Understanding Men’s Fertility Preferences and Intentions: The Effects of Race, Class and Sexual Identity

Danielle Wondra, University of California, Los Angeles

Previous research has explored in-depth the fertility intentions of women. Yet, little is known about the fertility desires of men, and particularly gay men. Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycles 6 (2002) and 7 (2006-2008), I examine men’s fertility preferences and intentions, including how these desires vary across race, class and sexuality groups, and whether the variation is similar for women. Preliminary findings using 2002 data suggest education has a positive effect on men’s desires for children, when controlling for age. Black and Hispanic men are more likely to want children than white men, and the effects of race vary by education and age. In addition, sexual orientation is significant in predicting men’s fertility desires, in that homosexual men are much less likely to want children as compared with heterosexual men. The final paper will also examine the effects of various measures of sexuality.