Sperm donation via the internet

Seyi on society's view

Seyi Joseph, from Swanscombe, was desperate for a child, and at the age of 26 was too young to be considered for adoption.

She had a good job, a nice home and was financially secure, but had not had a serious relationship since the age of 19.

As she had no fertility problems her GP would not help, so she phoned a private sperm donation website.

The cost, at almost £1,000 per attempt, ruled out that option for Seyi.

And the success rate of only 20 percent also made this less than an ideal option for her.

She eventually registered on a website and selected an American man to be her child's father. The first attempt involved his frozen sperm being sent over by courier, and Seyi immediately became pregnant, although she lost the baby at six weeks.

After more failed attempts, she decided that a trip to meet Sean, the donor, so she could use fresh sperm was more likely to be more successful. After £6,000 spent on flights and hotels, Seyi was still not pregnant and laden with debt.

Getting back onto a stable financial footing she looked for a donor closer to home, and met up with a suitable match via a UK donors website. He wanted to co-parent any child they had, which would mean regular contact with the baby, an idea Seyi was not too keen on.

Thinking about it, she realised it made sense and nine months later baby Alex was born. Now Seyi runs a website helping other potential parents in the same position.

---

Would you look for sperm donor online if you thought it was your only option to have children?

Name

Your E-mail address

Town & Country

Phone number (optional):

Comments

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.

Terms & Conditions