“Doppiamente madre”. La fecondazione eterologa tra genitorialità biologica e sociale: uno studio di caso singolo

In heterologous artificial insemination, the donation of gametes (either sperm or eggs) from a third person allows infertile and same sex couples to become parents. Therefore, the child is genetically related to one parent, while the other parent is referred to as the social mother or father. The current single case study aimed at investigating this double access to parenthood in a lesbian couple who had two children after heterologous artificial insemination. In this couple, both women delivered one of the two children, such that each partner is either a biological or a social mother. The Clinical Generational Interview was used to assess the quality of family relationships, with a specific focus on three dimensions: the origins of each partner, the constitution of the couple, and the generational passage. Paper and pencil textual analysis was conducted following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and led to the identification of six dominant themes (and subthemes): (1) the relationship with the family of origin; (2) the couple relationship; (3) the generational passage; (4) heterologous artificial insemination and “double motherhood”; (5) the donor/biological father; (6) children’s identity and the disclosure of their origin. This study findings revealed the importance of using research techniques aimed at in-depth exploration of this phenomenon, consistently with the specificities of the new forms of filiation. The adoption of a transgenerational perspective allows to articulate conception coordinates with the history of the couple and the origins of each partner.