Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination, sometimes known as “alternative insemination” or “donor insemination,” is a procedure when sperm is inserted into a woman’s uterus to attempt to create a pregnancy. Artificial insemination using semen from a donor can be an alternative to adoption when the man cannot father a child, whether because of low sperm count, absence or poor quality of sperm, lack of motion by sperm, or inability to perform sexual intercourse. It may also be considered when the man does not want to transmit to the child a genetic defect he has. It is also often used by lesbians, heterosexual single women who wish to conceive without sexual contact with males and by gay men create families through surrogacy or through co-parenting.
Sperm donor may be classified as a donor or as a father. While the latter is known to the mother and assumes parental responsibilities, the former is generally anonymous and legally relinquishes parental rights and responsibilities. However, a growing number of sperm banks allow children, with the consent of the donor, to initiate contact with their genetic father at a specified age.
There are some advantages of getting pregnant using a known donor: first of all, you are aware about his physical and mental health, family history, and personality; besides, you don’t have to pay for the sperm, although you may have to pay a doctor to inseminate you. On the flipside of the coin, there is always a risk of HIV, AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases; moreover, issues around parenting can come up if the known donor chooses to stay involved in the child’s life.
Getting pregnant using a sperm bank (unknown donor), though being expensive and not covered by most insurances, can be beneficial as sperm banks test semen for diseases and collect health and genetic information from donors.