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Where am I now? Lawlink > Law Reform Commission > Publications > Appendix C - Analysis of Indeterminate Answers
Research Report 2 (1987) - Surrogate Motherhood: Australian Public Opinion
Appendix C - Analysis of Indeterminate Answers
C.1 The first question in the Commission survey asked interviewees for their opinion of surrogate motherhood for couples who cannot have children because of medical problems. In response to that question, 320 (13%) respondents said that they needed to know more, while 70 (3%) did not have an opinion. In subsequent questions on other aspects of surrogate motherhood, between 4% and 11% of respondents indicated that they could not provide an answer. These indeterminate answers to the various questions raise two interesting issues:
- Whether the same respondents consistently did not have an opinion, or felt the need for further information; and
- Whether there were identifiable groups in the community who were more likely than others to have formed an opinion on the topic.
C.2 Approximately 50%-60% of those who had no opinion on the first question in the survey fell into the “can't say” category of following questions. Of those respondents to the first question who indicated that they needed to know more, a greater than average proportion were included in the “can't say” category of subsequent questions. This suggests that there was a group of people in the community who did not have an opinion or perhaps an interest in the topic, and that more information is necessary before these people make up their minds about issues relating to surrogacy.
C.3 Among certain groups there was a higher proportion of people who said they needed to know more. These groups were men and women over 49, single women over 34 and those respondents whose religion was coded as “Other Protestant” (that is, members of the Presbyterian, Uniting, Methodist and Baptist congregations). There was a lower proportion of respondents who needed to know more among
- those with no religion;
- those who intended to vote for the Australian Democrats in the next Federal election; and
- single women aged between 14 and 34.
C.4 Among single men and women over 34 there was a higher than average proportion with no opinion on surrogate motherhood. Groups within the community who were most likely to have an opinion on particular questions were:
- those who intended to vote for the Australian Democrats;
- women aged 14 to 24;
- married women aged 14 to 34 without children; and
- married men over 34 with children.
C.5 In summary, the survey results suggest that older men and women more often appeared not to have made up their minds about surrogate motherhood, or had no opinion on the topic. On the other hand, it appears reasonable to infer from the survey results that young women, and people who intended to vote for the Australian Democrats, were perhaps more aware of the issues raised by surrogate motherhood, and were more likely to have an opinion on these issues.
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