open access
Women’ sexual orientation and their attitudes towards motherhood
open access
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes toward motherhood among hetero-, homoand
bisexuals women as well as to check whether there are significant differences in analyzed attitudes
determined by the sexual.
Material and methods: The study was conducted in 2015. It included 90 women (n = 30 bisexual; n = 30
heterosexual; n = 30 homosexual women) aged from 19 to 41 years. To measure attitudes toward various
aspects of motherhood Polish version of Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ) was used.
Results: Study shown significant difference between study groups in selected attitudes towards motherhood.
Becoming mother is valued higher by bisexual women than others. At the same time homosexual women
recognize more undesirable conditions of motherhood than bi- and heterosexual ones. The highest motivation
level for having children between all study groups has been observed among heterosexual women.
Conclusions: Results should be treated as preliminary report due to low representativeness of study samples,
however, the findings indicate that sexual orientation may affect attitudes towards motherhood and may have
influence on fertility decisions. Undertaking further research to explore the attitudes towards motherhood in
hetero-, homo- and bisexual population of women seems to be important.
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes toward motherhood among hetero-, homoand
bisexuals women as well as to check whether there are significant differences in analyzed attitudes
determined by the sexual.
Material and methods: The study was conducted in 2015. It included 90 women (n = 30 bisexual; n = 30
heterosexual; n = 30 homosexual women) aged from 19 to 41 years. To measure attitudes toward various
aspects of motherhood Polish version of Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ) was used.
Results: Study shown significant difference between study groups in selected attitudes towards motherhood.
Becoming mother is valued higher by bisexual women than others. At the same time homosexual women
recognize more undesirable conditions of motherhood than bi- and heterosexual ones. The highest motivation
level for having children between all study groups has been observed among heterosexual women.
Conclusions: Results should be treated as preliminary report due to low representativeness of study samples,
however, the findings indicate that sexual orientation may affect attitudes towards motherhood and may have
influence on fertility decisions. Undertaking further research to explore the attitudes towards motherhood in
hetero-, homo- and bisexual population of women seems to be important.
Keywords
sexual orientation, motherhood, attitudes


Title
Women’ sexual orientation and their attitudes towards motherhood
Journal
Journal of Sexual and Mental Health
Issue
Article type
Brief communication
Page views
1323
Article views/downloads
2622
DOI
10.5603/43-50
Bibliographic record
Seksuologia Polska 2017;15(2).
Keywords
sexual orientation
motherhood
attitudes
Authors
Alicja Cieślak
Ewelina Kozieł
Karolina Szpoton
Kamila Ściślewska
Karolina Kossakowska


- Rawsthorne M, Costello M. Cleaning the sink: exploring the experiences of Australian lesbian parents reconciling work/family responsibilities. Community, Work & Family. 2010; 13(2): 189–204.
- Peel E. Pregnancy loss in lesbian and bisexual women: an online survey of experiences. Hum Reprod. 2010; 25(3): 721–727.
- Majka-Rostek D. Macierzyństwo lesbijek- wybrane konteksty społeczne. Studia socjologiczne. 2014; 4(215): 59–78.
- Patterson CJ. Children of the lesbian baby boom: behavioral adjustment, self-concepts and sex-role identity . In: Greene B, Herek G. ed. Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay issues: Vol 1: Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research and clinical application. CA: Sage, Thousand Oaks 1994: 156–175.
- Families we choose: lesbians, gays, kinship. Choice Reviews Online. 1991; 29(03): 29-1816-29–1816.
- Fulcher M, Chan R, Raboy B, et al. Contact With Grandparents Among Children Conceived Via Donor Insemination by Lesbian and Heterosexual Mothers. Parenting. 2002; 2(1): 61–76.
- Green GD, Bozett FW. Lesbian mothers and gay fathers. In: Gonsiorek JC, Weinrich JD. ed. Homosexuality: research implications for public policy. CA: Sage, Newbury Park 1991: 197–214.
- Patterson C. Families of the baby boom: Parents' division of labor and children's adjustment. Developmental Psychology. 1995; 31(1): 115–123.
- Patterson CJ. Sexual orientation and fertility. In: Gillian R, Mascie-Taylor CG. ed. Infertility in the modern world. Present and future prospects. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000: 238–260.
- Tasker F, Golombok S. Adults raised as children in lesbian families. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1995; 65(2): 203–215.
- Tasker FL, Golombok S. Growing up in a lesbian family: effects on child development. Choice Reviews Online. 1997; 35(01): 35-0620-35–0620.
- Kurdek L. The Allocation of Household Labor in Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Married Couples. Journal of Social Issues. 1993; 49(3): 127–139.
- Peplau LA, Cochran SD. A relationship perspective on homosexuality. In: McWhirter D P. ed. Homosexuality/heterosexuality: concepts of sexual orientation. Oxford, New York: 1990: 321–349.
- Renner C, Verdekal S, Brier S, et al. The Meaning of Miscarriage to Others: Is it an Unrecognized Loss? Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss. 2000; 5(1): 65–76.
- Swanson KM. Predicting depressive symptoms after miscarriage: a path analysis based on the Lazarus paradigm. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2000; 9(2): 191–206.
- Frost J, Bradley H, Levitas R, et al. The loss of possibility: scientisation of death and the special case of early miscarriage. Sociol Health Illn. 2007; 29(7): 1003–1022.
- Rawsthorne M. Just Like Other Families? Supporting Lesbian-parented Families. Australian Social Work. 2009; 62(1): 45–60.
- Holzer J. Demografia. PWE, Warszawa 2006.
- Miller JA, Jacobsen RB, Bigner JJ. The child's home environment for lesbian vs. heterosexual mothers: a neglected area of research. J Homosex. 1981; 7(1): 49–56.
- Mynarska M, Rytel J. Pomiar motywacjo do posiadania dzieci wśród osób bezdzietnych. Polska adaptacja Kwestionariusza Motywów Rodzicielskich. Polskie Forum Psychologiczne. 2014; 19(4): 522–543.
- Söderberg M, Christensson K, Lundgren I, et al. Women's attitudes towards fertility and childbearing - A study based on a national sample of Swedish women validating the Attitudes to Fertility and Childbearing Scale (AFCS). Sex Reprod Healthc. 2015; 6(2): 54–58.
- Kossakowska K. Pytania są tendencyjne ― czyli postawy Polek wobec płodności i posiadania dzieci. Doniesienia wstępne. Łódź, 2016, Referat wygłoszony na I Ogólnopolskiej Konferencji Naukowej „Polki ― wczoraj, dziś i jutro”, Instytut Psychologii, Wydział Nauk o Wychowaniu UŁ.
- Wilton T, Kaufmann T. Lesbian mothers' experiences of maternity care in the UK. Midwifery. 2001; 17(3): 203–211.