‘Choosing Motherhood’: The process of selecting a donor
Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world. So why are some women choosing to do it alone? A growing trend among some women is choosing to do motherhood by themselves, taking on all the responsibilities, both mentally, emotionally, and financially.
Single motherhood is still considered by many to be taboo and many in our community look down on women raising children on their own. That hasn’t stopped a growing number of women from still choosing that path. The journey can look different for each woman. In this new and honest limited series, “Choosing Motherhood with Eboni K. Williams,” theGrio host, and journalist Nicole Ellis talk about their individual decisions regarding single motherhood and all that comes with it. Topics will include defining single motherhood, egg freezing, donor selection, financial costs, concerns, and dealing with criticism from societal stigmas.
In episode two of “Choosing Motherhood with Eboni K. Williams,” Williams and Ellis talk about donor selection, the intricacies of the donor relationship, and the difficulty for Black women who only want to use a Black sperm donor. Williams also gives an in-depth look into her own search for a donor.
According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, a 2023 study found that only about 3% of the sperm donors at the nation’s largest donor banks are Black. The numbers decrease once you factor in excluding donors with the same recessive mutations or genetic issues. The Medical Center at the University of Kansas was awarded a grant last year from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine to study attitudes in the Black community toward sperm donation.
Why do you believe there’s a shortage of Black sperm donors within our community? What are your thoughts on using donors within the Black community? Share your thoughts at theGrio.com or on our social media pages.
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