Identified or Anonymous? How to Choose a Sperm/Egg Donor

Once married, there are many things couples dream about, and when they begin thinking of starting a family, the furthest thing on their mind is artificial insemination. However, there are those times when it does become necessary whether it is male infertility problems with the husband. Another problem can be if you are a single woman who is looking to get pregnant. Each year the clients and ratings grow for sperm donation. When looking for a donor, it is best to weigh your options on which type of donor you want.

Known vs. Anonymous Donor

Single women wanting a biological child, or those unfortunate couples who cannot conceive can benefit from sperm donation, as it's safe and effective. The question, however, is if they prefer a known donor, who has agreed to release information on their identity, or if they want an anonymous donor where their identity is unknown. There are many factors to this decision both on a personal and policy level.

When it comes to a personal level, parents need to take both theirs and their future child's needs into consideration. Once your child grows up will they want to know what their father looks like, or will they need updated medical history or maybe want to meet the donor once they turn 18? When making the decision, parents have to balance out "remaining a normal family" and not wanting to complicate their child's life with the future desire of their child and the fact that they might need genetic information someday.

When it comes to policy level, many wish that the government would become more involved. They feel it is in our best interest for the government to step in and regulate this type of service. Many countries have already banned anonymous sperm or egg donation believing it to not be in the child's best interest, the parents or the donors. They feel that anonymous sperm or donation is being guided through the "infertility industry" because it is cheaper and easier to administer.

Identified Donor Benefits

An obvious benefit of using donors are who identified is it lowers the cost of sperm vials which can range from $500 up per vial, and chances are you will require more than one vial. Another benefit is there is a potential father figure for the child. However, many anonymous donors will meet the child once they turn 18. You can obtain information at the sperm bank and you will even be able to find out if your child has siblings.

Anonymous Donor Benefits

A benefit of going with an anonymous donor is that the whole process is not as complicated as going with an identified donor. This is really because all legal and medical aspects for the donor are taken care of before you become involved. Also, there are typically no concerns later on regarding custody issues or the donor wanting rights to their offspring.

About the Author:
Tess Young has been a freelance writer for over 3 years and has experience writing about fertility and at-home insemination topics. To learn more about sperm donor and insemination, she recommends visiting California Cryobank.