Our study of single fathers aimed to understand the experiences and psychological health of single fathers who became fathers following surrogacy and egg donation. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. The study showed that men who choose to become solo fathers through surrogacy usually do so very deliberately and with a great deal of planning. Most are psychologically well‑adjusted, build strong support networks, and have positive relationships with surrogates and donors. Their main challenges come not from parenting alone, but from legal hurdles and social attitudes that see their families as unusual. Overall, the studies show that solo fathers provide loving, stable homes, and that family functioning depends more on support and acceptance than on having two parents.  

Selected publications can be found below:

C Jones, V Jadva, S Zadeh, S Golombok, Single fathers’ experiences of using egg donation and surrogacy to start a family, Human Reproduction, Volume 38, Issue 10, October 2023, Pages 1981–1990, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead152 

Jones, C., Zadeh, S., Jadva, V., & Golombok, S. (2022). Solo Fathers and Mothers: An Exploration of Well-Being, Social Support and Social Approval. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(15), 9236. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159236

Zadeh, S., Jadva, V., & Golombok, S. (2022). Documenting Families: Paper-Work in Family Display among Planned Single Father Families. Sociology, 56(5), 859–875. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385211073238