Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/06/04/a-single-woman-learns-how-hard-it-is-to-buy-sperm.html
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It’s good that they have high standards. I imagine the number of would-be donors has also likely dropped in recent years now that services like 23andMe have all but destroyed any hopes of remaining anonymous.
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I think there’s also yet another scenario of false scarcity here. I remember when I started to look into donating and was immediately rejected despite being a college athlete and long family history of longevity and limited health issues. The reason? Under 6’. Bite me capitalism.
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Higher than Facebook, anyway.
“The women apparently responded to Facebook ads in part of an online “parallel universe” of free sperm donation not regulated by Health Canada.”
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As always, a bunch of greedy wankers in the US medical system.
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That’s… not a lot. Especially given the hassle of the testing requirements. If that’s typical then it really shatters the very common sitcom trope of characters selling off their samples for quick cash. (I can think of at least 5 different sitcoms off the top of my head where that was the plot of an episode)
But I guess getting the details of human reproduction correct isn’t exactly a strength that sitcoms are known for. How many of them have characters give birth in wacky locations because they went from first contraction to crowning within about 5 minutes?
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Seriously; $1,200–$2,500 for a vial screened sperm didn’t even sound like a lot to me after my family’s various experiences with the for-profit healthcare system.
That’s a drop in the bucket (as it were) compared to the cost of other forms of reproductive medicine like IVF, especially if you need an egg donor. And it will probably surprise no one that these procedures are almost never covered under most private healthcare plans in the U.S.
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The documentary Spermworld covers unregulated sperm donation. If you want sperm, there are guys online who will give it to you or sell it at cheap prices. The people trying to get pregnant can’t afford real clinics. The people donating the sperm are at best misguided about their altruism. At worst they are creepy and seem to have some kind of weird power dynamics or fetishes about impregnating as many women as possible. After watching you don’t feel happy or hopeful, just sad.
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It would be interesting to know what the cost breakdown is; how much is cryopreservation, how much goes to various genetic and disease tests, how much the 6-month quarantine period, how much screening a donor costs, how much goes to offering features like “adult and childhood photos, donor essays, genetic testing results and audio interviews” on demand; and how much goes to profit margin.
I assume that they aren’t running a charity; but it doesn’t sound like a strikingly high number given the amount of selection process involved. Did some quick looking around and the numbers from the UK were only a hair lower.
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Basically if you want a baby and can’t make one with the things you have at home there aren’t a lot of great options unless you’re wealthy. (Yes, adoption is great but that process comes with lots of unique expenses and logistical headaches of its own.)
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No dispute on it being very expensive; I was just curious how much of the cost was more or less unavoidable (without potentially significant compromises in quality and safety) handling and testing costs vs. how much was somebody’s profit margin, vs. how much was something that isn’t medically necessary but is appealing to customers, like gathering extensive background flavor material and aggressive weeding of donors for factors aside from health.
Given that sperm are by far the less invasive gamete extraction; and a relatively small part of an IVF bill; much less the expected overall cost of a child, I’m not at all sure that you’d want to compromise on them, seems like it would be a haven for false economies; but I’m curious as a theoretical matter.
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I remember this song being on high rotation at our teenage discos!
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In Australia donation rates have plummeted since anonymity was removed - even retroactively donations made anonymously have been identified
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Something i have often thought about doing, but have just accepted i will prob never have kids, the fact the cost of just living has gone up so much and the 20% wage cut thanks to 14 years of tory scum, mean i dont even feel like i could so it, despite the fact i work in a school and so prob have the best single parent job going. As I would be off when ever the kids was off and would just need to get threw them 1st 2 years of no school.
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I am a man, LOL and the people i date don’t tend to have wombs… so even a one night stand won’t really result in kids…
I know my mum would love grand kids, but my sister who’s 5 years younger has health issues and won’t have kids, it’s not like there are not kids I have like 15 cousins and they have another 6 or 7 kids between them and counting…
I am the 3rd oldest and that’s only by like 10 days from the 2nd oldest, but there’s prob at least 20 years from the oldest cousin to the youngest.
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Not a problem, I know my names not that common and not everyone’s 1st language is English, I went to States on holiday, where you would think American is close enough, but they kept reading my name as weasley like the animal, LOL or I suppose the Harry Potter family, till I opened my mouth and every one was like o he’s English, so they were def questing it…
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Inflation is a killer - this is why I started making my own at home
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Well, sperm doesn’t grow on trees.
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Ooh, but what if it did…
I wonder if I can build a genetics lab in my attic.
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Oh no, just think of the electricity bill for climate control. You’ll save a ton on utilities if you go with the basement.
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