What are the characteristics, motivations and experiences of people who use online sperm donation platforms? A systematic review and thematic synthesis.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increase in people using websites, social media groups and mobile apps to connect with potential sperm donors or recipients. We undertook a systematic review of existing research which sought to: explore the characteristics, motivations and experiences of people who use online sperm donation platforms; assess the quality of the existing literature; identify gaps in the evidence base; and make recommendations for future research. Ten academic and grey literature databases and search engines (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Core, Google Scholar, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, NICE Evidence, Open Grey and Google) were searched in December 2019 and again in June 2024. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and we undertook a thematic synthesis of the findings. The searches produced 18,614 results, of which 30 reports were included in the synthesis. The reports were published between 2010 and 2024, by authors from nine countries, and were qualitative (n = 19), quantitative (n = 7) and mixed methods (n = 4) in design. Four themes and two subthemes pertaining to participants' motivations and experiences were constructed from the data. The themes demonstrate that OSD is an improvised practice that is laden with stigma and can produce imbalances of power between donors and recipients. The findings point to a need for further research, including prospective research, to be undertaken with more diverse samples, including populations in the Global South, Black and minority ethnic populations, and inexperienced donors.