Validating an instrument on gay fathers' beliefs about socialising children conceived through surrogacy

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess gay fathers' beliefs about socialising their children conceived through surrogacy.

As societal norms evolve and reproductive technologies advance, more gay men are starting families through surrogacy. Research is limited on the unique socialisation beliefs of these fathers, particularly concerning surrogacy and societal perceptions.

Participants were 208 gay fathers from 104 families in Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Fathers completed a survey with six adapted items from the Sexual Minority Parent Socialisation Beliefs Scale, together with measures of stigma experiences and sense of belonging to the gay community. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested the factor structure and reliability. Convergent validity, as well as differences between countries and other demographic variables, were examined.

A two-factor structure was identified: Coping with moral and ethical comments (coping beliefs) and Interaction with other surrogacy families (interaction beliefs). Both subscales demonstrated good internal consistency. Convergent validity was partially confirmed: coping beliefs were significantly associated with stigma experiences, while interaction beliefs were positively related to sense of community belonging. Country differences were found only for Coping with moral and ethical comments, with Belgian fathers scoring higher than fathers in Italy, Israel, and the Netherlands. Coping beliefs increased with child age, while interaction beliefs were stronger among fathers who pursued gestational surrogacy. Marital status and child's sex showed no significant effects.

The instrument provides a validated tool to advance research and interventions supporting resilience in gay father families via surrogacy.