A free donor or a sex maniac?
In the USA, a case of illegal sperm donation is being investigated
For the first time, 36-year-old Trent Arsenault attracted the attention of the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) in 2009. At that time, his voluntary donation had already led to the birth of 14 children. Several more sperm recipients were at different stages of pregnancy.
A letter sent by the FDA in November 2010 demanding that illegal actions be stopped did not stop him. According to Arsenault, since receiving the letter, another child has been born and five more successful conceptions have occurred. He also noted that a hearing on his case has not yet been scheduled.
In response to the FDA's statement, Arsenault objected that he could provide documentary evidence and testimony from women who used his services that he was their intimate sexual partner. According to Arsenault's lawyer, in this case he should be exempt from any claims by the law. Arsenault is currently awaiting the FDA's response to this statement.
The FDA refuses to comment on the merits of the matter, as an open investigation is being conducted within the framework of the case, but in response to an email from Agence France-Presse, an FDA representative wrote that donor sperm should be screened for a whole range of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, hepatitis and gonorrhea.
Arsenault said in an interview with AFP that he intends to continue his activities, as he receives a huge number of emails from childless couples. They all point to the same reason for the choice made: conception with the help of a sperm bank is too expensive. For the purchase of one dose of donor sperm in specialized banks in the United States, those who wish have to spend from $ 200 to $ 675.
On your personal website (we do not specify the address – we will not be paid for its advertising :) Arsenault describes himself as fair-haired, brown-eyed (he's definitely not cheating here) a Silicon Valley employee. He is half German, a quarter Irish and a quarter French. At the age of 8, he learned to play the piano by ear, is fluent in Spanish and English, admires nature and studied engineering at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
The site contains a list of ten items listing his motivations, including "the spirit of volunteering in the name of society", his respect for women, faith in God, as well as the denial of large corporations that receive income from the operation of commercial sperm banks.
He also adds that one of his closest childhood friends was the only child of parents who unsuccessfully tried to conceive for many years. Therefore, he knows firsthand about the difficulties that some couples who want to have a child have to go through and wants to help. According to the information provided on his website, Arsenault provides his sperm free of charge to married heterosexual couples.
The website also has a link to the donation agreement, which exempts him from responsibility and rights to visit children.
The names of the sperm recipients are not specified, but there are numerous photos of babies posted on the site accompanied by anonymous characteristics, such as "too developed for his age," "healthy... strong" and "everything I could ever ask from life."
On his website, Arsenault posted electronic copies of laboratory test results showing negative test scores for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis A, B and C, and herpes. However, the website also states that the semen samples provided to them are marked as "For immediate administration to an intimate sexual partner", "Not tested for the content of infectious substances" and "Caution: the recipient must be aware of the risk of transmission of infectious diseases".
According to Trina Leonard, representing Fairfax cryobank in Virginia, people using its services save a couple hundred dollars, but take on a huge risk comparable to conception from the first man they meet on the street. She emphasizes that only 1-2% of those wishing to become sperm donors undergo a thorough check conducted by registered banks of biological material. At the same time, the donor receives $ 100-150 for one sperm donation.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Medical Xpress: Renegade sperm donor triggers US probe.
30.01.2012