To launch the first sperm bank in Japan Doctors at Dokkyo Medical University

For couples who are infertile due to sperm-free illness, infertility treatment using sperm provided by a third party is performed.

In order to proceed with this treatment safely, doctors at Dokkyo Medical University launched the first sperm bank in Japan in June and are looking for donors.

The number of sperm donors has decreased in recent years

Infertility treatment that artificially inseminates using sperm provided by a third party is a registered facility of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for couples who are infertile due to azoospermia etc. The case was carried out and 130 babies were born.

However, in recent years, the number of sperm donors has decreased, many facilities have stopped accepting patients, and there are cases where sperm are purchased from individuals who met on SNS etc. In June, we launched the first sperm bank in Japan to store sperm from third parties and recruited donors so that specialists at medical universities can treat them safely.

Recruitment is limited to domestic medical personnel who have an understanding of treatment between the ages of 20 and 40, and after testing for infectious diseases, select sperms that are likely to become pregnant and send them to the treatment facility. It is said.

We also want to give consideration to the "right to know the origin" of the born child by allowing sperm donors to choose whether or not to disclose their information to the couple being treated.

Professor Hiromu Okada, who establishes the bank, said, "It seems that the number of cases of dealings on SNS etc. is increasing rapidly, but there are many problems such as infectious diseases not being tested. I want to increase the number of patients who can be treated. "

What is fertility treatment using donated sperm?

Infertility treatment using sperm donated by a third party is called "AID", which is an acronym for "artificial insemination using donated sperm", and is sick and has no sperm. It is held at a registered facility of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for infertile couples for such reasons.

So far, it is estimated that more than 10,000 babies were born by this method only in Japan, and three years ago, about 3,400 cases were carried out for more than 1,100 couples a year. 130 babies are born.

In the view of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the rule is that information about sperm donors should be anonymous in order to protect privacy, but the child born has the "right to know the origin" to know the donor's information. The demand for it has been increasing in recent years.

Partly because of this, the number of sperm donors has decreased in recent years, and at least 6 of the 12 registered institutions of this treatment society in Japan have stopped accepting new patients. is.

Passing sperm between individuals “safety issues”

It has been pointed out on Internet websites and SNS that sperm is delivered between individuals without going through a medical institution, and on Twitter, "We will help you with fertility" and "Sperm donation is provided free of charge." You can also see the writing such as "Masu".

According to a survey by Professor Hiromu Okada of Dokkyo Medical University, there are at least 140 websites and blogs that claim sperm donation in Japanese, and about 92% of them provide information and information on whether or not they are testing for infectious diseases. There was no mention of consent to do or contract documents, and the information provided to the recipients was insufficient.

Regarding such sperm delivery, a permanent director of the Japan Reproductive Medicine Society and Professor Ishihara of Saitama Medical University said, "Sperm transfer between individuals is not limited to couples who are infertile due to sperm-free illnesses, but also for infertility treatment at registered facilities. It seems that single women and sexual minorities who are excluded from the target are also doing it. They have to trust the information from the donor about who the sperm is, and unlike the frozen sperm used for treatment , There is a safety issue because it has not been tested for infertility. Including such cases, a public management system may be necessary. "