The USA National Lesbian Family Study: Interviews with Mothers of 10-Year-Olds

Abstract

This report from a prospective, qualitative, longitudinal study of 78 USA lesbian families presents data from interviews with 137 mothers of 10-year-old children conceived by donor insemination (DI). Half of the 37 couples who had remained together since the index child's birth reported that the child was equally bonded to both mothers. Among the 30 separated couples, custody was more likely to be shared if the couple had completed a co-parent adoption prior to splitting. There was no difference in relationship longevity when the participants' divorced heterosexual sisters with children were compared with the study couples whose relationships had dissolved. Although 27 children were conceived by known sperm donors, the majority of these men were not regularly involved in the children's lives. The lesbian mothers' own parents had embraced the DI child and were generally ‘out’ about their daughter's lesbian family.