An analysis of social and psychological characteristics of women volunteering to become oocyte donors.

OBJECTIVES

To design a recruitment program and analysis to determine social and psychological characteristics of women who volunteer to be oocyte donors; to evaluate consistency between clinical interviews and psychological testing; and to determine whether socially and psychologically normal women tend to volunteer.

PARTICIPANTS

Over a 2-year period 95 women were recruited from a middle-class population surrounding the medical center. Candidates were evaluated on the basis of clinical interviews and performance on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Seventy-three percent were accepted, and 63% donated oocytes.

INTERVENTIONS

Interviews and psychological test evaluation were conducted independently by a clinical sociologist and a clinical psychologist; selections were made in a meeting of the treatment team.

RESULTS

Interview and test data demonstrated consistency and indicated that women who volunteer tend to be socially conventional, outgoing, and free from psychopathology. The typical donor tends to be 26 years old, married with one or two children, holds religious or spiritual beliefs, has 2 years of college, works at least part-time in a white collar job, and is a person with high energy who has additional interests. Incidence of dysfunction in family of origin or family of orientation (abandonment, abuse) is unremarkable. Although motherhood is highly valued by oocyte donor volunteers, in test performance this group does not endorse traditional female role stereotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

We have determined that this recruitment protocol is reliable for screening normal oocyte donors and would recommend its use in programs involved in oocyte donation.