I’ve become obsessed with a television series, which I’m sure you’ve heard of (though if not I highly recommend it) called The Big Bang Theory. In the programme, the viewer is witness to the day to day lives of a group of scientist friends, and their actress neighbour. The first scene of the series starts with two characters, Sheldon Cooper and Leonard, on their way to a sperm donation centre to try and make a bit of money. Though it’s a funny scene because of what happens, it still surprises me how easy it seems to be for people to go to these kinds of places to donate eggs, and sperm in exchange for money.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, just that we maybe have to think a bit more about the consequences of these actions. In 2005, the United Kingdom modified the Law of Assisted Reproduction, removing anonymity. The consequences were fast, and the number of sperm donors drastically reduced. This meant that the country’s clinics had to import semen from abroad – and some patients who wanted to be inseminated even had to travel abroad themselves. And the UK is not the only one to lift anonymity – Norway, Finland, Sweden, Austria and Germany have also done, with other countries in the process.

Obviously, if the donante isn’t protected, then less people are going to do it. The maxim that the donor isn’t the mother or father has to be considered, a donor is always just a donor. There are exceptions, and for example some countries offer the possibility of letting the donor know when they have been accepted, at the request of the young person from 18 years old. Spain however, maintains the old policy, and for now there are no plans to change the law, given that donations are bound to go down. If there’s something good to be taken from this, its that tourism has risen for countries like Spain and Denmark, who have kept the protective law – and many travel to these countries to donate.

The prices vary according to place, and the sex of the donor. Men can make around 30 euros, and women up to 800 euros, as the process of egg donation is more complicated than that of semen – but be sure to find out about it first.

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It’s not a bad idea; organise a trip to Spain, or more specifically, Seville, where you can discover an amazing city, and donate semen at the same time. And don’t worry about accommodation – it’s easy to find great apartments in Seville

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Translated by: Poppy
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