Impact of the citizen science project COLLECT on ocean literacy and well-being within a north/west African and south-east Asian context.

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants' ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project's implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts the perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.

The Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations in a Sexual Minority Population.

Coping strategies have been studied as protective factors against stress for individuals. However, the psychometric properties of the most widely used coping self-report questionnaires, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-21), have not been examined in a sexual minority population (men and women that identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or LGB). In this study, we conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) simultaneously to assess the factor structure of the CISS-21 questionnaire in LGBs. Also, we tested the measurement invariance of CISS across sex and sexual identity in the LGB sample (N = 2850, 52.00% woman, mean age = 32.46 years). The results show that a four-factor structure consisting of task-oriented coping (TOC), emotion-oriented coping (EOC), distraction-oriented coping (DOC), and social diversion-oriented coping (SOC) explained the data best. The results also show acceptable internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Subsequently, multi-group analyses established measurement invariance across sex and sexual identity. These results indicate that the CISS-21 could be used as a simple, reliable, and valid scale for measuring coping strategies in LGBs, and that it allows valid score comparisons from different sex and sexual identity groups.

A Qualitative Study on Emotions Experienced at the Coast and Their Influence on Well-Being.

Coastal environments are increasingly shown to have a positive effect on our health and well-being. Various mechanisms have been suggested to explain this effect. However, so far little focus has been devoted to emotions that might be relevant in this context, especially for people who are directly or indirectly exposed to the coast on a daily basis. Our preregistered qualitative study explored how coastal residents experience the emotions they feel at the coast and how they interpret the effect these emotions have on them. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight Belgian coastal residents aged 21-25 years old. The interviews were analyzed with the approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified and indicate that, for our participants, the coast represents a safe haven (1) in which they can experience emotional restoration (2), awe (3), and nostalgia (4). These emotional states are accompanied with adaptive emotion regulating strategies (5), such as reflection and positive reappraisal, that may facilitate coping with difficult thoughts and feelings. Our study demonstrates the importance of investigating specific emotions and related processes triggered at the coast and how these could contribute to the therapeutic value of the coast.

Scaffold Hopping in Agrochemical Research: Discovery of Insecticidal 4-Pyridyl Isobenzofurans.

The insecticidal activity of pyridine compounds substituted at the 4-position with lipophilic groups has been reported in recent agrochemical patent applications. Encouraged by these reports, 4-pyridyl dihydroisobenzofuran(one)s were designed to test scaffold-hopping hypotheses with the goal of discovering new insecticidally active areas of chemistry. A series of 4-pyridyl dihydroisobenzofuran(one)s were synthesized, and their activity against key sap-feeding insect pests (silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci; green peach aphid, Myzus persicae) was assessed. Many of these compounds showed strong activity (comparable to commercial standards) against B. tabaci and were also active against M. persicae, although activity on this pest was somewhat weaker. Investigative biology studies indicated that these compounds were active on early life stages of B. tabaci but lacked significant activity on adults.

Perceived Discrimination and Relationship Satisfaction Among Same-Sex Couples: The Role of Dyadic Stress and Sex.

Based on the fact that most research drawn from the minority stress theory on the association between minority stress and relationship satisfaction has focused on an individual perspective rather than a dyadic perspective, and the limited evidence of the systemic transactional model (STM) explore the topics of same-sex couples. This study aims to combine both theories to examine the association between perceived discrimination and relationship satisfaction among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people on both partners and test the potential mediating role of dyadic stress and sex difference in this association. Using an actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM), we analyzed data including a sample of 241 LGB couples (133 female and 108 male same-sex dyads). Results showed that perceived discrimination had no direct actor-partner effects on relationship satisfaction. APIMeM revealed significant indirect partner effects from perceived discrimination on both individuals' and their partners' relationship satisfaction through the partner's dyadic stress. Additionally, the effect of personal dyadic stress on a partner's relationship satisfaction was stronger for women compared to men. These findings demonstrated the utility of the minority stress theory and STM framework for understanding the risk of stressors in damaging LGBs' romantic relationships. Couple interventions should integrate knowledge from a dyadic perspective with attention to sex differences.

Sex Differences in the Romantic Relationships of Same-Gender Couples: The Role of Visibility Management.

