At one time becoming a sperm donor was something hard-up students did to boost their income (and we know how much poorer they are today faced with crippling tuition fees), but that no longer happens. As a result of new regulations introduced by the Government, the British source of donated sperm has dried up. And the Government has failed to keep its word to actively campaign in the UK for more donors, having ignored warnings of a donor supply crisis from Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
Up until April 2005, donors had the choice of giving anonymously, providing only basic information such as blood type to recipients. Now they have to give their name and address and any child born as a result of that sperm has a legal right to track down their biological father, although they will not have any financial or legal responsibilites.
In desperation, Bourn Hall has turned to a donor bank in Denmark to make up their shortfall. It’s ironic that the descendents of these lusty Danes, who once invaded England with fierce and bloody battles, will provide the genes for our future generation.
Several hundreds of years have passed since the Vikings plundered our land, and thankfully their repuatation today is considerably enhanced; they are now reputed to be the happiest country in the world, which should surely make them their genes much sought after. The UK came a derisory 41st on the world map of happiness.
“We did explain to the Government that there was a real risk of a sperm supply crisis in Britain when the new regulations were debated two years ago. But they did not listen and the legislation went ahead. Now the Government should be delivering the promised high-profile advertising campaign to encourage more men to become donors, otherwise clinics such as Bourn Hall are going to have to keep sourcing sperm from abroad.
“The regulations should have been more sensible and said that wherever possible the identity of the donor should be revealed, but that it was not always a legal requirement.”
I remember interviewing the founders of Bourn Hall when its IVF success rate was only 20%. Since then, the success rate has soared to 45% and well over 1,000 healthy babies have been born as a result of IVF.
Bourn Hall’s CE Mike Macnamee explained the advantage of sourcing from Denmark:
“The Danish culture of openness has meant that more men are prepared to donate sperm. And it is collected and stored under the same high standards we would expect in the UK.
“Before we reached this agreement with the sperm bank in Denmark, infertile couples were facing a year-long wait.
“The time has gone when hard-up students used to be able to pop into a sperm bank and make a donation for a bit of beer money because, at £15 a time, it is just not worth their while any more. Changes in the anonymity rules also puts men off – those that donate now only do so out of a sense of altruism.”
I wonder how many young people born via sperm donors have tracked down their biological fathers and what the outcome was. I can understand why they might be curious, but is it possible to bond in these circumstances, did they both want to form a relationship? Couldn’t the new regulations have been less stringent? They do not seem to have been carefully thought through, bearing in mind the needs of all concerned, they are a nightmare for infertile couples who are suffering the most.
What do male bloggers think about helping out and becoming a sperm donor? Do the new regulations deter you?
I posted this over at my place:
“As anyone with reasoning power greater than that of, erm, a gnat foresaw there is now a national shortage of sperm donors due to the change in the law removing the right to anonymity. Twenty odd years ago a friend used to supplement his student grant by donating at about a tenner a go (I think) but I was never persuaded as I was not tempted by the prospect of fathering a child I would never know.
Above and beyond that, if anonymity has gone, the next step would be names going to the CSA. £10 quid doesn’t seem like much of a bargain in the light of that possibility, does it?”
Despite my request to keep it PG, there was an inevitable outbreak of schoolboy humour in the comments, hence the post here rather than a link.
As anyone who knows a couple with fertility issues, it can lead to a great deal of heartbreak if a child cannot be conceived in the usual way, and one has to be sympathetic, but even the remote prospect of the CSA coming after you is likely to kill any desire to help out stone dead.
As we all know, parliament cannot bind its successors, and it is not too hard to imagine a ‘human rights’ lawsuit against the donor / authorities demanding maintenance for the child that has been fathered, whatever the legislation might be at the moment.
Croydonian, you were obviously spot on, but if you still have the link, I would love to read it, and the raucous comments.
Who knows what the next step would be once anonymity has been waived and yes, with the European Court of Human Rights, the legal/moral possibilities are endless.
I wonder if the new regulations will still protect your friend’s identity, or whether he will be tracked down by a dozen or so teenagers wanting to meet their biological father.
Ok, here goes.
At the time (late 80s) no names were taken, so I don’t think my pal’s past will be able to catch up with him.
Thanks Croydonian, it is very entertaining. I missed this on your site, it must have been posted when I was away.
I think bloghorroea is the clinical term….
What is the going rate now, by the way, considering how much the price of a pint has soared, as well as tuition fees, lodgings, punting, etc..
you gotta see it from my point of view. no way would i give a little bit as it’s not just one kid that could turn up 18 years later, it’s dozens of them.
The more general case hear is the government changing rules a long time after the event. This impacts pensions as well as medical donations. ( I’ve seen heart donors families tracing the recipients now and wanting to get to know them – this is of more than passing interest as two members of my family had heart transplants. )
Who is to say that another government won’t change the law on inheritance and your children who you saved for won’t have to compete with 100 other legally equivalent claims on your estate ! Its a very real possibility – especially given the continual down-grading of respect for marriage.
On the same level remember the Argentine government confiscating all the private pensions to pay civil servants salaries ? (National Lottery people’s priorities anyone ?) The less we trust the governing classes – the less we can make risks like medical donations and putting money in a pension scheme.