I've just been curious lately and have come across a couple of news stories today so I thought that I'd just post some rant about sperm donors, IVF, rights and the such.
As a guy it has always been known to me that if I happen to get a woman pregnant (hasn't happened yet thankfully) that I'd end up having to pay for the child for years and years. Ideally the only time I'll ever concieve a child will be when I 'm ready for it, but for some people out there, they aren't as fortunate. Also, there are some guys (and gals) really getting screwed over by the system.
Legally a parent is defined as the supplier of the genetic material used to create the child. Sure, we all know this. Traditionally the only way my genetic material (sperm) could come in contact with another's genetic material (egg) is if I willingly put it there. But, with medical technology as it is now.. that isn't the case any more.
If I were to donate sperm for cash at a sperm bank.. this sperm went and created a child... I could be held liable for child support for this child. Why? Since I'm the genetic parent of the child. Does this sound messed up to anyone else? Also, I imagine this could open up a lot of nasty doors in the future should people start to exploit the system. Yeah, I know.. I'm being paranoid.. but it still seems sort of stupid to me. If I donate my sperm to help create an anonymous child with some anonymous woman.. I'd hate for 5 years later to get a call saying that someone used my previous frozen sperm.. got pregnant.. and wants 200 dollars a week for the next 18 years. That would sort of put a damper on anyone's life I'd assume.
Say someone has donated sperm on multiple occasions. Say he has a really good profile (isn't that how getting sperm works?) and a lot of people want to have his kid. Heard about that one guy off the Stephan Colbert show.. how one family had had 5 kids with one donor's sperm or something.. wouldn't it suck if that happened to some guy and he ended up paying for half a dozen kids had by different women? Yeah.. I'd imagine that would suck.
Another interesting thing. Say, as a woman, that you couldn't have your own children for whatever reason. So you go and get a donated embryo.. get it implanted, have a child. Well, if for some reason the donated embryo's parents didn't happen to have a contract signing away their rights. Well, there is a possibility that you could have that new baby, which you just carried for 9 months, taken away from you. Interesting huh?
Sure there is the UPA (Uniform Parentage Act) which states that a donor can't be considered a parent (in the case of certified sperm banks, etc.) but surprisingly only a third of states have adopted any version of this act. Oh, what if you donate in a state which follows the UPA, a woman gets the sperm, but has the kid in another state. Hmmm.. curious no?
Alright, that is all I got. Caught my attention since a man in New Zealand had some of his estate given to kids from donated sperm. Of course, the title of the article was misleading.. since his "donation" consisted of knocking boots with the woman... three times. But it got me curious.
Later
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1 comment:
do you want me to send you the notes about this from my family law class?? essentially, in the donor/donee type relationship, you can contract away as many rights as you want. if you want to be a sperm donor, sign a little slip of paper that says "i will never be responsible for any child that comes out of this"....it's really really interesting if you want my text book. by the way, the UPA can blow me.
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