Although internalized homonegativity (IH) in lesbian, gay, or bisexual people (LGBs) predicts adverse relationship satisfaction, this association has typically only been examined on an individual level. Moreover, studies often ignore potential mechanisms that underlie sex differences. One of these mechanisms is related to visibility management (i.e., the careful, planned decisions about whether or not to disclose one's sexual orientation). Therefore, in this study we investigate dyadic sex-specific associations between IH, visibility management, and relationship satisfaction. Our sample includes 254 LGB couples (139 female and 115 male same-gender dyads) in Flanders, Belgium. Data were analyzed with the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). Results indicated that there were small to medium significant correlations among IH, visibility management, and relationship satisfaction. We also found support for mediated actor effects: individuals low in IH maintain less restrictive visibility management strategies. These in turn lead to higher relationship satisfaction, but only in female same-gender couples. Our findings contribute to the understanding of mechanisms that underlie the harmful effects of sexual minority stressors for same-gender relationship satisfaction.

Adolescent Attachment: A Social Relations Perspective on Family Relations.

While attachment at an early age is almost exclusively determined by parental behavior, variation in the quality of attachment in adolescence seems strong to be influenced by the complex interplay between the adolescent's internal working model and its environment. To unravel the different sources of variance in adolescent attachment relationships we applied the Social Relations Model. Two parents and two adolescents from 70 relatively well-functioning families reported on their attachment relationships within a family context. In this study, attachment was conceptualized by two different dimensions of attachment, namely anxiety (for being abandoned) and avoidance (of intimacy). Our findings suggest adolescents experience little attachment anxiety throughout adolescence, but they report significantly more attachment avoidance toward their parents. The variance in the quality of adolescents' attachment relationships was mainly determined by characteristics of the adolescent and the unique adjustments they make to the attachment figure.

Si bien el apego en los primeros años de vida está casi exclusivamente determinado por la conducta de los padres, la variación de la calidad del apego en la adolescencia parece significativamente influenciada por la interacción compleja entre el modelo de funcionamiento interno del adolescente y su entorno. Para descifrar las diferentes fuentes de varianza en las relaciones de apego de los adolescentes, aplicamos el modelo de relaciones sociales. Dos padres y dos adolescentes de 70 familias con un funcionamiento relativamente bueno informaron sobre sus relaciones de apego dentro de un contexto familiar. En este estudio, el apego se conceptualizó mediante dos aspectos diferentes del apego, por ejemplo, la ansiedad (por ser abandonado) y la evitación (de la intimidad). Nuestros resultados sugieren que los adolescentes sufren poca ansiedad por el apego durante la adolescencia, pero informan una evitación del apego más significativa hacia sus padres. La varianza en la calidad de las relaciones de apego de los adolescentes estuvo determinada principalmente por las características del adolescente y por las adaptaciones únicas que hace a la figura de apego.

Influence of the Belgian Coast on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is increasing evidence that blue spaces, particularly coastal environments, are beneficial for well-being. During the first-wave lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, access to the coast was restricted due to restraint in circulation. Making use of this unique opportunity, this study investigated whether access and visits to the coast were positively associated with well-being by using a quasi-experimental design. The emotions of awe and nostalgia were studied as potential mediators between coastal visits and well-being. A total of 687 Flemish adults took part in an online survey that was launched end of April until beginning of June 2020. After controlling for covariates, results showed that access to the coast, but not visit frequency, was positively associated with well-being. More specifically, coastal residents reported less boredom and worry, and more happiness than inland residents. Awe and nostalgia were not significantly associated with coastal visits, but awe was negatively correlated with boredom. The study suggests a potential buffer effect of residential proximity to the coast against negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the notion that the coast has a positive impact on well-being.

Sexual orientation and sleep problem among Chinese college students: Mediating roles of interpersonal problems and depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate disparities in sleep quality between sexual minority and heterosexual college students, and to examine the serial multiple mediation effects of interpersonal relationships and depressive symptoms on sexual minority disparities in sleep quality. We also explored the sex differences in the mediating effects. METHODS: Data were drawn from the 2019 School-based Chinese College Students Health Survey using a multi-stage, stratified-cluster, random-sampling method to examine the risk factors of sleep disparities and the mediation effects. Measures included sexual orientation, perceived interpersonal relationships (i.e., family, teachers, and peer relationship), depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and other covariates. RESULTS: Of all the college students in the analysis, 95.8% were heterosexual, 4.2% were sexual minorities. In the adjusted model without mediation, sexual minority students were at a higher risk of poor sleep quality (P < 0.001). Serial multiple mediation analysis revealed that: both interpersonal relationships and depressive symptoms mediated the link between sexual orientation and sleep quality; a serial indirect pathway (i.e., sexual orientation â†’ interpersonal relationships â†’ depressive symptoms â†’ sleep quality) existed. Moreover, the serial indirect pathway might be moderated by sex. LIMITATIONS: Causal inference is limited due to the cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to prevent or manage sleep disorders of sexual minority college students may yield better results if they consider the effects of improving interpersonal relationships and depression symptoms comprehensively than targeting sleep problems alone.

