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In a live chat, experts answered your questions about sperm donation to individuals. The most important insights.
Why is sperm donation illegal for individuals?
The law justifies the prohibition of sperm donation to single-parent families with the child’s well-being. “Every child not only has a mother and father biologically, but also has the right to know about this mother and father and to grow up in conditions that are as conducive to its development as possible,” says Frank Mathwig, a member of the Nationale Ethics Committee (NEK). He adds that every law is a product of its time. It reflected the normative ideas of politics and society at the time it was created.
What about the well-being of the child in a single-parent family?
Psychotherapist Erica Brühlmann-Jecklin explains that children from a single parent are not at risk in their development. “The most important thing is that you are honest with the children, that they are allowed to experience how they “became””. In addition, a child would need a reliable reference person for at least eight months in the first two years of life in order to establish the ability to bond and love. This could be a parent, but also grandparents or another person.
Are there figures on how many women would use the single donation?
There are no exact figures on how many women are currently going abroad to donate sperm. Peter Fehr, medical director of the OVA IVF Clinic Zurich, writes that his clinic regularly receives inquiries from individuals who would like to undergo treatment. However, according to Frank Mathwig, the official figures for sperm donation are only of limited significance. “All cases of so-called self-insemination, i.e. self-treatment, cannot be recorded because it is carried out privately and without medical involvement.”
What about sperm donation from trans men?
It can happen that institutions reject trans men when donating sperm. Erica Brühlmann-Jecklin suspects that each and every individual in “his” society can do something about it. “Unfortunately, society changes rather slowly, but I am confident that a lot will still happen here and that tolerance for the dignity of every human being will eventually prevail.”
What are the restrictions on sperm donation?
It is contractually agreed with the donor that the sperm will be used for treatments permitted in Switzerland. These are treatments for married couples (woman-man and woman-woman). There would be no bottleneck, says Peter Fehr. Sometimes there would be a waiting period of a few months. “Due to the fact that a donor can only be used for 5 years and a maximum of 8 children can be fathered, it is very important that we keep finding new donors.” They currently have a little over 70 donors.