Attachment avoidance and parenthood desires in gay men and lesbians and their heterosexual counterparts

Objective: We explored the desire to be a parent, attachment avoidance and their associations in a sample of gay men and lesbians and their heterosexual counterparts.

Background: Previous research suggested a link between minority stress and higher attachment avoidance. However, the association between attachment avoidance and parenthood desires as a function of sexual orientation was not studied.

Methods: The sample was composed of 883 community-dwelling participants (51.1% women, 30.57% identified as gay men and 14.15% as lesbians) that were recruited through convenience sampling.

Results: Gay men and lesbians reported less desire to be parents than their heterosexual counterparts and higher attachment avoidance. However, the association between attachment avoidance and less desire for parenthood was moderated by sexual orientation, such that the correlation between attachment avoidance and lesser desire for parenthood was only found for heterosexual men and women.

Conclusion: These findings pinpoint the potential vulnerability of gay men and lesbians to develop greater attachment avoidance and the impact of sexual orientation on the association between attachment avoidance and the desire to be a parent. The moderation effect is discussed in terms of the specific reproductive alternatives available to gay men and lesbians vs. the heterosexual population.