Artificial insemination has allowed single women and women married to men with fertility issues to have their eggs fertilized in vitro and give birth to their own children. There are many ethical issues raised with such a procedure, one of which concerns the degree to which the sperm donor can be considered the child's father.
History
In 1978, the first test tube baby was born in Bristol, England. As a result of her parents' 9-year battle with infertility, doctors retrieved an egg from her mother and fertilized it with sperm from her father. When Louise Joy Brown was born healthy and perfectly normal, millions of infertile couples around the world were given hope.
Significance
Under normal circumstances, eggs are fertilized within the fallopian tubes when they encounter sperm. Then the embryo travels into the uterus where it implants and begins to develop. Regardless of whether the sperm was placed there naturally through the process of intercourse or through medical intervention, a fertilized egg is the result and the woman becomes pregnant.
Types
The words "father" and "donor" may or may not be used interchangeably. Under ideal circumstances, these two are one and the same. Many times, a woman who undergoes donated sperm has a man in her life who is willing and able to help her raise the baby. This may be a husband, partner or boyfriend. Regardless of his relationship to the mother of the baby, he wishes to be considered the baby's father. The term "biological father" may be used to distinguish between the sperm donor and the person who raised the child as his own. Often, the biological father is unknown.
Identification
Babies that are the result of artificial insemination using a sperm donor are no different than babies conceived in a more conventional manner, the issue of paternity notwithstanding.
Benefits
The process of artificial insemination using a sperm donor has made it possible for infertile couples to have children of their own. Couples choosing to go this route to start a family have usually determined before conception how they will view the sperm donor with regard to paternity.
Considerations
Before becoming a pregnant with sperm from a sperm donor it is important to explore the legal rights of the sperm donor. If the donor is a friend, then questions can be worked out and legal documents drawn up before proceeding. If the sperm donor is unknown, become familiar with his legal rights before becoming pregnant, as they vary widely from state to state. If the sperm donor is unknown, the identity of the donor may or may not be anonymous. While sperm banks will collect information on donors to provide to families, donors may choose to remain completely anonymous. If the parents wish to know the identity of the donor, or think the child may wish to know at some point later in life (which many do), a non-anonymous donor may be selected.
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