Danish sperm donors across three decades: motivations and attitudes.

OBJECTIVE

To study the motivation and attitudes toward donor anonymity, economic compensation, and insemination of lesbian and single women among Danish sperm donors in 2012 compared with the two preceding decades.

DESIGN

Anonymous survey.

SETTING

Danish sperm bank.

PATIENT(S): Sperm donors active in 2012 (n = 97), 2002 (n = 62), and 1992 (n = 41).

INTERVENTION(S): All donors who donated sperm in the study period were asked to participate. The results were compared with those of previous surveys from the same sperm bank.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Motivation and attitudes toward donor anonymity, economic compensation, and insemination of lesbian and single women.

RESULT(S): In 2012, the most frequently stated factor was altruism, motivating 90% of the sperm donors, which was not significantly different from the previous surveys. If economic compensations were removed, only 14% would continue to donate. The proportion of anonymous donors who would stop their donations if anonymity was abolished was 51%, 56%, and 67% in 1992, 2002, and 2012, respectively. A significantly increasing proportion of donors felt positive about donation to lesbian couples.

CONCLUSION(S): The motivation for sperm donation is multifaceted and primarily based on economic compensation and altruism. Most Danish donors would stop their donations if economic compensation or anonymity were abolished.