences of both regulated sperm bank, and unregulated online sperm donors, no study has directly compared these two groups of donors. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION An email was sent to the 576 men who were registered sperm donors at the London Sperm Bank, the UK’s largest sperm bank regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), who had commenced donation between January 2010 and December 2016, and had consented to be contacted for research. The online survey, which contained multiple choice and open-ended questions, was completed by 168 men over a 7-week period. The responses were compared to those of sperm donors registered on Pride Angel, a large UK-based connection website for donors and recipients of sperm: our research team had already collected these data. In total, 5299 sperm donors were on Pride Angel at time of data capture and 400 men had completed a similar survey. The responses of 70 actual online sperm donors (i.e. those whose sperm had been used to conceive at least one child) were used for comparison with the sperm bank donors. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The survey obtained data on the sperm donors’ demographic characteristics, motivations, experiences and expectations of sperm donation. Data from sperm bank donors were compared to online donors to examine differences between the two groups. The study compared online and clinic donors who had all been accepted as sperm donors: online donors who had been ‘vetted’ by recipients and sperm bank donors who had passed the rigorous screening criteria set by the clinic. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A response rate of 29% was obtained from the sperm bank donors. Online donors were significantly older than sperm bank donors (mean ± SD: 38.7 ± 8.4 versus 32.9 ± 6.8 years, respectively) and were more likely to have their own children (p < 0.001 for both characteristics). Both groups rated the motivation ‘I want to help others’ as very important. Online donors rated ‘I don’t want to have children myself’, ‘to have children/procreate’ and ‘to enable others to enjoy parenting as I have myself’ as more important than sperm bank donors, whereas sperm bank donors rated financial payment as more important than online donors, as well as confirmation of own fertility. Most (93.9%) online donors had donated their sperm elsewhere, through other connection sites, fertility clinics, sperm banks or friends and family, compared to only 2.4% of sperm bank donors (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in how donors viewed their relationship to the child, with online donors much less likely than sperm bank donors to see their relationship as a ‘genetic relationship only’. Online donors had more concerns about being a donor (p < 0.001), for example, being concerned about ‘legal uncertainty and child financial support’ and ‘future contact and uncertainty about relationship with donor-conceived child’. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Findings may not be representative of all sperm donors as only one online connection site and one HFEA registered sperm bank were used for recruitment. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Despite concern regarding shortages of sperm donors in licensed clinics and unease regarding the growing popularity of unregulated connection websites, this is the first study to directly compare online and sperm bank donors. It highlights the importance of considering ways to incorporate unregulated online sperm donors into the regulated sector. With many online donors well aware of the legal risks they undertake when donating in the unregulated online market, this would both increase the number of sperm donors available at clinics but also provide legal protection and support for donors. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust Grants 104 385/Z/14/Z and 097857/Z/11/Z. The authors have no conflicts of interest.

scholarly journals A systematic review of sperm donors: demographic characteristics, attitudes, motives and experiences of the process of sperm donation

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Van den Broeck ◽  
M. Vandermeeren ◽  
D. Vanderschueren ◽  
P. Enzlin ◽  
K. Demyttenaere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Sperm Donation ◽  
Sperm Donors

scholarly journals Finding people like me: contact among young adults who share an open-identity sperm donor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J E Scheib ◽  
E McCormick ◽  
J Benward ◽  
A Ruby
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Single Mother ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Sperm Donation ◽  
Sperm Donor ◽  
Sperm Donors ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Almost All

