A practice older than most would imagine, sperm donation to help infertile couples or women who wish to have children without being in a relationship is becoming increasingly popular in the fertility world. As medicine makes it easier to diagnose male issues such as low motility, quantity, or even complete sterility, social media has become a strong hub for arranging sperm donation. This is because knowledge of at-home self-insemination techniques or procedures at clinics has gained traction in recent years. Donations made at specialized clinics are safe, however, home sperm donation hides some risks that even the donors themselves may not realize!
Donations at specialized clinics are surrounded by care. Men interested in donating their sperm go to the location (clinic), register, and undergo various tests (HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis, etc.) to verify their health. If their health is approved, they become registered donors and are authorized to donate. It is important to stress that the donor must be completely anonymous and will have no contact whatsoever with the child born from the procedure. Mothers will also not have any access to the donor’s information, as determined by the Federal Council of Medicine and ANVISA. The material is collected and can be frozen for future use. Remember that in Brazil, it is not possible to sell this material—in fact, it is prohibited by law!
Those receiving sperm donation in procedures where the man is found to be infertile, or women who wish to become single mothers and are interested in donated sperm, go to a clinic and at the doctor’s request undergo in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination. This method is common and can cost from R$ 3,000 to R$ 16,000, depending on where you go and which procedure is chosen. The procedure requires medication to induce ovulation and, with monitoring by a fertility specialist, the appropriate procedure is performed.
Home Sperm Donation – A Risky Way to Try to Get Pregnant
A very concerning and even alarming fact in terms of public health is informal sperm donation or even sales. With the rise of social networks and apps like WhatsApp, for example, the number of sperm donations has increased dramatically. Couples hoping to become parents, or same-sex female couples, look for ways to reduce costs and communicate to arrange unofficial sales and donations, unlike those done in specialized clinics. There are two ways to carry out clandestine sales or donations: with physical contact and without physical contact. However, both are dangerous for both sides—those who wish to become pregnant as well as those who donate via physical contact.
Sperm donations made at home are usually not closely monitored by doctors who assess the donor’s health prior to any procedure. Sometimes, not even a blood test is done to check for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis and many others that can be transmitted through bodily fluids. Donation with physical contact puts both parties at risk: the semen provider and the recipient. In the case of recipients via non-physical contact, all the risks fall on the recipient. The fact is that the insecurity of this method is increasingly putting the health of those who purchase or receive donations from strangers without access to any health history at risk. Selling sperm is forbidden and, even when done clandestinely, is considered illegal and a crime. This is not the case in countries like the United States, Germany, and others, where the sale of sperm is permitted—all through clinics, with the donor himself receiving payment for his sperm. For a tip, there’s a movie about the topic, Delivery Man, which tells the adventure of a man who discovered he was the father of more than 500 people from his sperm sales to a bank—worth watching with popcorn and all.
What Does It Take to Be a Sperm Donor?
To become a sperm donor, you must meet some requirements, the main one being perfect health. Next is to have a satisfactory count of good, motile sperm with good morphology. The donor must be between 18 and 45 years old, have no diagnosed genetic or congenital diseases in the family, sign a responsibility agreement for the donation, and, of course, undergo all necessary tests, which are usually covered by the clinic where the donation takes place. At least 4 to 6 donations to the sperm bank are required.
Want to receive a sperm donation? Look for a fertility specialist who will guide you safely through the process.
See also: Does At-Home Artificial Insemination Work? Photos: Jaakobou,ScienceGenetics
