Is Donating Sperm a Viable Way To Make Extra Money?
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I got stuck watching a documentary last night about sperm donors. Being a woman, this is not a subject I’ve ever given much thought to. I have thought about donating eggs before, though. Not actually doing it in real life but I’ve certainly paid attention when I hear about it on the news or what not. I very quick Google search says they pay about $8,000 per egg. That’s enough to pique the interest, right? But then you have to deal with the thought of having a real live biological child out there in the world. And that’s not something I personally could deal with, even for 8 grand. I’d be much more likely to be a surrogate mother if I felt compelled to help another couple have a baby.
What caught my attention on the sperm donating documentary last night was this guy said he had at least 70 biological children. 70 kids! He said that he donated sperm for 3 years. Why? Because he was making $900 a month!! Holy cow! That’s a lot. So if he did that for 3 years it means he made $32,400. Ok, well… that’s something. And donating sperm is a little easier than donating eggs. No shots of hormones and medical procedures. Just… well… you know.
Of course the draw back is the possibility of having lots and lots of kids. And that’s a pretty large drawback. I know the donor and the kids aren’t in each other’s lives, but still. You will always have that floating around in the back of your head. At least as a woman you know exactly how many potential children you have out there.
I did some research and found some rules about donating sperm. First off you have to be between 18 and 35. You also have to be at least 5’11″ and have at least graduated from high school, but most likely college too. And obviously be disease free. Apparently it’s actually fairly hard to get accepted to a sperm bank. One article said the good banks only take 5% of applicants.
They say that a donor can only produce 10 children but that law has clearly been violated as I keep hearing stories about people having up to 150 donor siblings.
If you were conceived using donor sperm and want to know if you have any donor siblings, or if you were a sperm donor and want to know if you have any biological children, you can register on the Donor Sibling Registration website.
Have you ever donated sperm (or eggs)? I’d love to hear your story. How much did you make? Do you know if any children were produced? Are you glad you did it? Do you regret it?
Ashley
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Comments
I love the sperm-mobile bike! I’ve obviously never donated sperm…
I’m amazed that the man has 70 biological children. That’s way too many, in my opinion. What if every single one of them wanted to meet him? He’d be one busy man!
Interesting topic! I wonder if there is any way that his 70 children could make contact with him, just to satisfy their curiosity one day?
Wait, why do they have a criteria stating that you have to atleast graduated high school or college? Interesting..
Kevin: I know, it’s weird. Its because that is requested by the parents when choosing a donor. Same with the height requirement.
Wow! Didn’t know you had to pass eligibility criteria to donate sperm. I would’ve thought being a male would be sufficient!
Some places (read: higher paying) will ask for test scores. Certain traits might also help. Here’s something that doesn’t help: having red hair.
Where on earth did you find that photo??
Hmmm — taller than 5’11″, a college grad, disease-free, healthy? Maybe I should convince my boyfriend to start donating his sperm … LOL, just kidding.
Having a bunch of kids floating around out there would be a little weird. But from an evolutionary point of view, I suppose we’re designed to produce as many offspring as possible. So I don’t know …
@Paula: LOL… I found it on flickr. On the documentary the guy’s girlfriend was really struggling with the thought of her future husband having 70 kids. Which is understandable. I wouldn’t be very comfortable with that either.
Apparently it is illegal to pay for human sperm in Australia, but they can compensate you for your time/effort etc. 2 payments of $150 each.
I really don’t think i could do it. I am sure I read somewhere in the last 6 months about a couple who were married then found out they were brother and sister or something due to sperm donation. Possibly in Europe?
That would be one of my concerns as well as numerous children. According to the criteria, my husband would be eligible, but I know he never would.
Funny thing, there’s not a lot of info about this online. I’m currently looking into donating, but it’s not seeming very lucrative once it’s all said and done. I’m a 6’6″ white male, blue eyes, brown hair, athletic, plenty fertile (child on the way at pretty much first attempt), BS in Communications from FSU, 30yrs old, no family history of any illness, healthy as a horse myself, drug free, barely drink, non-smoker, and a writer/digital marketer as a profession. I’m only seeing $35-$50 per sample, but haven’t called my nearest bank. My fiance is the one who suggested it ironically. Not sure how keen I am on potentially filling the world with an army of little me’s. But hey, if anyone has seen the movie ‘Idiocracy’ maybe I’ll be doing my part in helping that not actually happen. I’ll get back and keep this thread posted after I get more info.
I think that they only take 5% of recipients at the best places says that this isn’t that viable for most people. I’m about 5’10″, so I guess it’s a no-go for me. If I did, I don’t think I would think much of where my sperm ended up and who I “fathered.”