Abstract STUDY QUESTION What interests and experiences do donor-conceived adults have with respect to same-donor peers/siblings, when they share an open-identity sperm donor? SUMMARY ANSWER Donor-conceived young adults report considerable interest in, and primarily positive experiences with, their same-donor peers, with some finding ‘people like me’. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Through mutual-consent contact registries, director-to-consumer DNA testing and other means, donor-conceived people with anonymous (i.e. closed-identity) sperm donors are gaining identity- information from, and establishing relationships with, people who share their donor. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Semi-structured, in depth telephone and Skype interviews with 47 donor-conceived young adults were carried out over a 31-month period. Inclusion criteria were being one of the first adults for each donor to obtain their identity and being at least 1-year post donor-information release. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants (aged 19–29 years, 68.1% women) were born to female same-sex couple parents (46.8%), a single mother (29.8%) or heterosexual couple parents (23.4%); all parents had conceived through the same US open-identity sperm donation program. The dataset was analyzed thematically and included interviews from only one participant per family. Each participant had a different donor. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Interest in, and experiences with, same-donor peers suggested that they occupy a unique position in the lives of donor-conceived young adults who share their open-identity donor. Contact can provide identity-relevant information and support through the availability of relationships (whether actualized or potential), shared experiences, and easier relationships than with their donor. Most donor-conceived young adults felt positively about their contact experiences. Of those not yet linked, almost all expressed an interest to do so. Some had met the children raised by their donor. When asked, all expressed an interest in doing so. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Interviews were conducted with donor-conceived young adults who were uncommon in their generation in terms of: having an open-identity sperm donor; the majority knowing about their family’s origins from childhood; and having parents that accessed at the time one of the only open-identity sperm donation programs. Further research is needed to assess applicability to all donor-conceived adults; findings may be more relevant to the growing number of people who have an open-identity donor and learned in childhood about their family’s origins. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Participants were among the first generation of donor-conceived adults with an open-identity sperm donor. Their experiences and perspectives can provide essential guidance to programs and others with similar origins. Early disclosure of family origins and identifying the donor did not diminish the young adults’ interest in their same-donor peers. Positive experiences suggest that the benefits of contact include not only identity-relevant information (through shared traits and experiences), but also relationships with and support from people who understand the uncommon experience of being donor conceived. Implications include the need to educate families and intended parents about the potential benefits of knowing others who are donor conceived, and the risk of unexpected linking across families by donors, regardless of donor-conceived person or family interest. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The study was funded by the Lesbian Health Fund of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Shared Decision Making in Cancer Treatment: Findings from a Large Survey of Lymphoma (LYM) Patients and Survivors

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 2134-2134
Author(s):  
Kendall H Sullivan ◽  
Michael Toscani ◽  
Tayla Poretta ◽  
Ciera Patzke ◽  
Thushara Korattyil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Actual Role ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: As the complexity of the LYM treatment landscape increases, patients (pts) have become more involved in understanding treatment options, joining advocacy organizations, and seeking information through a multitude of venues. This has increased the pts voice in the treatment decision-making (DM) process while considering several factors (i.e. route of administration, side effects, cost, access to care, quality of life, etc). There is robust evidence that establishes the importance of a collaborative relationship between pts and clinicians when making treatment related decisions. The growing evidence also suggests there is an increased need for pt oriented-research, including communication between the scientific community and cancer pts. However, despite the established need for shared DM, there are discrepancies between the extent that pts prefer to be involved vs their actual involvement. Previous studies have suggested that elderly pts and pts with lower education status prefer a passive DM role. Our objective was to facilitate a detailed survey identifying clinical characteristics and demographics that influence the preferred and actual role that LYM pts have in shared treatment DM. Methods: This study was reviewed and approved by the Rutgers IRB. A 30 question survey was developed and sent to the LYM Research Foundation (LRF) distribution list of pts and caregivers. This voluntary and anonymous survey was available through the online survey platform Qualtrics®, a Rutgers University approved survey platform, and was sent to 132,827 unique email addresses. Data collection and analysis was performed solely through the Qualtrics online platform with no additional pt identifiers or information collected. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric two-sided Mann Whitney U test and Fisher exact testing. Results: Of the 132,827 unique email addresses that received the survey, an estimated 12,316 recipients opened the email with a total of 1045 participants completing the survey. Among the 1045 participants, 878 were LYM pts or survivors. Of the 878 pts, 58% were current and the remaining were survivors. Among known diagnoses, the most common subtypes were follicular LYM (30%), CLL/SLL (25%), mantle cell LYM (20%), Waldenstroms macroglobulinemia (10%), & diffuse large B cell LYM (8%). At the time of diagnosis, the majority of pts (73.7%) were 60 years or older. There were slightly more female (55%) than male pts. Disease status for pts: 22% had not yet received therapy, 38% reported 1 line of therapy, and 40% 2 or more. Additionally, 49% reported receiving chemotherapy, 55% receiving immunotherapy. Considering the 878 LYM pts who were included in this analysis, 460 (52%) responded to their preferred role in treatment DM. Furthermore, 448/460 (97%) pts responded that they preferred to have an active role in the treatment DM paradigm. However, 147/448 (33%) responded they did not have a role in the DM process. We analyzed several pt demographic and disease variables for the impact on decision making (Table).There was no significant difference in the probability of pts with no role in DM for most subgroups. There was a trend for LYM pts with relapsed/refractory disease in having less of a role in DM for therapy compared with newly diagnosed pts, while there was no apparent differences based on whether immunotherapy was part of therapy or not. However, there was a prominent difference in the probability of pts when stratified by age with 27% of pts ages ≥60 years vs 50% of LYM pts ages <60 years stating that they did not have a role in DM for their treatment (Table). Conclusions: This analysis informs the perspective of LYM pts and survivors regarding their roles in treatment DM. While nearly all responding pts reported they preferred to have an active role in the treatment DM process, 1/3 of those pts stated that they did not have a role. This preference transcended most pt demographics and disease characteristics. However, there was a prominent age-based discrepancy with younger LYM pts reporting no role in treatment decisions compared with older pts. Based off of previous evidence that suggests older pts prefer a more passive role, this data suggests pts perception of their actual role in shared treatment DM can be influenced by their reported preference. Continued analyses and studies are warranted to understand the ongoing gaps and to improve the overall DM process for pts and providers. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Physiotherapists’ perception of physicians’ referral of patients for physiotherapy in the Nigerian health system

