Is it illegal for gay men to donate sperm

Dr Sameer Jatkar. Have you ever thought about donating your sperm? Like organ or blood donation, sperm donation is a wonderfully altruistic act that can help others in need — in this case, giving people who are struggling with fertility issues the chance to start their own family. An increasing number of single women and lesbian couples are now using IVF to help them conceive.

Since Victorian laws changed inallowing single women and lesbian couples to access IVF, the number of women using sperm donors has markedly increased. These women and couples typically gain access to donor sperm by asking someone they know to donate sperm e. Unfortunately, like blood banks, sperm banks often face shortages.

A strong desire to help others is a great start but some other reasons you may consider donating include:. Families are a source of joy for many of us — they can bring meaningful relationships and purpose to our lives. But if you are not yet ready to have children or not sure if you ever will, donating your sperm can help provide a similar sense of purpose and meaning.

Indeed, studies have found that men who donate sperm report a sense of satisfaction that they played a role in the formation of a new life. Many sperm donors know people who have struggled to fall pregnant, or may have faced their own challenges when starting a family, and would now like to help others in similar circumstances.

This often includes gay men who may have required donor eggs and a female surrogate in order to start their own family. When donation occurs through a registered IVF clinic, sperm donors have no parental rights nor reponsibilities to any children born from their donated sperm. Not all children choose to, but if they do get in touch with you, you still have no legal obligation as a parent.

As an anonymous sperm donor, you also have the option of applying for information about any children conceived from your sperm once they turn If you do so, the child will be informed of your request — they will then let you know if they would like any contact with you and the type of contact they are comfortable with.

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In Australia, it is illegal for donors to receive a payment for their sperm. However, you may be entitled to compensation for certain expenses associated with providing the donation, such as medical or travel expenses. You might have a friend who is struggling with fertility, is single or is in a same-sex relationship.

In these cases you can choose to donate your sperm to that person or couple specifically, using a fertility clinic as an intermediary. Many people are unable to find a sperm donor using their own personal contacts, e. In this case, they can access sperm from an anonymous donor via a registered sperm bank usually associated with their fertility or IVF clinic.

By donating your sperm to one of these banks, you can help up to 10 women or couples become pregnant. You can donate a sperm sample one or more times, after which your sperm will be frozen and stored for future use. At Newlife IVF, we aim to make donating as easy as possible for you.

Five simple steps are involved, four of which can be completed on the same day at our Box Hill fertility treatment centre :. Your donated sperm will be quarantined until both your semen analysis and 3-month blood tests are given the all clear. At this point, your frozen sperm become part of our sperm bank.