Insight on Egg Donation in India
Psychological factors influencing oocyte donation: A study of Indian donors. (Lakhote, 2025)
Lakhote, N., Gokani, K. H., Vora, P. H., Ganla, K. N., & Joshi, M. (2025). Psychological factors influencing oocyte donation: A study of Indian donors. Open Health, 6, 20250064. https://doi.org/10.1515/ohe-2025-0064
Geographic Region: India
Research Question: What is the relationship between personality traits, emotions, and motivations of Indian oocyte donors, and what are the key predictors of their motivation following regulatory changes that eliminated financial compensation?
Design: Cross-sectional, interview-based study collected data from March to June 2024 through face-to-face interviews conducted during post-donation follow-up appointments at a private fertility clinic in Mumbai. Researchers used three standardized psychological instruments: the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) to assess personality traits, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to measure emotions, and the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) to evaluate motivation types. Data analysis involved multiple regression analyses to identify predictors of motivation and correlational analysis to examine relationships between emotions, personality traits, and motivation.
Sample: 178 first-time oocyte donors recruited through convenience sampling from a private fertility clinic in Mumbai during post-donation follow-up visits, achieving an 89% response rate (178 of 200 invited participants). Inclusion criteria required cisgender women aged 24-32 years who were first-time donors interviewed within one month post-donation. The sample characteristics included a median age of 27 years and all participants were married with at least one child (a legal requirement).
Key Findings
Donors who felt positive emotions after donation were more likely to be motivated by personal satisfaction and meaningful reasons for donating.
Donors who experienced negative emotions were less motivated overall and more likely to feel disconnected from their donation decision.
Donors who felt good about their experience were more likely to see donation as personally meaningful rather than just something they had to do.
Limitations: Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Risk of social desirability bias from face-to-face interviews. Sample limited to urban Mumbai population. Lack of comparison with donors from the pre-2020 compensation era.
Applications: Knowledge of donor psychological profiles aids in comprehensive counseling and support strategies
Funding Source: No funding was reported for this study
Lead Author: Niharika Lakhote is affiliated with the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Ankoor Fertility Clinic in Mumbai, India. No specific biographical information or personal connection to donor conception was noted.
Regulatory Context
Following the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill 2020, oocyte donation became strictly voluntary with no financial compensation allowed.
Donors must be anonymous, married women aged 23-35 with at least one live child.
Psychological counseling is not mandatory.
All donations are non-directed through authorized fertility clinics, with strict confidentiality requirements and central registry maintenance.
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