All in the family: social processes in ovarian egg donation between sisters

Abstract

Interviews and participant observation were conducted at a US infertility clinic with women who were attempting to become pregnant with eggs donated by their biological sisters. Sisters who donated eggs were also followed and interviewed regarding their experiences, as were a number of husbands of recipients. Five significant social processes characterising the sisters’ passage through egg donation are discussed: (1) negotiating dissimilar treatment experiences, (2) communicating cautiously, (3) interacting in a triad, (4) disclosing to others, and (5) ‘gift‐giving’. Although participants are generally satisfied with their decision to do sister‐to‐sister egg donation, the unprecedented procedure presents a number of difficulties. If sister‐to‐sister egg donation as a means to biological motherhood continues in the future, these sociological findings suggest areas in which medical personnel may need to provide social and emotional support. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved