Third-party reproduction—using donor sperm, donor eggs, or surrogates to conceive—is often met with mixed emotions and discomfort. Although these methods help individuals and couples build families, they also challenge deeply held cultural, emotional, and even moral beliefs. Some view it as unnatural, others question its impact on identity, and many struggle to reconcile these practices with traditional ideas of family. This unease isn’t just about science or ethics; it’s about what it means to be a parent, what constitutes a family, and how we define belonging.

Exploring these feelings with honesty can help us move past discomfort, opening the door to greater understanding and acceptance.

One source of discomfort stems from the idea that third-party reproduction is "unnatural." For generations, conception has been seen as an act best left to nature, with science only playing a supporting role in fertility. The involvement of medical technology, donors, or surrogates feels to some like interference in a sacred process. This discomfort often reflects broader societal anxiety about how technology is changing the most intimate parts of life (Becker et al., 2020).

However, the question of what is “natural” isn’t straightforward. Many medical advancements—like organ transplants or pacemakers—also interfere with nature, yet they are widely accepted because they improve or extend life. Why, then, do some people struggle to extend this acceptance to reproductive technologies? Perhaps it is because reproduction involves more than just health; it touches on emotions, relationships, identity, and meaning.

People who feel uneasy about third-party reproduction may also fear losing control........

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