Doctor Helps Lesbian Couples Have Children (Press, 7 January 1978)

A gynaecologist in London has aided eight lesbian couples in becoming parents through artificial insemination, as reported by the "Evening News" on 7 January 1978. The couples connected with the doctor via Sappho, an organisation that facilitates women-only social evenings for lesbians. The eldest child resulting from the procedures is now two years old and resides in Australia with her mother and partner. The mother had a second child through the same method prior to her departure from London. The sperm donors were men known to the doctor, but the couples did not know them. Jackie Forster, a Sappho organiser, mentioned a desire to keep this initiative confidential and hoped that it would be more widely available before the scheme was publicised. She envisioned a future where many lesbian women would have children, with the oldest expected to be healthy teenagers by then. The report indicated that six of the couples assigned to the doctor had successfully given birth, with Ms Forster asserting that support for such arrangements should be available nationwide through the National Health Service. The British Medical Association (B.M.A.) stated that there are no strict ethical guidelines concerning homosexuality and that doctors must evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis. They acknowledged that some lesbians aspire to motherhood and typically do not face special issues during pregnancy. The B.M.A. emphasised that a doctor's primary concern must be the welfare of the mother wanting to conceive, while also considering the implications of the child's upbringing in an unconventional family environment. A report by "Evening News" journalist Joanna Patyna revealed that she and a colleague conducted a two-month investigation, posing as a lesbian couple to meet with the doctor. Although the report identified the physician and claimed he has assisted in the birth of ten babies, the doctor was unavailable for comment as he was on holiday, and his clinic receptionist indicated he had been advised not to make any statements. Ms Forster affirmed that the couples referred to the doctor by Sappho had all given birth to wonderful children. She recounted that the doctor had first attended a Sappho meeting at the end of 1971, during which the topic of lesbian couples having children through artificial insemination arose organically. The doctor expressed his willingness to assist, and the offer was subsequently detailed in the Sappho publication, which boasts a readership of 900.

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