Posted on 08/31/2009 8:00:36 AM PDT by Bushwacker777
"Professor Lisa Jardine said that payments should be considered because a national shortage of donated eggs and sperm was driving infertile couples to seek treatment abroad, where large fees are permitted. British donors can receive only expenses, plus up to £250 for lost earnings.
Any such move would have to comply with the 2004 EU Tissues and Cells Directive, which restricts the circumstances in which money can change hands for sperm and eggs.
The directive requires that governments “shall endeavour to ensure voluntary and unpaid donations of tissues and cells” and states that compensation “is strictly limited to making good the expenses and inconveniences related to the donation”. Member states must also “endeavour to ensure that the procurement of tissues and cells as such is carried out on a non-profit basis".
Josephine Quintavalle, of the pressure group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said that paid donation seemed to breach the spirit of the directive, and that her organisation would consider a legal challenge if necessary.
“People in Europe would be amazed the HFEA would consider provoking this discussion,” she said. “The view of the EU, and of the majority of people worldwide, is that we do not want to see a trade in human tissue.
“Egg collection is an extremely invasive process, and the risks are taken entirely by the poor donor, not the wealthy recipient. I am surprised that a leading feminist such as Professor Lisa Jardine appears so enthusiastic about this unseemly commerce.” "
(Excerpt) Read more at women.timesonline.co.uk ...
Note to self- Wash hands after handling money.
What killed this industry, at least IMHO - is that 18 years after making an ‘anonymous donation’, I can be sued for 18 years of child support.
As a college student, this is an opportunity to earn some cash; while helping an infertile couple out. They get the DNA of an intelligent student who meets their physical requirements (hair, height, weight, build, interests, ect) and the student gets grocery money. That should be it.
However, now we are finding that a lesbian couple decides to have a baby, take the donation, has the baby, breaks up - waits 18year and then hits the student with child support for the past 18 years. The now-graduated student is a professional, has never had the chance to know his child, to be a father - yet now he risks losing a lion’s share of his wealth.
So, why would an intelligent young man donate sperm? $50 today turns into a $50,000 fine later.
Honest officer I didn’t sell my sperm I sold my DNA.
What country are you talking about? That is not the law in the USA or in any of Scandinavia.
Right here in the good ol'USA.
LOL...I read that without my glasses and thought it said "...for lost ear rings...."
These are all perversions of the legal system — pretty common in the USA when family courts are concerned.
However, these are totally different than sperm donations in fertility clinics. In the case you cite there was a relationship invoved between the donors and the recipients and in at least two it seems the biological father had a connection with the children. Sperm donation to a clinic implies absolutely no connection between the father and the offspring. So one does not have to worry about getting hit with any child support in such cases.
Would YOU risk it?
These are indeed perversions in the law; but as far as the court is concerned “it’s for the children” is all the excuse that is required to demand that whatever anonomity is promised at the time of donation, be relinquished sometime down the road. If the courts won’t do that step today (and I’m not convinced that this hasn’t already happened); I’ m pretty positive that this will happen in the next couple of years.
So, knowing what you know now ... would you donate? Not me.
I think it is safe.
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