| What's claimed to be the world’s first online service dedicated to matching sperm donors with lesbian and single women now says it's also the UK’s first fertility organisation to accept gay donors, reports OutUK's Mike Gray. | |
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For around £1000 ManNotIncluded matches lesbian and single women with
anonymous sperm donors and customers are then sent kits which enable them to
inseminate themselves. Critics have already called the service "DIY pregnancy", and Christian and family values campaigners say it will lead to children being treated like commodities. Now MNI say they'll also be the first clinic in the country to accept sperm from gay donors. Founder John Gonzalez told OutUK “Lesbians hook up with gay men all the time - either friends or guys they’ve met through personal ads. We are now simply allowing them to do so safely and without discrimination.” |
MNI founder John Gonzalez says "We have listened to the demands of women coming to us for help and to the concerns of the wider lesbian, gay and bisexual public." |
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MNI is not regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority because
donors supply fresh samples, though current HFEA guidelines do not advise fertility clinics
to automatically reject sperm from gay donors. But John Gonzalez says most do discriminate
"Every single clinic or sperm bank I have looked at said they would not accept gay donors."
All MNI donors, regardless of sexuality, will continue to undergo rigorous testing including screening for HIV, and must sign assurances that they have never engaged in unsafe sexual activity. All MNI recipients wanting gay donors must also sign a disclaimer accepting any additional risks. In a further development, MNI has announced support donors whose identity is known by the recipient. MNI will assist recipients with known donors in the processes of donor testing as well as insemination logistics – and unlike other fertility clinics MNI will not discriminate in the sexual preferences of the known donors. Again, both recipients and their known donors must sign disclaimers accepting full liability for any potential future legal disputes over access, paternity or finance that may arise. MNI can also refer users to legal advisors who specialise in such matters. ManNotIncluded.com launched in July 2002 and has over 3,000 donors and 2,000 recipients registered. It is about to commence operations in Spain and Germany | |