University of Twente Student Theses
Information needs on surrogacy : a qualitative study on the information needs of intended parents and (aspirant) surrogate mothers
Nicolai, Lydia (2016) Information needs on surrogacy : a qualitative study on the information needs of intended parents and (aspirant) surrogate mothers.
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| Abstract: | Background: Everywhere around the world there are involuntarily childless couples and individuals. In order to get a child, 86 percent of them start searching for medical help. For homosexual male couples, single men, and women who are unable to carry a child, surrogacy is the only option available that gives them the opportunity to have a complete or partial genetic link with their future child. If people choose for surrogacy to get a child they go through a surrogacy journey consisting of four phases; orientation-, concrete plans-, pregnancy-, and after birth phase. It is likely that when people go through this journey they do not have all the required knowledge available from the start, leaving them with questions and information needs during their journey. To find answers to these questions people are nowadays likely to search online. Study goal: The aim of this study is to identify the information needs of intended parents and (aspirant) surrogate mothers in order to adjust the online information provision of Fiom to the information needs of the target groups. Method: To identify the information needs of intended parents and (aspirant) surrogate mothers 11 interviews were conducted on three groups; intended parents, (aspirant) surrogate mothers, and a Fiom social worker. All interviews consisted of a semi-structured interview and a small questionnaire about demographic variables. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subsequently encoded by two independent coders. Results: The results of this study indicate that intended parents and (aspirant) surrogate mothers search for information about the medical-, juridical-, financial-, and psychological aspects of surrogacy. They also like read experience stories of others. While reading these stories they obtain information about all four former mentioned aspects. They mainly used the Internet as a source for information. To a lesser extent they use professionals (i.e., lawyers) or books. The wishes they express about a new website are focused on more extensive and complete information about the surrogacy journey within the Netherlands and abroad, more juridical and financial information, opportunities for counselling, and opportunities to interact with peers. To structure information they would like to see a tailored step-by-step plan where all the things they have to arrange are extensively described per phase of the surrogacy journey. Conclusion: In order for Fiom to adjust their information provision to the information needs of the target groups they should provide them with extensive information about all phases of the surrogacy journey, structured in a tailored step-by-step plan which chronologically follows the surrogacy journey. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70922 |
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