Did you realise there are just over 200 registered sperm donors in the UK, despite a male population of more than 22 million men? I wrote about this crisis last August after Bourn Hall Clinic turned to a donor bank in Denmark to make up its desperate shortfall.
The crisis is a result of new laws introduced in April 2005 which removed anonymity from sperm donors. I heard a report on radio recently about sperm donors being tracked by children they had biologically “fathered” this way.
For only £163, and using genealogy and DBA databases on the internet, it is possible to track down anonymous donors, as this teenage boy did. It is naturally a very strong deterrent for would-be donors who fear financial claims will be made against them, as well as paternal responsibilities.
Comedian Danny Robins hilariously raised the profile about this dilemma by travelling around the country searching for donors with his mobile donation centre (a converted polling booth). His visits included Westminster where he invited Labour MPs who changed the law to lead the way (John Prescott was thankfully ruled out for being too old) for The Great Sperm Crisis to be screened on BBC Three tomorrow night.
The law was introduced to protect the rights of the unborn child, but is ironically producing fewer children as a result, and untold misery for childless women. Fertility experts estimate that we need 500-600 donors for the current demand to be met.
Any offers?
I would volunteer, except the way you ‘donate’ puts me off.
I doubt they’d accept me, anyway. I don’t keep my body ‘pure’ enough.
I can understand why the men are put off. I can’t understand this desire of womwn to have a child “of their own” . There are plenty of children in need of a loving parents out there so why don’t they consider adopting?
I wish I could see the programme!
Not enough left, Ellee, to share around.
Whilst an unintended consequence, it was an all too obvious one without even needing the benefit of hindsight.
Just for you Elle
I’ll be happy to make an exception
and contribute a free donation or two.
help -I’m sorry 2nd attempt at commenting, apologies if it’s a duplicate – here’s an interesting blog from a lady at the head of an organisation campaigning to raise awareness re egg and sperm donation:
http://happytobe.typepad.com
I wouldn’t offer even with anonymity. How could I be expected not to want to know about my own child ?
Q9, I bet you say that to all the girls!
Kevin, the idea is that you are very detached and don’t regard yourself as a father in this role, but just a provider of the essential ingrediants to make it happen.
The reason there aren’t enough donors is the method. I’m sure that most women that want a baby could find a willing donor if they simply had sex 🙂
ooops that was I.
But seriously Elle, if you are involved with the charity I’d be happy to make a ‘donation’
Though clearly Lord Nazh has got a real point to make about the methods ’employed’
Part of the problem is that the government has shown that it will change the law retrospectively. Hence any assurances on future financial liability, inheritance, and loses to your natural children are worthless. The next Labour government could just change its mind on these issues, or the EU tell it to via human rights directives.
The only way round this is to truly randomise donations so that no record is kept. That is the only security that means anything for potential donors. There are potential health implications for the resulting children, but little can be done about that.
‘I would volunteer, except the way you ‘donate’ puts me off’ (Joe)
Just how else can you ‘donate’ sperm exactly? I admit it would be better if there were sexy nurses in stockings and suspender belts that did it for you, but it’s not going to happen is it.
Having said that perhaps that’s the way to increase the number of donors?
Steven, I don’t think that’s part of a nurse’s job description, and maybe stockings are not a turn-on for all men either..
the idea is that you are very detached and don’t regard yourself as a father in this role, but just a provider of the essential ingrediants to make it happen.
I’m with Kevin on this. However I remember fellow students donating for money, which seemed like one of the easiest ways to make £50 (or maybe £200, I can’t remember). They clearly wouldn’t have done it if there was a risk of loss of anonymity and financial liability.
BTW Why do you think it is illegal for a woman to be paid for donating eggs but legal for a man to be paid for donating sperm?
“‘I would volunteer, except the way you ‘donate’ puts me off’ (Joe)
Just how else can you ‘donate’ sperm exactly? I admit it would be better if there were sexy nurses in stockings and suspender belts that did it for you, but it’s not going to happen is it.
Having said that perhaps that’s the way to increase the number of donors?”
Easy answer there Steve, you donate it the old-fashioned way.
If they need 500-600 more donors to ‘meet demand’ there’s alot of people that need to get together and have a big party 🙂
It’s a bit more complex than just the lack of anonymity. As Danny also pointed out, even if you find guys prepared to do it – and trust me, unlike Danny I do this work every day and know they are there- there are not many places they can go to.
With cash strapped health services many clinics just don’t have the resources to run a very expensive ‘sperm bank’ for 10 donations a year. Also, guys that make the cut so to speak are asked to donate twice a week for 4-6 months, so not just once as was the gimmick in the program.
Whilst not necessarily accurate I still think it was a brilliant program and obviously did great work in highlighting this problem.
Funnily enough we run a campaign http://www.giveatoss.com something the BBC obviously didn’t pick up on.
Lord N, Your suggestion has my full support.
EXACTLY my sort of party.
lol Mens Sana
is that how you ‘saved up’ for your first lambo
Laura, two donations a week?
that’s more sex than some men get at home!
But seriously Laura, with a name like ‘give a toss’ do you really expect to get more than ‘jerks’ phone up
I think in the modern world – where you are no longer guaranteed dental surgery or ANY of the other myriad of treatments at your local nhs hospital – it is not unreasonable for people to travel to one or two places in the Country which specialise in IVF and/or abortions
fertility clinics for IVF
and abortion clinics for abortion
and preferablt both at opposite ends of the country – you know
one at John O’Groats
the other at Lands End
lol Elle, no need to get impatient
I’m holding on to that donation for yah!
It can be delivered by hand anytime!
This is a great post and I’m sorry I missed it – I would have asked to steal it!
The serious point is that tracing your ‘real’ parent is mostly stupid – you will inherit characteristics of character as well as appearance, possibly? (nature vs nurture) But it may be more relevant from a health point of view: inherited disease/ you want a kidney. I say stupid because it’s often from curiosity and a need for some emotional gain whereas if you’re a sperm donor there simply is no emotion – not with a plastic cup. And you may be bending the head of a perfectly nice human being with a family who does not need or want the emotional baggage you bring. Get over it – be grateful for the gift of life.
Being completely frivolous I think the moral, physical and intellectual giants amongst us should donate immediately – you know who I mean: get him a plastic cup and save mankind.
I listened to an article on the radio recently where a US court had ruled that a sperm donor was liable to support the child for whom he had donated sperm. Apparently he was a friend of the lesbian couple. That kind of threat would put a lot of people off.