During the past week, several people have contacted Livio, which has clinics around the country, and flagged what is going on on social media.
Various men offer to donate their sperm privately to people who wish to become parents.
Some state that they are an approved donor at Livio.
The clinic has checked several of the names.
Some are approved donors at Livio, some have applied to become donors but have been denied and some names the clinic does not recognize at all.
- One of the men had been refused to become a donor with us because he was a carrier of a serious disease, which risks being passed on to the child.
Another had been refused due to reduced sperm quality, says Camilla Stenfelt.
"Becoming parents - not donors"
In Sweden, it is only permitted to donate to six different families.
What are the risks of this?
- A lot!
Partly health risks, that the men claim they are healthy, but the person receiving the sperm has no idea.
Moreover, they do not become donors in the legal sense, they become parents.
It is very complicated, says Camilla Stenfelt.
May be required for maintenance
The sperm donor could therefore demand custody of the child when it is born.
The mother can also demand financial support from the donor.
But isn't it good that private individuals want to help the involuntarily childless?
- Yes absolutely, but then you should turn to an approved clinic instead.
There may be some who just want to spread their genes, says Camilla Stenfelt, doctor and donation manager at the fertility clinic, and continues:
- We want to warn against accepting sperm from these people who offer it online.
It is illegal to do so and it can have major consequences.