Ten years of fertility treatment experience and reproductive options in transgender men.

BACKGROUND: Up to 2018, the Belgian law stated that transgender people who wanted to change their legal sex had to undergo physical gender affirming treatment. This included gonadectomy to a medically possible and justified extent, which entailed that they had to accept the fact that they could no longer reproduce. However, research has shown that many transgender people desire to have children. AIMS: (1) to describe a cohort of transgender men and their respective cisgender female partners, to share our experiences with their request for donor conception, and to evaluate their disclosure intentions to the child, (2) to explore how the couples approach current and future reproductive options. METHODS: This mixed method study presents data from a retrospective analysis of patient records and from a qualitative interview study. The couples were selected from the group of transgender men who - together with their respective cisgender female partners - applied for sperm donation at Ghent University Hospital between 2002 and 2012. RESULTS: Forty-seven transgender men with a cisgender female partner requested treatment with anonymous donor sperm for a first child as a couple. Forty-one requests were accepted for treatment. We found that most couples requesting treatment intended to disclose the use of donor sperm to their future child (n = 34) while 24 couples were planning to inform the child about the parent's transgender identity. The six couples we interviewed saw donor conception as the preferred route to become parents. Adoption was seen as less obvious. The couples' attitudes toward stem cell-derived gametes reflected the significance of the genetic link with the child for both parents. DISCUSSION: Not all participants in our study were aware of their reproductive options. To be able to make a well-informed decision, transgender people should be counseled about all options at the time of transition.

Association of sexual minority status, gender nonconformity with childhood victimization and adulthood depressive symptoms: A path analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sexual minority status and childhood gender nonconformity have been associated with elevated risks of childhood adversities and poorer mental health. OBJECTIVE: To explore how abuse and bullying explain the disparities in the associations of sexual minority status and childhood gender nonconformity with adulthood depressive symptoms in men. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-report questionnaire among Chinese adult men (18-35 years) who were identified as heterosexual (n = 873) and sexual minority (n = 858) in Guangzhou from 2017 to 2019. METHODS: Structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted for path analysis. RESULTS: The levels of exposure to childhood maltreatment were higher in sexual minorities than in straight men, and sexual minority status predicted an increased risk of depressive symptoms via childhood maltreatment (indirect effect: ß = 0.026, p = 0.004). Meanwhile, childhood gender nonconformity predicted higher depressive symptoms via both family (indirect effect: ß = 0.042, p < 0.001) and school (indirect effect: ß = 0.028, p < 0.001) victimization, and there was a direct effect (ß = 0.154, p < 0.001) of gender nonconformity on depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Sexual minority status and gender nonconformity are indicators of men's increased risk of childhood victimization and adulthood depressive symptoms. As a result, intervention based on both family and school dimensions needs to be developed.

Lived experiences: a focus group pilot study within the MentALLY project of mental healthcare among European users.

BACKGROUND: Mental healthcare is an important component in societies' response to mental health problems. Although the World Health Organization highlights availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of healthcare as important cornerstones, many Europeans lack access to mental healthcare of high quality. Qualitative studies exploring mental healthcare from the perspective of people with lived experiences would add to previous research and knowledge by enabling in-depth understanding of mental healthcare users, which may be of significance for the development of mental healthcare. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to describe experiences of mental healthcare among adult Europeans with mental health problems. METHOD: In total, 50 participants with experiences of various mental health problems were recruited for separate focus group interviews in each country. They had experiences from both the private and public sectors, and with in- and outpatient mental healthcare. The focus group interviews (N = 7) were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed through thematic analysis. The analysis yielded five themes and 13 subthemes. RESULTS: The theme Seeking and trying to find help contained three subthemes describing personal thresholds for seeking professional help, not knowing where to get help, and the importance of receiving help promptly. The theme Awaiting assessment and treatment contained two subthemes including feelings of being prioritized or not and feelings of being abandoned during the often-lengthy referral process. The theme Treatment: a plan with individual parts contained three subthemes consisting of demands for tailored treatment plans in combination with medications and human resources and agreement on treatment. The theme Continuous and respectful care relationship contained two subthemes describing the importance of continuous care relationships characterised by empathy and respect. The theme Suggestions for improvements contained three subthemes highlighting an urge to facilitate care contacts and to increase awareness of mental health problems and a wish to be seen as an individual with potential. CONCLUSION: Facilitating contacts with mental healthcare, a steady contact during the referral process, tailored treatment and empathy and respect are important aspects in efforts to improve mental healthcare. Recommendations included development of collaborative practices between stakeholders in order to increase general societal awareness of mental health problems.

