Shortage of Sperm and Egg donors

[mrsdj1234]

Payment is not the answer. Yes it seems like a great idea, because people would donate if paid, it ends up making it damn expensive for the recipients, and would make it totally unaffordable for many.
You see, particularly with egg donation, the couple pays for a full cycle for themselves and a half cycle for the donor. I saw the numbers that my recipient had to fork out for our cycles and it was staggering. Yes they get some back from Medicare, but they have to pay up front. And on top of that, what if the cycle doesn't work? Does the donor get paid on a per egg basis? or perhaps on a per embryo basis. Maybe on a per child basis.
My first donor cycle resulted on 0 eggs. The second only 4, of which 1 was transferred but didn't stick, 2 frozen and one arrested. So is it fair to charge my IP for the cycle that didn't yield any eggs, because I had to take meds? Is it fair to charge for an embryo that arrested, so is therefore not giving a possiblity of a child? Is it fair to charge for a failed pregnancy?
The answer to these questions is NO.
Also, how would a child feel when they grow up knowing that their biological parent only gave up their DNA for cold hard cash? I hope that if a child eventuates from my donation that they grow up knowing that I gave my eggs selflessly to their parents with only the sole purpose of their creation.

[pinkymcg]

I will admit that on our journey using donor sperm i have at times struggled with my own selfish thoughts of "if they only made the lesbians and the single girls find their own sperm donor there would be enough in the bank to go around for the rest of us creating more conventional families" . . . i should add that i quickly catch myself and know that those are just my selfish and irrational thoughts when i was in my darkest moments. That is NOT the answer to the shortage.

Thanks for your response cocosmum. I agree with you 100%. I wonder how many others actually do. I have often heard people saying that gay couples or singles should find their own donors and it was actually that which made me come up with the question about limiting live births. So we shouldn't limit based on sexual orientation, marital status or number of children. Does anyone think there are any reasons to limit? What about health? Age? I can't think of any good reason but am open to the discussion.

I understand why egg donation is so low - the physical toll can be difficult. I wonder why more men don't donate - is it that they don't know or is it an emotional thing?

[TNTDAD]

My opinion is that only hetrosexual couples with medical problemd should be allowed to access the donor registry unless the government recinds the laws that were brought in that made the donors disappear in droves and the supplies increase

[pinkymcg]

My opinion is that only hetrosexual couples with medical problemd should be allowed to access the donor registry unless the government recinds the laws that were brought in that made the donors disappear in droves and the supplies increase

Interesting. Why only heterosexual couples? What, in your opinion, makes them more deserving than anyone else?

[mrsdj1234]

Interesting. Why only heterosexual couples? What, in your opinion, makes them more deserving than anyone else?

Probably because he is in a heterosexual couple with medical problems and used sperm donation to get pregnant.
TNTdad seems to only care about himself and his own family.


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[BH-KatiesMum]

Very good points all. For the record I was not sold on the idea of limiting - I don't think it's for me to tell anyone that they can or can't have a baby. I just know that there is such a limited supply of eggs and sperm that thought if there DID have to be limits, then one baby from donor egg and or sperm might be a way to go. Let me make it clear though that I don't think any of us have to right to say who can and can't have a baby.

I know in the US you can be paid for being an egg donor - I know quite a few women who have done it for some cash. Not sure how I feel about that.

the current limits are per family ....

so one donor can only donate to 5 different families. They can donate as many times to each of those families as the individuals choose.

so limiting it to 1 live baby per family isnt going to change anything.

I agree with others - the answer is in making people more aware of donation. Promoting that gift .....

[pinkymcg]

the current limits are per family ....

so one donor can only donate to 5 different families. They can donate as many times to each of those families as the individuals choose.

so limiting it to 1 live baby per family isnt going to change anything.

I agree with others - the answer is in making people more aware of donation. Promoting that gift .....

Ah yes, that makes perfect sense. Of course limiting to 1 wouldn't make a difference! Stupid me.

[TNTDAD]

Promoting the donation is actually illegal in Australia, in my opinion that wouldn't help at the moment because if donors having to register there able to be contactable at a later date and they obviously don't want this

As before the law changes there were 50 donors available in nsw alone after the introduction of the registry there was 5 what dies that tell you most men don't want to be on it

[pinkymcg]

Promoting the donation is actually illegal in Australia, in my opinion that wouldn't help at the moment because if donors having to register there able to be contactable at a later date and they obviously don't want this

As before the law changes there were 50 donors available in nsw alone after the introduction of the registry there was 5 what dies that tell you most men don't want to be on it

You haven't answered my question though. Why only heterosexual couples? Same sex couple have medical reasons why they can't get pregnant (lack of sperm or uterus depending on the sex of the couple) - medically impossible for them to get pregnant.

I didn't know promoting donation is illegal in Australia - does anyone know why that is?

[TNTDAD]

TNTdad seems to only care about himself and his own family.

Yes I do did you have to wait 2 years we did to access the registry than we only had 3 goes to get pregnant if not we were back at the bottom of the list again

whilst same sex couples and single women access the registry with no medical problems there decision is lifestyle ours is medical we should come first in this situation whilst there continues to be a shortage


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