Women are faced with 'black market sperm' or debt
Same-sex couples are being exploited by fertility treatment guidelines says MP
An MP has raised concerns over the sale of sperm on social media as an alternative to fertility treatment for same sex couples.
The Labour MP for Jarrow, Kate Osborne, said: “In 2023, we should not be forcing desperate women to turn to black market sperm" or "be pushed into tens of thousands of pounds of debt."
The demand for ‘unofficial’ sperm donors seems to be high as women in England are finding it harder to fit the criteria for NHS funded IVF treatment.
The Minister for Women and Equalities, Mauria Caulfield has said the Government will “be addressing the current discriminatory definitions of partner donation, which result in additional screening costs for female same-sex couples undergoing reciprocal IVF.”
In England, heterosexual couples who have been trying to get pregnant for over two years and meet other criteria, e.g. age and weight, will be eligible to NHS funded IVF treatment.
However, same-couples have to prove infertility to receive NHS funded treatment, which means self-funding six unsuccessful rounds of artificial insemination.
The NHS states that one cycle of IVF on average can cost £5,000.
To 'prove infertility' same sex-couples are having to spend around £30,000. This is being called the ‘gay tax’ for couples trying to start a family.
This 'gay tax' is impacting an increasing number of people as 2021 saw a 33% rise in same-sex couples accessing IVF treatment and 17% rise in donor insemination treatment since 2019, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
Out of the UK’s devolved nations, in 2021, England had the lowest rate of NHS-funded IVF cycles of 24%.
Data from HFEA
Data from HFEA
Scotland’s was double this at 58% and Wales came second with 30% of women’s IVF cycles being NHS-funded.
Jenny had spent close to £13,000 on unsuccessful fertility treatment before she and her girlfriend joined a group on social media advertising 'safe, free and reputable sperm donors.'
"We desperately wanted a baby," Jenny told me, "but the waitlists for IVF and donor insemination with the NHS were way too long and going private wasn't an option money wise."
Jenny said that after posting on the group that she was looking for a sperm donor she received about 15 messages from men offering their sperm.
"Some were seedy and I got the vibe they were just doing it for sex because they were demanding natural insemination, but there were a handful of good ones.
"We ended up picking one who'd shown us health checks and he posted a tube of his sperm which we then injected.
"Don't get me wrong it was gross but it was better than spending thousands on a whim... this way we could try again and again for free,"
After four tries with the same sperm donor, Jenny found she was pregnant. She's now 6 months pregnant.
"It's great because we've been able to save money and get pregnant. My girlfriend couldn't be happier."
The strict criteria for NHS funded fertility treatment, as well as delays due to Covid-19 backlogs and a lack of donated sperm in fertility clinics, has created a wide-spread demand for affordable methods of donor insemination.
Hundreds of groups advertising 'fast and free pregnancy' have popped up on social media.
One group on Facebook has 37.8K members which include both 'sperm donors' and women looking for donors.
Unofficial sperm donors can advertise themselves to women looking to fall pregnant via artificial or natural insemination.
The unregistered sale of sperm is illegal in the UK. The law states that only reasonable expenses should be paid by recipients, e.g. travel and postage costs.
These 'sperm donors' are seemingly making no profit from their semen handouts and all health checks rely upon private communication between the donor and recipient.
Donors and women can specify whether they prefer artificial or natural insemination.
Some donors offer natural insemination only, which has led to some speculation about their motivations.
The risks of using unregistered sperm donors include catching STDs, physical safety, genetic problems and facing custody claims when the baby is born.
'Unbeatable sperm'
Kyle Gordy who founded the 'SPERM DONORS' Facebook group, praises himself for 'getting women pregnant fast' and having 'unbeatable sperm.'
After 9 years of donating his sperm to women, he said he now has 70 kids and “eight or nine” on the way.
"I've got babies all around the world now, it's cool," Kyle told me, "I've met 13 of them so far but I think they look at me as a sibling."
Kyle described his group as the equivalent of Tinder but for having a baby rather than finding a partner.
He said: "It is a sacrifice because I can't have sex, I have to eat healthy, take supplements, it's actually really boring and I don't get any money from it. I get paid in happiness I guess."
"I like helping families and seeing how the children grow up," Kyle told me, "who knows one of them could be the next Elon Musk and that's awesome."
The first time Kyle donated his sperm he met up with a lesbian couple, jerked off into a cup and gave it to the couple who then injected the sperm in the back of their car. He says they fell pregnant three weeks later.
There are no protections for Kyle as an unregistered sperm donor meaning the women he has impregnated could make child support claims.
This doesn't phase Kyle however, who said: "I'll keep doing it until women don't need me anymore."
Whilst there is nothing illegal about men offering their sperm on social media the HFEA's Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Clare Ettinghausen, told me they are still concerned about the usage of donor sperm out of a UK licenced fertility clinic.
She said: "It is not regulated, meaning there could be a number of health and safety issues as well as legal implication regarding legal parenthood of any child born as a result."
Built with Shorthand