A Critical Perspective on Mental Health News in Six European Countries: How Are "Mental Health/Illness" and "Mental Health Literacy" Rhetorically Constructed?

In this study, we aim to contribute to the field of critical health communication research by examining how notions of mental health and illness are discursively constructed in newspapers and magazines in six European countries and how these constructions relate to specific understandings of mental health literacy. Using the method of cluster-agon analysis, we identified four terminological clusters in our data, in which mental health/illness is conceptualized as "dangerous," "a matter of lifestyle," "a unique story and experience," and "socially situated." We furthermore found that we cannot unambiguously assume that biopsychiatric discourses or discourses aimed at empathy and understanding are either exclusively stigmatizing or exclusively empowering and normalizing. We consequently call for a critical conception of mental health literacy arguing that all mental health news socializes its audience in specific understandings of and attitudes toward mental health (knowledge) and that discourses on mental health/illness can work differently in varying contexts.

Healthcare professionals' perspectives on mental health service provision: a pilot focus group study in six European countries.

BACKGROUND: The mental healthcare treatment gap (mhcGAP) in adult populations has been substantiated across Europe. This study formed part of MentALLY, a research project funded by the European Commission, which aimed to gather qualitative empirical evidence to support the provision of European mental healthcare that provides effective treatment to all adults who need it. METHODS: Seven focus groups were conducted with 49 health professionals (HPs), including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, general practitioners, and psychiatric nurses who worked in health services in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The focus group discussions centered on the barriers and facilitators to providing quality care to people with mild, medium, and severe mental health problems. Analyses included deductively and inductively driven coding procedures. Cross-country consensus was obtained by summarizing findings in the form of a fact sheet which was shared for triangulation by all the MentALLY partners. RESULTS: The results converged into two overarching themes: (1) Minding the treatment gap: the availability and accessibility of Mental Health Services (MHS). The mhcGAP gap identified is composed of different elements that constitute the barriers to care, including bridging divides in care provision, obstacles in facilitating access via referrals and creating a collaborative 'chain of care'. (2) Making therapeutic practice relevant by providing a broad-spectrum of integrated and comprehensive services that value person-centered care comprised of authenticity, flexibility and congruence. CONCLUSIONS: The mhcGAP is comprised of the following barriers: a lack of funding, insufficient capacity of human resources, inaccessibility to comprehensive services and a lack of availability of relevant treatments. The facilitators to the provision of MHC include using collaborative models of primary, secondary and prevention-oriented mental healthcare. Teamwork in providing care was considered to be a more effective and efficient use of resources. HPs believe that the use of e-mental health and emerging digital technologies can enhance care provision. Facilitating access to a relevant continuum of community-based care that is responsive coordinated and in line with people's needs throughout their lives is an essential aspect of optimal care provision.

Discovery of novel insecticidal 3-aminopyridyl ureas.

BACKGROUND: Commercial compound databases represent rich sources of potential starting points for pharmaceutical and agrochemical product development. Routine insecticidal screening of compounds ordered from these sources led to the identification of a 3-aminopyridyl urea with activity against Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (green peach aphid). Based on this activity and its structural novelty, further exploration of the chemical space around this hit was initiated. RESULTS: A series of ureas based on the structure of the initial hit were synthesized and screened for insecticidal activity. A broad range of tail groups derived from cyclic secondary amines were explored, and many of these compounds were found to be insecticidally active. However, only compounds featuring a 3-aminopyridine or 4-aminopyridazine head group exhibited significant insecticidal potency. Although activity against M. persicae was consistently observed, these ureas were largely inactive against another key sap-feeding insect pest, Bemisia tabaci (Glennadius) (sweetpotato whitefly). CONCLUSIONS: Follow-up of an insecticide hit identified from commercial compound acquisition led to the discovery of a novel class of ureas with activity against M. persicae. Despite considerable effort to identify related compounds with additional insecticidal spectrum, however, activity on other important pests remains limited. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

The last vial. What it means to (aspiring) parents to use the same sperm donor for siblings.

Introduction: A lot of attention has been given to the quest of parents, children and donors to find donor siblings (= half siblings who share the same donor gametes but who are born in different families). However, literature is scarce about the use of the same sperm donor for subsequent children in the same family.Methods: This study included 68 lesbian and heterosexual (aspiring) parents, recruited at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of Ghent University Hospital (Belgium). The in-depth semi-structured couple interviews were performed between October 2012 and October 2013. Data were analyzed through step-by-step inductive thematic analysis.Results: The couples showed a clear preference to use the same sperm donor for their children. The most common reasons for this preference were related to the family or sibling relationships and medical reasons. Uncertainty about the availability of the same donor over time seeped through in their stories. Most lesbian aspiring parents decided that both partners should have a genetic link with at least one child.Conclusion: The use of the same sperm donor for subsequent conceptions appeared quasi unambiguously in the interviews of the lesbian and heterosexual (aspiring) parents in our study.

