Date of Award

4-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Selected Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

Abstract

The term Single Mothers by Choice (SMBC) refers to women who choose to have a child without a partner. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), ovarian reserve decreases with a woman’s age. Women are born with approximately 1 million eggs; this number decreases over time. When a woman reaches 35 years of age, which is considered advanced maternal age, their egg count and quality decline. These factors of low ovarian reserve can place a woman in a category of infertility. Also, a woman may unknowingly suffer from uterine abnormalities that may hinder a successful pregnancy. As women advance in their careers, some postpone having children and may later decide to fulfill this aspiration. Reproductive medicine is vital as more women seek to utilize it to become a SMBC. The traditional family landscape has shifted as more women choose to become SMBCs. Raising children in a two-parent household is considered normal in society. Therefore, SMBC may be viewed as a possible burden by hypothetical assumptions that women may use the “system” to gain access to support themselves and their future children. Although SMBC is gaining momentum in the 21st century, there is an underrepresentation of Black women who decide to go through this journey. The underrepresentation may stem from Black women who choose to remain silent during this journey. Black women remain silent as reproductive health is not considered an essential topic of discussion in the Black community. The experiences that Black women face will be different from those of other women due to racial disparities in healthcare. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of single Black women who are undergoing fertility treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART) to become SMBCs. This study provides awareness, knowledge, and information to nurses and other Black women who require support and guidance as they become mothers. The research question was: “What are the experiences of Black women who utilize Assisted Reproductive Technology to become single mothers by choice?” Edmund Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology was the framework for this research study. Recruitment used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit women via online support group platforms. Feminist theory informed the background knowledge that underpinned the decision to become a Single Mother by Choice. Colaizzi’s seven principles guided the data analysis. In summary, Black SMBCs established connections via online forums and depended on mutual support and guidance. The women formed a sisterhood dedicated to supporting one another, with a shared objective of becoming mothers. The women formed a bond for their future children by connecting with other donor-conceived siblings. This study revealed five main themes: 1) Resiliency and Determination, 2) Self-Advocacy, 3) Financial Burden, 4) Representation, and 5) Evolving Identity. Each theme reflects the challenges women faced in their journey to becoming mothers. This study highlights the importance of raising awareness among Black women navigating this journey alone and among nurses who advocate for them.

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