Self-organized sperm donors trigger worries
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E-mail CRI, September 17, 2012
Groups of would-be sperm donors who claim they would like to help infertile couples for free have appeared recently on more than 200 online chat groups, triggering concerns by legitimate sperm banks, the Beijing News reports.
![This undated picture shows two rooms used for sperm donations at the Research Institute of National Population and Family Planning Commission, the only official sperm bank in Beijing. [Photo/Beijing News]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120917/001372acd0b511c0fa3301.jpg "This undated picture shows two rooms used for sperm donations at the Research Institute of National Population and Family Planning Commission, the only official sperm bank in Beijing. [Photo/Beijing News]") |
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This undated picture shows two rooms used for sperm donations at the Research Institute of National Population and Family Planning Commission, the only official sperm bank in Beijing. [Photo/Beijing News] |
Childless couples who want to use sperm banks usually have to wait for more than one year and pay a high price, so some are looking at the online black market sperm banks as quick and cost saving alternatives.
Plugging the search term "self-help sperm donation", or in Chinese "zizhujuanjing", into the QQ search engine (QQ is China's leading instant message system) turns up 261 chat groups numbering from just a few to more than 300. One group with 100 members had 85 potential donors and 15 people seeking suitable sperm.
Though the "self-help sperm donation" movement supplies a platform for the seekers and donors, it also triggers worries about morality and health, experts say.
A chat group organizer with the online name "Sofiya" said there are few really dedicated donors in the group, with most wanting to "seek a thrill for free," and some "lucky ones" may earn extra compensation for their donation.
Chen Zhenwen, an expert on human sperm bank management, said the self-help sperm donations should be banned. He said the donors and their sperm's condition can not be guaranteed and those who use the service may risk their own health as well as having unhealthy babies.
Wang Chuanwei, a lawyer at Jingwei Law Firm, said there is no legislation regulating private sperm banks in China, and due to that all the risks and responsibilities are taken by both parties.
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