September 17, 2010

expert reaction to court case in which two men were found guilty of illegally making sperm available over the internet to almost 800 women

A leading expert in male fertility discusses the dangers of using internet sites that purport to sell sperm.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-11304341

Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology at the University of Sheffield, said:

“Internet sites selling fresh sperm for women to use in ‘home insemination’ have been of concern to me for a number of years now. This is because there are serious health risks to women who may use such sperm, given it cannot be adequately screened and quarantined to check it is free from infections like HIV. Also, for the men who donate through such sites, they have no legal protection and are technically legal father of any child born, with all of the responsibilities that this entails. I hope we have now seen an end to these internet sites.

“For women who need treatment with donor sperm, I would urge them to seek help from medical professionals in a HFEA licensed clinic, where their fertility can be properly investigated and fully screened and quarantined donor sperm can be used in their treatment.

“For any man wishing to become a sperm donor, he should also contact a HFEA licensed clinic where he can be given the appropriate legal protection and have the implications of his donation fully explained to him.”