Attitudes and motives of semen donors and non-donors.

This study surveyed the views of three groups of men in relation to the situation of semen donation. In all, 97 childless student semen donors, 56 childless non-donor students and 44 mature non-donor fathers completed a questionnaire designed to explore possible motives for donating semen and preferences for involvement with recipients and offspring. Results showed the three groups could be discriminated with respect to their views about motivation and involvement in a number of ways. The major findings were: (i) relatively more donors than non-donors endorsed the importance of financial incentives for donating; (ii) non-donors, who were also fathers, favoured involvement with recipients and offspring more often than did non-fathers (donors and non-donor students); (iii) all groups expressed the importance of confidentiality and guaranteed anonymity. These results are discussed in relation to strategies for donor recruitment.

A survey of semen donor attitudes.

Semen donors have been required to register with the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority since its formation in 1990. Since then many clinics have reported a shortage of donor semen for donor insemination treatment. Is this because potential donors are worried about the protection of their anonymity? No published studies are available concerning the attitudes to semen donation in the UK. It was against this background that an investigation of the attitudes of potential semen donors was carried out. Four dimensions were investigated: (i) motives, (ii) personal detachment and involvement, (iii) detachment and involvement with respect to recipients, and (iv) detachment and involvement with respect to offspring. A total of 55 potential semen donors completed the attitude questionnaire from semen donation programmes in three in-vitro fertilization units. The questionnaire format was found to be an effective method of data collection for this sensitive area of research, and the major findings were (i) 89% of potential donors required confidentiality and guaranteed anonymity; (ii) 82% did not mind providing non-identifying information to the recipients and offspring; (iii) 69% of potential donors expected financial reward; and (iv) 69% did not welcome counselling.

Structural analysis of the O-glycosidically linked core-region oligosaccharides of human meconium glycoproteins which express oncofoetal antigens.

Glycoproteins were extracted from meconium samples of group O neonates of secretor type by pronase digestion followed by precipitation in 67% aqueous ethanol and separated into Ii antigen enriched and depleted fractions by affinity chromatography. The latter fraction strongly expressed the oncofoetal antigens recognised by natural antibodies in mouse sera and the hybridoma antibody FC 10.2, and this activity was enhanced after mild acid hydrolysis to remove sialic acid and fucose residues. Oligosaccharides were released from the mild-acid-treated fraction by base-borohydride degradation and purified by gel permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P4 and high performance liquid chromatography on octadecylsilyl and aminopropylsilyl columns. The major oligosaccharides were characterised by fast atom bombardment and electron impact mass spectrometry, combined gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and 500-MHz proton NMR spectroscopy. Their structures, in order of abundance, were: (Formula: see text).