Sperm donation for the wrong reasons

Australia is preparing for the upcoming Parliamentary Inquiry into gestational surrogacy, and inevitably this discussion will also consider the intertwined issues of egg, sperm and embryo donation.  There is no way to fully separate the various aspects of third party reproduction.

With the arguments raging around compensation for third party reproduction, I thought it was really timely to see this article in the Huffington Post which explores some of the complexities of surrounding compensation for gamete donation, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-kramer/are-you-thinking-about-do_b_9297978.html.  I don’t know if Australia will ever decide to legislate to permit compensation for donors (or surrogates), but I certainly hope that if we do, the counselling given will ensure that the motivation to be a donor or surrogate is more than just earning money  to “pay for your spring break”. It is critical that anyone who considers becoming actively involved in helping others to have a family, by donating eggs or sperm, or acting as a surrogate, properly consider both the short and longterm implications of the decision.