Donor insemination disclosure in social networks: heterosexual couples' experiences.

The way in which heterosexual couples manage information about infertility and donor insemination within their social networks has not yet been explored in-depth. This study focuses on how parents and aspiring parents manage information about infertility and donor insemination within their social networks. Fifteen Belgian couples were interviewed as part of a parenthood research project. Thematic analysis resulted in the identification of four themes. The first of these reveals how the social context can best be understood as a continuous confrontation with social expectations. A second theme highlights the diverse ways in which couples manage personal information in this confronting context. The third theme stresses how couples manage information about donor insemination so as to be treated as a 'normal' family. The final theme shows how emotional regulation within the context of the extended family plays a role in couples' decisions about how to manage information with relatives. Results are analysed using the concept of 'systemic emotion management' and the importance of being seen by others as a 'normal' family. Study findings signal the importance of managing information within social networks and are of relevance to a range of practitioners.

What Predicts Visibility Management at Work? A Study of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Flemish Government Employees.

Visibility management (VM) refers to the regulation of disclosure of one's sexual orientation for the purposes of maintaining privacy as well as minimizing stigma, harm, or marginalization. Research on how lesbian women and gay men (LGs) manage the visibility of their sexual orientation in the workplace is scarce. In this study, we tested a model that investigates the relationships between VM on the one hand, and specific job characteristics, experiencing the work environment as more or less LG friendly, and personal homonegative experiences on the other. In a non-representative sample of 4,080 employees of the Flemish government, 6.3% identified as gay or lesbian. Within this LG subsample (N = 265) we found that specific job characteristics (having a managerial position, or having a tenured or non-tenured position) were not associated with VM. Knowing other LGs within the work environment who are open about their sexual orientation was associated with being more likely to apply open VM strategies, as was perceiving the atmosphere at work as permissive towards LGs. Having witnessed negative events towards LGs at work was associated with taking the characteristics of a social setting (e.g., public or private) into account when deciding to disclose one's sexual orientation. Finally, participants who experienced homonegative events (such as unsolicited sexual innuendo or abusive language) felt less inhibited about disclosure. Potential theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed.

Factor Score Regression With Social Relations Model Components: A Case Study Exploring Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived Support in Families.

The family social relations model (SRM) is applied to identify the sources of variance in interpersonal dispositions in families, but the antecedents or consequences of those sources are rarely investigated. Simultaneous modeling of the SRM with antecedents or consequences using structural equation modeling (SEM) allows to do so, but may become computationally prohibitive in small samples. We therefore consider two factor score regression (FSR) methods: regression and Bartlett FSR. Based on full information maximum likelihood (FIML), we derive closed-form expressions for the regression and Bartlett factor scores in the presence of missingness. A simulation study in both a complete- and incomplete-case setting compares the performance of these FSR methods with SEM and an ANOVA-based approach. In both settings, the regression FIML factor scores as explanatory variable produces unbiased estimators with precision comparable to the SEM-estimators. When SRM-effects are used as dependent variables, none of the FSR methods are a suitable alternative for SEM. The latter result deviates from previous studies on FSR in more simple settings. As an example, we explore whether gender and past victimhood of relational and physical aggression are antecedents for family dynamics of perceived support, and whether those dynamics predict physical and relational aggression.

'No daddy', 'A kind of daddy': words used by donor conceived children and (aspiring) parents to refer to the sperm donor.

Research has shown that the recipients of donor sperm can experience difficulties finding appropriate language to refer to the donor. Based on two qualitative analysis techniques, namely word count and empirical discourse analysis, we studied the words used to refer to the donor in heterosexual and lesbian (aspiring) parents and in donor conceived children. Findings show that the words used in these households are highly diverse and have at least four different interlinked functions: (1) to position the donor in relation to the nuclear family; (2) to safeguard the role of the social parent; (3) to clarify family structure; and (4) to present a positive picture of the donor. Both parents and children consciously reflect on what words to use to refer to the donor. Although parents try to keep words like 'father' and 'daddy' out of the family narrative, children use these words. These findings show that it is important for healthcare personnel and policy makers to reflect on the careful use of terminology when they address questions around sperm donation because the terminology invokes specific meanings that have an effect on how the recipients and their children perceive the role of the donor.