Emotional reaction of male partners to donor-insemination pregnancy

To examine the emotional reaction of the male partner to childbearing through donor insemination (DI) in Japan, the husbands' of recipient mothers were questioned by mail through a multiple-choice, anonymous questionnaire. Out of 190 couples who underwent DI and raised children during 1993-1998, 146 husbands (77%) replied. Although the majority (78%) of the subjects did not tell anyone about the DI, the persons most frequently told were the husband's parents (17%). The most frequent motivation to start DI was the subject's desire for children; some subject confessed that the decision was necessary 'to maintain their partnership' (14%) or because they were 'reluctant to choose adoption' (19%). Many husbands (67%) had anxiety about their children's physical resemblance to themselves, but most of the husbands (80%) felt great sympathy with their new family and hoped to raise another children in the future. Almost all (145/146) husbands did not intend to tell their children about DI. In conclusion, DI seemed to have no adverse psychological effects on husbands and their families in Japan. However, most couples tended to keep DI confidential.