Zoroastrians support oocyte and embryo donation program for infertile couples

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Sociology of Religion

Background:

• Assessing attitudes and knowledge of the Zoroastrian community in Iran regarding assisted reproductive technologies.
• Focus on oocyte donation (OD) and embryo donation (ED) programs within this specific religious group.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the awareness and perspectives of Iranian Zoroastrians on oocyte and embryo donation.
• To understand their preferences for donation versus adoption and views on donor anonymity and rights.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 318 Zoroastrians (175 for OD, 143 for ED).
• Utilized a questionnaire with demographic and multiple-choice questions on attitudes and knowledge.
• Chi-square test applied for statistical analysis between OD and ED groups.

Main Results:

• High support for both oocyte donation (69.7%) and embryo donation (71.3%) for infertile patients.
• Donation programs were preferred over adoption by 40-42% of participants.
• Over 60% believed donors have no right to claim the child, and most favored recipient anonymity.
• Significant lack of knowledge regarding religious acceptance of donation programs.
• Strong support for psychological counseling (approx. 80%) and media advertisement (approx. 56%) for donation programs.

Conclusions:

• Zoroastrians in Iran demonstrate equal and significant support for both oocyte and embryo donation programs.
• The findings highlight a need for greater religious clarification and public awareness regarding assisted reproductive technologies within the community.