What shapes public attitudes towards assisted reproduction technologies in Europe?

Abstract

By examining attitudes on assisted reproduction technologies (ART) in 42 European countries, we highlight individual and country-level factors that are associated with the level of social acceptance or rejection of ART. This paper contributes to the literature on social acceptance of artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization, the two most prominent examples of ART in Europe, and directs attention to several previously under-researched aspects. The empirical base of this study is the fourth round of the European Values Study, conducted in 2008–2010. Using a multilevel random-intercept linear regression model, we examine the impact of several individual- and country-level characteristics on the agreement level with the statement that artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilization can always be justified, never be justified or it is evaulated in a mixed manner. According to our findings, there are strong relationships between attitudes towards ART and socio-demographic variables, as well as religiousness and some individual attitudes, including those related to traditional family formation practices, “justification for homosexuality”, (non-)preference for homosexual neighbors and acceptance of adoption by homosexual couples. For country-level characteristics we find significant association only in the case of mean age at first birth of women. We do not find a significant relationship between attitudes towards ART and country-level variables such as GDP, religiosity and same-sex couples’ access to ART.