About Donor Insemination

by Barry Stevens

The sperm business has an unfortunate history of mistrust.

Until recently patients were denied any choice at all as the sperm were simply collected from the nearest willing medical student.

In the 1980's several women were infected with HIV from donor semen. And only a decade ago a doctor from the state of Virgina, Cecil Jacobson, went to prison after fathering as many as 75 children using his own sperm while telling his patients he was supplying sperm from anonymous donors.

The Canadian government is now trying to keep track of donor semen and ensure that it is properly screened for sexually transmitted and infectious diseases. New stringent semen regulations came into effect in 1996.

An internal audit at a Hamilton clinic sparked a two year government probe of Canada's sperm business. The investigation found that most of the sperm in Canada did not meet the new federal public safety regulations. As much as three quarters of the nation's sperm was placed under quarantine until the government is assured it has been adequately tested and is free of disease.

In 1999 Health Canada issued an advisory recommending that women inseminated with donated sperm by tested for HIV, chlamydia and hepatitis among other sexually transmitted diseases. This has led to a temporary shortage of Canadian sperm as sperm banks endeavour to test the donors retroactively.

In 2004 the Canadian Government passed the Assisted Human Reproduction Act and in 2006 the Assisted Human Reposibility Canada (AHRC) was established.

What is AHRC

Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC) is the federal regulatory agency responsible for protecting and promoting the health, safety, dignity and rights of Canadians who use or are born of assisted human reproduction technologies.

WAYS OF FINDING A SPERM DONOR

Some doctors offices collect sperm from a few donors believing that fresh is better than frozen. The risk in using fresh sperm is that it could transmit HIV. Some private arrangements are made through internet bulletin boards and with men who advertise their services as sperm donors It's user beware because the sperm hasn't been screened for infectious and genetic diseases.

Some people recruit a male friend as a sperm donor. This arrangment can get complicated as the law only protects anonymous donors from legal obligations. Many people turn to sperm banks which store sperm from anonymous donors frozen in liquid nitrogen. The donors have been screened for genetic and infectious diseases and most will mail the specimens anywhere.