The Path to Parenthood Isn't Always Straight

Download or read book The Path to Parenthood Isn't Always Straight written by Sophia Fantus and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Background: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have facilitated novel family structures and, in turn, have yielded new opportunities to parent for gay men. Recently, Canada has witnessed an increased number of same-sex parent families and a growth of gay father-headed households. ARTs continue to be only ascribed as biomedical interventions to resolve infertility. With the progress of ARTs and the increasing prevalence of gay fathers, the aim of this dissertation is to explore gestational surrogacy for gay men in Canada. Methods: From January 2015 to January 2016, gay fathers (n=16) and gestational surrogates (n= 6) were recruited through advertisements distributed across same-sex parenting groups, surrogacy consulting services and social media. Using non-probability purposive sampling, three populations were targeted: (1) single or partnered gay fathers who completed gestational surrogacy; (2) gestational surrogates who bore a child for gay men; and (3) gay fathers and their paired surrogate. All participants had to be living in Canada at the time surrogacy was practiced. In-depth semi-structured interviews (~60-90 min) were conducted either in-person or over the phone; informed consent was reviewed and obtained prior to the interview. Textual analysis was conducted by the researcher; emerging patterns were organized from the data manually to generate findings. Triangulation, member-checking and peer-debriefing supported validity. Results: The three empirically-based chapters will report on: (1) the motivations of gay intended fathers and gestational surrogates to pursue surrogacy; (2) the interpersonal relationships between gay intended fathers and gestational surrogates before, during and post pregnancy; and (3) institutional supports and barriers encountered during surrogacy and post-birth, with respect to both the practice of surrogacy and gay fatherhood. Implications: This dissertation has implications for social work practice, research and education, as well as policy, law and bioethics. The aim of this dissertation is to advance an understanding of non-normative families, resisting and challenging heteronormative discourses that have framed parenting and reproduction practice and scholarship. Encouraging dialogues with stakeholders, such as surrogates, intended parents, lawyers, fertility specialists and allied health professionals, is critical.