Presentation Information

The Transition to Parenthood for Sexual Minorities

• Speaker: Abbie E. Goldberg , PHD
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 Nursing CEU, 1 CME, 0.1 Midwifery CEU

Abstract:

This talk will focus on the transition to parenthood among sexual minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals), including their decision-making about whether to become parents, what parenthood route to take (e.g., adoption, insemination, surrogacy), and their experiences navigating legal, adoption agency, and medical contexts. It will identify unique strengths that same-sex couples often bring to parenthood (e.g., a shared commitment to egalitarianism; an openness to nonbiological parenthood), as well as unique challenges that they encounter during the transition (e.g., heteronormativity in the adoption and perinatal contexts; lack of support from family). Furthermore, it will explore same-sex couples’ experiences during the transition to parenthood and beyond, including parent-child relationships, parents’ mental health, and parents’ relationship quality, as well as risk factors for poor outcomes in these domains. Best practices for practitioners who interface with same-sex couples and parents, particularly during the transition to parenthood, will be identified. Attention to parent gender and specific sexual identity (bisexual, lesbian, gay) will be incorporated, where appropriate.