Public support for intergenerational oocyte donation in the United States

Objective: To determine whether the general public supports intergenerational oocyte donation. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): A nationally representative sample based on age distribution of United States residents. Interventions(s): Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s): Characteristics of respondents who supported (strongly agree and agree) various oocyte donation practices were compared with participants who did not support them (disagree and strongly disagree) using log binomial regression to calculate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals of support (95% CIs). Models were adjusted for age, gender, and religion to yield adjusted risk ratios (aRR). Result(s): A total of 1,915 people responded to the Web-based survey; 53% were female, and 24% were racial/ethnic minorities. Eighty-five percent had prior knowledge of oocyte donation, and 74% felt that a woman should be able to donate oocytes to a family member. The desire to help a family member was the most commonly perceived motivation for donors (79%). Christian–Catholics compared with Christian–non-Catholics (aRR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.98), African Americans compared with non-Hispanic Caucasians (aRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.97), and Republicans compared with Democrats (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.98) were less likely to support intergenerational oocyte donation. Respondents with three or more biological children (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.11) compared with those with no children were less likely to support this practice. Eight percent of participants disapproved of donation to any family member. The most common reason for disapproval was the potential negative impact on the child (53%). Conclusion(s): A majority of Americans support the practice of intergenerational oocyte donation; however, support varies according to demographic characteristics.