To choose the oocyte donation as a way of becoming a mother (Phenomenological study of infertile women’s in Royan Institute)
Volume 8, Issue 1, Winter 2014, Pages 6-21
Nasrin Eyzadyar, Shirin Ahmadnia, Seyed Mohammad Seyedmirzaei, Seyed Ali Azin, Mohammad Yazdani Safa
Abstract Oocyte donation forms a part of so called "Assisted Reproduction Technology" (ART) that assists infertile women with ovarian problems or other medical factors to achieve their dream of having a child. Understanding the experience of infertile women in a difficult decision-making period for oocyte donation and selecting it over other alternatives (adoption or to live without children) is significant. Little is known about the lived experience of recipient women though, especially in Iran, due to the cultural, social, and religious conditions of the society. The present article describes the experience of those infertile women. This study was conducted using qualitative method and phenomenological approach with the aim of recognizing and describing the experiences of the women recipients of donated oocyte. Eleven participants were selected by purposive sampling method from women who had turned to Royan Infertility Institute in Tehran, Iran. The data were generated from transcription of taped Semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data analysis was in accordance with the procedure introduced by Colaizzi. Six main themes emerged from the women’s descriptions of their experiences:(1) the possibility of maintaining the confidentiality in egg donation; (2) the opportunity of having the experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding ;(3) the chance of genetic transition from husband ;(4) the impact of time factor in choosing oocyte donation ;(5) oocyte donation being permissible from a religious point of view; and (6) emotional and social burden of infertility.