O-081 Brad Pitt or the Next Door Neighbor?

Abstract

Abstract Study question Can we identify the preferences of sperm recipients regarding traits of the ideal sperm donor? Summary answer According to our questionnaire, patients’ priority was a “healthy child” but they were also trying to assemble “the perfect looking child”. What is known already Recruiting sperm donors is tedious and time consuming. Literature is scarce on the factors guiding women when choosing a donor. Increasing knowledge regarding these factors could assist in the recruitment process. In certain countries sperm donation is anonymous. The shared information about the donors is limited and includes basic physical traits (hair, eye color, skin complexion, height) in addition to religion, education, and occupation. Single women are free of social constraints when choosing an anonymous donor, shedding a light on what are the most critical elements. Study design, size, duration An anonymous questionnaire was developed to explore sperm recipients’ preferences in choosing a sperm donor. The respondents were asked to describe themselves and choose the traits of the ideal donor from a structured list in the questionnaire. Patients were asked to rank the importance of a list of traits. Participants/materials, setting, methods Sixty four patients completed the questionnaire. The data was statistically analyzed. Main results and the role of chance Eighty percent of participants are single women. 45% of the participants are 35-40 years old. Most of them have an academic degree (70%) and grew up in the city (77%). 74% of our patients have dark hair and 67% have brown eyes. We compared the traits of the recipients to the traits of the hypothetical ideal donor. Interestingly, recipients did not desire a donor that looks like them overcoming the natural instinctive desire to have a child that looks like you. Even though the average recipient at our unit does not have a fair appearance, the ideal donor of 73% of the recipients is light haired with blue/green colored eyes. The average height of the women was 166cm±6 while the average height of the ideal donor was 178cm±6. Still, when ranking the importance of traits; 89% ranked genetic testing as most important in their selection and 67% ranked the staff's impression of the donor as very important. Recipients with an academic degree ranked education as important compared with non-academic recipients. Limitations, reasons for caution Preference in choosing a sperm donor may be influenced by local factors and might not generally applicable Wider implications of the findings Recruitment of sperm donors is an ongoing process demanding commitment between the medical staff and the donors. It requires a psychologic evaluation, serologic and genetic testing and repeated sperm sampling. Knowing factors that guide women when choosing a sperm donor may precise the recruitment process of donors. Trial registration number None