Parenting Aspirations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Childless Individuals in Ecuador

The desire to have children holds profound significance for many individuals and couples. This study aimed to explore the parenting aspirations of 409 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual individuals residing in Ecuador who completed an online survey. Our objective was to examine their aspirations toward parenthood, including the number of children desired, preferred methods for achieving parenthood, the importance of biological ties, and past attempts to have children. Our findings indicate that approximately half of our sample expressed a desire to have children, with a majority intending to pursue parenthood. Contrary to our expectations, there were no statistically significant differences in parenting aspirations based on sexual orientation. Heterosexual and bisexual individuals tended to prefer sexual intercourse as the method for having children and expressed wanting more children. In contrast, adoption and surrogacy were more commonly favored by lesbian and gay individuals. A minority of participants reported previous attempts to have children. These results are discussed within the sociocultural and legal context of Ecuador.