ADOPTION LAW, DILEMMAS, ATTITUDES AND BARRIERS TO ADOPTION AMONG INFERTILITY PATIENTS IN ISRAEL

Area of Science:

• Sociology of family
• Reproductive health
• Israeli law and religion

Background:

• Israel's adoption law mandates strict confidentiality.
• Islamic law generally prohibits adoption, creating a conflict with Israeli state law.
• This conflict poses challenges for Muslim couples considering adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate adoption attitudes and barriers among Jewish and Muslim couples undergoing fertility treatments in Israel.
• To document and compare child adoption rates across different sectors in Israel.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 204 Muslim and Jewish individuals undergoing infertility treatment.
• Participants were surveyed on their knowledge and attitudes toward adoption.
• National adoption statistics were obtained from the Ministry of Welfare.

Main Results:

• Jewish couples exhibited higher adoption rates than Muslim couples.
• Muslim couples were more likely to experience prolonged fertility treatments.
• A significant barrier identified by a quarter of Muslim couples was the conflict between Islamic (Quran) law and Israeli state law.

Conclusions:

• Understanding barriers to adoption among Muslim couples with fertility treatment failure is crucial.
• Assessing the impact of potential changes in Israeli adoption law on Muslim adoption rates is warranted.