Female adoptees' perceptions of contact with their birth fathers: satisfactions and dissatisfactions with the process

Abstract

Qualitative data were analyzed to identify factors associated with adoptees’ satisfactions or dissatisfactions in their contact experiences with their birthfathers. Participants were 17 women who had been adopted prior to two years of age and had subsequently met their birthfathers. All women completed a questionnaire and seven also took part in a semi-structured interview. Four main themes were identified that affected satisfaction with contact: birthfathers’ attributes and behavior, adoptees’ attributes (e.g., expectations), behavior of others (e.g., birthmother, birthfather’s family, and adoptive parents), and circumstances of the conception and relinquishment. The implications of these findings for members of the adoption triangle and those providing post-adoption services are discussed.