“Get” and “buy” sperm The reality of proceeding without restrictions July 13, 19:39

Nowadays, among those who want to have children,

more and more people are taking the means of "getting" and "buying" sperm.

Not only those who suffer from "azoospermia" without sperm, but also single women.

"Sperm donation from a third party", why did they come to this choice?

(Reika Ikebata, Reporter, Faculty of Science and Culture)

Sperm donation from an anonymous man I met online

Tsuyoshi and Yuko (pseudonym) received sperm donation from an anonymous man they met on the Internet and gave birth to a child last year.

My ideal family was a lot of children, and I started getting pregnant right after I got married, but I didn't get pregnant easily, so I tested it and found that my husband, Tsuyoshi, had "azoospermia."

A couple cannot have children alone because they have no sperm.

"Azoospermia" is estimated to occur in 1 in 100 men.

Mr. Tsuyoshi

"I was shocked to learn that I had no choice but to give up leaving my genes because I don't have sperm. But I want to raise my favorite wife's child. My wife's desire to give birth to my child is It was also my wish. "

The couple started fertility treatment with sperm donation from a third party at an academically recognized medical institution.

I went to the treatment every month for 10 months, taking 6 hours for a round trip, but I didn't get pregnant.

The sperm donated by the medical institution had been frozen once, and the doctor told me that the pregnancy rate was 5% or less.

Even if you continue the treatment as it is, you may not be able to get pregnant.

At that time, I relied on the Internet.

A search found an anonymous man who was willing to donate sperm and contacted him.

From the following month, I started to find out when I was likely to get pregnant, meet a man, and receive sperm directly.

Tsuyoshi-san and Yuko-san don't reveal who they are, and they don't know who the men are.

When I talked to him, he said he felt reliable.

I was worried that I wouldn't get sick from sperm, but I thought, "I hope I can get pregnant even a little," so I decided to take it.

The sixth offer gave birth to a pregnant child.

Yuko

"I understand that there are people who deny it, but I want you to know that there are people who want to give birth or raise their own children."

More than 10,000 pregnancies and births using third-party sperm

In fact, giving birth to children using the sperm of a third party has been practiced in Japan for over 70 years, and it is said that more than 10,000 people have been born.

So far, with the cooperation of male volunteers, it has been conducted only at 12 medical institutions approved by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

It has been recognized to fulfill the couple's desire to have children.

However, in recent years, people born in this way have come to want to know who their biological father is.

On the other hand, some donors did not want to be known, and sperm donation became insufficient.

Currently, at least 6 of the 12 facilities have stopped accepting new patients.

There are difficulties and restrictions in sperm donation that has been carried out at medical institutions.

▼ order to fertilize in a way that once injected directly using frozen sperm "artificial insemination", is about 5% and the low pregnancy rate,

▼ for the protection of privacy, the information of men who offer, tell me other than blood type Not available,

▼ The target is limited to men and women who are married and cannot get pregnant due to azoospermia, etc., and single women and same-sex couples are not eligible.

In some cases, the donation is not available, and more and more people are getting their own sperm without going through a medical institution.

"I want a family that can support each other" Purchase sperm from overseas companies

Sperm donation without medical institutions is beginning to spread among single women who want to have children, regardless of marriage.

Rei Kakyoin, a manga artist, bought sperm from an overseas company and gave birth to a child five years ago.

Ray is a sexual minority and has no romantic feelings for both men and women.

Mr. Ray

"It was not realistic for me to get married, but I want a special existence as a family. I wanted to support someone and have someone support me."

Because she is single, she is not eligible for sperm donation at domestic medical institutions and is not eligible to have a child in a special adoption.

Purchasing sperm from an American sperm bank was Ray's "only way" to get pregnant.

Ray showed me the website of the company that bought the sperm.

On the site, you can see a photo of the donor's childhood, as well as information such as height, eye and hair color, blood type, and educational background.

Ray bought the sperm of a man of American nationality.

