Madres solteras por elección: Representaciones sobre la fecundación sexual como vía de acceso a la maternidad

Abstract

This article analyzes the discourse surrounding motivations that Single Mothers by Choice (SMC) of Madrid, Spain, provide for choosing whether to use sexual intercourse as a path to single parenthood. The discourse produced in qualitative interviews, as well as participant interactions and observations, shows that SMC have two ways to build their families using sexual intercourse. One way, called "the deceit", is to use sexual intercourse to become surreptitiously pregnant, and the other is to use a "known donor" or a man who agrees not to claim paternity of the child they produce. The first is morally disapproved of, and the second entails serious risks to preserving the autonomy of the SMC. Consequently, the SMC interviewed question whether they should continue to opt for these avenues to single parenthood at a time when other alternatives are available to the women.