The Sperm Donation Is Free, but There’s a Catch
Madison Hess and her partner are looking for sperm donors and hoping that the third time’s a charm. Hess has already tried clinical insemination twice with sperm from a cryobank, a method that her private insurance fully covered. On both occasions, she didn’t get pregnant. “Since neither time worked, and because I want to cut costs, I’m trying an at-home method,” she told me via email. By this, Hess means that she’s using Facebook groups with names such as Sperm Donation USA that are dedicated to matching hopeful mothers with individuals willing to donate their genetic material for free or next to nothing.
These informal pages purport to cut out the fees associated with pricey fertility centers. But the pages have also provided a way for sperm recipients and donors to circumvent the medical and ethical standards established by licensed clinics, if they wish.
A typical sperm seeker starts by posting their photo, usually with their partner, as well as a brief biography, their location, and their preferred insemination methods. Whether they are gainfully employed—so that donors know they can likely afford a child—is also considered pertinent. Donors, for their part, usually post their own baby photo or one of their biological children. Like online dating, the matchmaking kicks off with a direct message from