I paid about 200,000 yen including transportation costs, but I gave birth.

My daughter is four years old, and I'm talking little by little so that I won't be confused by how she was born differently.

Ray uses a cushion with a world map to teach her daughter that she has roots in the United States.

"Half of Icchan is Japan. Where is the other half? The correct answer is here in the United States."

Rei

"I think it was a better option than marrying someone I don't like and forcing a couple of men and women to create a family. I want them to recognize different ways of being born. I want them to think that they can have different families."

Now, overseas sperm banks are expanding into Japan.

An increasing number of people are buying sperm.

The Danish sperm bank, which has users in more than 100 countries around the world, opened a Japanese consultation service in March 2019.

As of November last year, it is said that more than 150 Japanese have already purchased sperm.

Hiromi Ito, Danish Sperm Bank Japan Representative

"The sperm bank was originally created for married couples, but with the passage of time, the number of users has expanded to same-sex couples, and now it is the majority of the world. Is an unmarried woman. "

Sperm donation from a third party Various issues

There are no rules to regulate such sperm donation in Japan.

In reality, "getting" and "purchasing" are progressing.

Safety is

Is it safe?

Sperm donation, which has been done at medical institutions so far, is tested for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and syphilis.

Infectious diseases have an incubation period, so they can be examined more than once every six months.

Infectious diseases are also tested at overseas sperm banks.

However, in the case of communication between individuals via SNS etc., tests are often not performed and there is a risk that mothers and children will be infected with the disease, but there is no way to prevent this.

The right to know the origin

There is also the issue of how to accept the child's birth as it grows up.

It is regarded as important worldwide for children to know their roots as "the right to know their origin".

However, in Japan, even through medical institutions, it is provided anonymously to protect the privacy of the provider.

The right of the born child to know about the sperm donor is not guaranteed.

No rules

In addition, there are no rules for sperm donation through social media.

It is possible that the donor cannot prevent the sperm from being donated by pretending to be himself, and it may cause trouble after receiving the donation.

Legal development that has finally begun What is the necessary system?

Legal maintenance is also delayed.

In December of last year, the Civil Code stipulated that "if a wife becomes pregnant or gives birth by assisted reproductive technology using sperm of a third party with the consent of her husband, the husband cannot be denied that he is the father of the child." The special law has finally been passed.

As a general rule, a child born by donating sperm is a child of a married father.

A bipartisan parliamentary federation will be set up to improve legislation by the end of next year, regarding what to do with sperm donations at medical institutions, whether to allow sperm to be bought and sold, and whether to grant the right to know the origin. Discussions are about to proceed.

Experts familiar with the issue of reproductive medical ethics point out:

Professor Ishihara, Saitama Medical University

"From the perspective of the welfare of the born child, the right to know the origin should be recognized by law. In addition, the right to know the origin of the born child should be exercised even decades away. We need a public system to manage information over the long term so that we can do it. "

For example, in the United Kingdom, a system has been created in which a public institution centrally manages the provider's information with the consent of the provider, who provided it.

When the child turns 18, if the child so desires, identifiable information such as the provider's name, date of birth, and address will be disclosed.

Established Japan's first sperm bank

Under these circumstances, there has been a movement in Japan to increase the number of people who can safely receive sperm donation at medical institutions.

For the first time, a bank to store sperm from third parties was launched in June.

Established by Professor Hiromu Okada of Dokkyo Medical University, we are looking for donors.

Sperm donors are 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 in Japan. It will be sent to a medical institution approved by the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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

There are still hurdles for a child to know his or her roots, but the rights are being turned to.

The shape of the family is diversifying, and it is expected that the number of children born by sperm donation will continue to increase.

We need to think about how to respect parents' desire to have children, and above all, how to prevent their newborns from suffering any disadvantages.

Science and Culture reporter

Ikehata ReiKei

2010. He joined

through such Kanazawahosokyoku

incumbent from 2016

has been interviewed about the reproductive health care and perinatal medicine.