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uchenna Prosper Okonkwo ◽  
Ebere Yvonne Ihegihu ◽  
Fatai Adesina Maruf ◽  
Joseph Onuwa Umunnah ◽  
Stanley Monday Maduagwu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Health System ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Negative Perception ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background As the physiotherapy profession gradually evolves into a more autonomous profession, physicians continue to play a major role in the clinical practice of physical therapists globally, particularly as a source of patient referral. Therefore, an evaluation of Nigerian physiotherapists’ (NPTs) perception of physician’s referral (PR) of patients for physiotherapy may be a critical indicator of the relationship between the two professionals in the Nigerian health sector. The objective of the study was to determine the perception of Nigerian NPTs on the PR of patients for physiotherapy and the influence of demographic characteristics on the perception. The study was an online survey involving one hundred and fifty-four respondents. The instrument for the study was an 11-item self-developed questionnaire with two domains: demographics and perception. The participants were blind respondents reached through different physiotherapists’ WhatsApp platforms in Nigeria. The responses were collated electronically after 2 months and analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results The respondents have a negative perception of the 9 out of the 11-questionnaire items that were used to test the physiotherapists’ perception of the physicians’ referral of patients for physiotherapy in Nigeria health facilities. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) across the respondents’ gender, place of employment, areas of specialization, and educational qualifications and the respondents’ perception of doctors’ referrals of patients for physiotherapy. However, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in each of the participants’ perceptions across the respondents’ years of practice, with the participants who had less than 5 years of practice having the least score. Conclusions Nigerian physiotherapists have a negative perception of physicians’ referral of patients for physiotherapy, and the perception was only influenced by the years of practice of the respondents.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions of School-Based Services for Children With Hearing Loss

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-478
Author(s):  
Sarah Allen ◽  
Robert Mayo
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
School Based ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Children With Hearing Loss ◽  
Perceptions Of School

Purpose School-aged children with hearing loss are best served by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The purpose of this research was to assess school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of their access to, involvement of, and working relationships with educational audiologists in their current work setting. Method An online survey was developed and distributed to school-based SLPs in North Carolina. Results A significant difference in access to and involvement of educational audiologists across the state was found. Conclusions This research contributes to professional knowledge by providing information about current perceptions in the field about interprofessional practice in a school-based setting. Overall, SLPs reported positive feelings about their working relationship with educational audiologists and feel the workload is distributed fairly.

Income or Culture? Examining the Determinants of Subjective Wellbeing in an International Sample

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddharth Garg
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Regression Coefficient ◽  
Marginal Utility ◽  
Economic Class ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The World ◽  
Diminishing Marginal Utility ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between income, subjective wellbeing, and culture among people from a higher socio-economic class across the world. Rationale: Ed Diener proposed the law of diminishing marginal utility as an explanation for differences in subjective wellbeing among different income groups across different countries (Diener, Ng, &amp; Tov, Balance in life and declining marginal utility of diverse resources, 2009). Thus, people with higher incomes would experience less subjective wellbeing due to income, and culture should emerge as a significant predictor. Method: Data from this study came from another study (https://siddharthgargblog.wordpress.com/2019/07/14/love-for-money/). I used an online survey to collect data on annual income in US dollars, subjective wellbeing (WHO-5), and country of residence (Indicator of Culture). 96 responses (Indians = 24, Foreigners = 72) were entered in IBM SPSS and a regression analysis was conducted. The raw dataset used in this study can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.8869040.v1Results: ANOVA showed a significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) between Indians and foreigners on levels of subjective wellbeing. Linear regression shows the regression coefficient of culture to be significant (Beta = -.254, p = .014) but the regression coefficient of income was not found to be significant. The overall model was found to explain 8.2% of the variance in wellbeing.Conclusion: The sample of this study is too small to make any kind of generalization; it does lend a little bit of support to the idea of diminishing marginal utility of income on subjective wellbeing and provides a rationale for further research.

