In 40 years, more than 50,000 children have been born in France thanks to sperm donation. But in recent months, infertile couples who are waiting for this donation to have the happiness of becoming parents, have seen the waiting lists grow. “In the spring, we noticed that we had half the number of donors compared to last year on the same date” notes Prof. Louis Bujan, president of the foundation of the Centers for the Study and Conservation of Eggs and Sperm. human (Cecos) which brings together the 23 centers of the French CHUs.
This observation is made while the Cecos are celebrating their fortieth anniversary by organizing two days of debates in Paris, tomorrow and Friday (due to the crowds, registration is mandatory on the Cecos website).
For Professor Bujan, the debates on the lifting of donor anonymity during the revision of the law on bioethics have contributed to the fall in donations. But for now, the donation is anonymous and donors and recipients cannot know their respective identities.
But this drop in donors has also accelerated during discussions on marriage for all. Many potential donors are indeed reluctant to open assisted reproduction to homosexuals. “Some donors have called to point out that they had given in a certain context and that they did not want their donation to be used in a new context” recently specified Professor Bujan in Le Figaro.
According to the latest figures from the Biomedicine Agency, sperm donation was marked in 2011 by a drop of 1/3, with 233 new donors (against 306 donors the previous year). These donations made it possible to perform 4,229 inseminations and 1,197 attempts at IVF or ICSI. At the same time, 332 transfers of frozen embryos previously obtained through sperm donation were carried out. During 2011, 1099 children were born thanks to donations from sperm donors.
– Donation is free, like blood donations and organ donations. The law prohibits any remuneration in return for the donation of sperm.
– You must be in good health and be under 45 years old (from 45 years old, a man’s fertility decreases and the risks of genetic abnormalities increase) and be the father of at least one child, which proves the donor’s fertility.
– If the donor lives with a partner, the spouse’s authorization is mandatory.
– A donor can only donate in one CECOS. The semen is obtained on the spot by masturbation. It will then be frozen (home collections are not allowed). Several collections are necessary for the same donor. The number of collections depends on the characteristics of the sperm but as a general rule it is useful to perform 4 to 5 collections.
