Contact With Grandparents Among Children Conceived Via Donor Insemination by Lesbian and Heterosexual Mothers

Objective. This study compared the networks of extended family and friendship relationships of children conceived via donor insemination with lesbian versus heterosexual parents. Design. Eighty families participated; 55 of the families were headed by lesbian parents and 25 were headed by heterosexual parents. Parents reported their children's contact with grandparents and other important adults. Results. Most children had regular contact with grandparents, other relatives, and adult nonrelatives outside their immediate households, and there were no differences in this regard as a function of parental sexual orientation. Both children of lesbian and heterosexual parents had more frequent contact with the parents of their biological mother than with the parents of their father or other mother. Conclusions. Contrary to negative stereotypes, children of lesbian mothers were described as having regular contact with grandparents. Regardless of parental sexual orientation, children were described as being in more frequent contact with grandparents to whom they were biologically linked.

本研究的主要目标是比较通过捐精方式受孕的孩子在同性父母与异性父母家庭中的扩展家庭和朋友关系网络。具体关注的是孩子与祖父母及其他重要成人的联系。

本研究共涉及80个家庭，其中55个家庭由同性父母抚养，25个家庭由异性父母抚养。父母报告了孩子与祖父母和其他重要成人的接触情况。研究采用问卷调查的方式收集数据。

研究结果表明，大多数孩子定期与祖父母、其他亲戚及成人非亲属保持联系，且无论父母性取向如何，孩子们的接触频率没有显著差异。此外，无论是同性母亲还是异性父母家庭，孩子们与生物母亲一方的父母接触更为频繁。这表明，反驳了负面刻板印象，显示同性母亲的孩子与祖父母保持定期联系，并且无论父母的性取向如何，孩子们与生物学上有关系的祖父母的联系更为紧密。