scholarly journals Avoidance of Healthcare Utilization in South Korea during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4363
Author(s):  
Minjung Lee ◽  
Myoungsoon You
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
First Case ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Related

Avoidance of healthcare utilization among the general population during pandemic outbreaks has been observed and it can lead to a negative impact on population health. The object of this study is to examine the influence of socio-demographic and health-related factors on the avoidance of healthcare utilization during the global outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020. Data were collected through an online survey four weeks after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the first case in South Korea; 1000 subjects were included in the analysis. The logit model for regression was used to analyze the associations between sociodemographic and health-related factors regarding the avoidance of healthcare utilization. Among the participants, 73.2% avoided healthcare utilization, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of healthcare avoidance between groups with (72.0%) and without (74.9%) an underlying disease. Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, income level, and residential area) were related to healthcare avoidance. Among the investigated influencing factors, residential areas highly affected by COVID-19 (i.e., Daegu/Gyeoungbuk region) had the most significant effect on healthcare avoidance. This study found a high prevalence of healthcare avoidance among the general population who under-utilized healthcare resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the results reveal that not all societal groups share the burden of healthcare avoidance equally, with it disproportionately affecting those with certain sociodemographic characteristics. This study can inform healthcare under-utilization patterns during emerging infectious disease outbreaks and provide information to public health emergency management for implementing strategies necessary to improve the preparedness of the healthcare system.

scholarly journals Diabetes knowledge, risk perception, and quality of life among South Asian caregivers in young adulthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e001268
Author(s):  
Angela Koipuram ◽  
Sandra Carroll ◽  
Zubin Punthakee ◽  
Diana Sherifali
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Design And Methods

IntroductionPersons of South Asian descent have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The management of T2DM in the South Asian community has required the support of adult children, potentially impacting the quality of life, diabetes-related knowledge, and risk perception among these caregivers.Research design and methodsTo investigate diabetes-related knowledge, quality of life, risk perception, and actual risk of developing diabetes among South Asian young adults whose parents are living with T2DM. A cross-sectional study was conducted (n=150). An online survey was administered. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in diabetes-related knowledge between males and females (p<0.001). Males (in comparison to females) had a lower risk perception of developing diabetes (p=0.06). Further, risk perception and diabetes-related knowledge were positively associated with caregiver’s physical health (p=0.002).ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of providing gender-specific and culturally tailored diabetes educational interventions.

scholarly journals Emotional Bonding and Sexual Activity During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross-National Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 263183182110274
Author(s):  
Deblina Roy ◽  
Sujita Kumar Kar ◽  
SM Yasir Arafat ◽  
Pawan Sharma ◽  
Russell Kabir
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Emotional Bonding ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Study Participants

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have affected the sexuality and emotional bonding among the couple across the world. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on the married people’s emotional bonding and sexual relationships in 3 south Asian counties (Bangladesh, India, and Nepal). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Bangladesh, India, and Nepal residents from April 3 to April 15, 2020. The survey was designed in English. The participants were selected through convenience sampling technique, the link of the online questionnaire was shared with the participants. Only participants older than 18 years and above, married, and living with their spouses were included in the study. Results: A total number of 120 respondents were included finally for analysis from the participating countries (India, Nepal, and Bangladesh). The mean age of the participants was 35.42 (±5.73) years; the majority were males under the age of 40 years and had completed postgraduation as their qualification. Among the study participants, more than half (53.8%) of the women reported being sexually active during the lockdown, whereas 41% of the men reported being sexually active. Among the sexually active participants, most women (57.7%) reported that they perceived positive emotional bonding with their partners. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference observed when compared with men. There are variations in responses. However, no significant association was identified. Conclusion: There are a few insights from the study, that is, there was no significant difference found in almost 3 countries in emotional intimacy. There had been a trend that there is improved emotional bonding with their partners, although no significant difference was observed.

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