The latest form of altruism

Semen donation is the latest form of altruism that has proven a boon for childless couples. Heralded as a milestone in the field of medicine, this charitable act, now taken up by millions of people across the globe has fast caught up in the City. Although many consider it unorthodox and unna­tural, social awareness and the reliability of this method has helped many couples realise their dreams of parenthood.

Vishweshar Rao is a 33- year-old who is into the food and nutrition business. He is happily married and has two children. He says, "I was motivated by my friends in Bangalore to contribute to their sperm bank. The first time I did, I was offered `1,200 as compensation. However, I felt it was morally wrong to accept money for a charitable act such as this and it made it seem like a business endeavour. Ever since then I have been helping childless couples and single parents (hetero and homosexual, who later approach surrogate mothers) by donating the sperm."

The internet is flush with advertisements from semen donors who wish to donate or sell their sperm. Doctors, scientists, musicians, engineers all figure in the list of people who proactively wish to cater to the needs of the childless. Students too, who want to make a fast buck, are a part of this.

However, not everybody can donate their sperms. Dr Samit at Kiran IVF clinic says, "A sperm donor has to be healthy with no history of diseases. Childless parents want all the prime qualities of intelligence, good looks and great physique in their child so the standards set are pretty high."

"When a sperm donor ap­p­r­oaches a bank, he is che­cked for infections, congenital diseases, HIV etc. Edu­cation, family background, habits and their genes are scrutinised for a period of six months. His sperm count is checked and samples of these are frozen in the bank. After six months, the donor is ready to donate his semen and there are umpteen regulations that monitor this too," says Dr Samit. A donor cannot have sex three days before donating his sperm. All donations are done under conditions of anonymity.

While the idea has certainly not appealed to the conservative and orthodox, some are apprehensive about the procedure as they claim it is "unnatural". Shamina Ali, a mother of two says, "It is unnatural for a woman to accept semen from strangers. It will only lead to a breakdown of the moral fabric of the family." Furthermore, the demand for exceptional qualities in sperm donors has caused a huge demand-supply gap in the City.

With Bollywood's latest movie Vicky Donor based on sperm donation, there seems to be a growing awareness. However, it remains to be seen what impact the practice will have on the millions of childless couples who wish for a progeny.

For Original article, click here >>