Gamete and embryo donation for research: what might shape the willingness to donate among gamete donors and recipients?

Purpose Research using gametes and embryos donated by reproductive and third-party donors contributed to substantial, albeit contentious achievements. The views of gamete donors and recipients on donation for research and the underpinning role of attitudes towards research have been seldom explored and are yet to be incorporated into ethical, legal, and regulatory landscapes. From a cultural standpoint, this study adapts and explores psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Research Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ), and analyzes the willingness of gamete donors and recipients to donate gametes and embryos for research and its association with sociodemographic, reproductive characteristics, and attitudes towards research. Methods Between July 2017 and June 2018, 71 donors and 165 recipients completed a self-administered questionnaire at the Portuguese Public Bank of Gametes. Willingness to donate and attitudes towards research were measured with a 5-point Likert scale. RAQ psychometric characteristics were explored. Results Two RAQ components were identified: "trustworthiness of research" and "critical perspective". Most participants were willing to donate gametes and embryos: donors more willing to donate gametes and male recipients more willing to donate gametes and embryos. Higher RAQ scores, indicating a more positive attitude towards research, were observed on the component "trustworthiness of research" among those willing to donate gametes and embryos and on the component "critical perspective" among those willing to donate embryos. Conclusion These findings help foster inclusivity, diversity, and responsiveness of research and call for upstream engagement of male and female gamete donors and recipients, promoting a trustworthy, anticipatory, democratic, and people-centered approach to policies, regulations, and practices in human gamete and embryo research.This study was supported by national funding from the FCT -Foundation for Science and Technology (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education), the Operational Programmes Competitiveness and Internationalization (COMPETE 2020) and Human Capital (POPH), Portugal 2020, and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, under the project ENGAgED -Bionetworking and citizenship in gamete donation (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016762; Ref. FCT PTDC/IVC-ESCT/6294/2014), the Unidade de Investigacao em Epidemiologia -Instituto de Saude Publica da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862; Ref. FCT UIDB/04750/2020), the PhD grant SFRH/BD/122603/2016 (Pinto da Silva S), the contract Ref. DL57/2016/CP1336/CT0001 (de Freitas C), and the FCT investigator contract IF/01674/2015 (Silva S)