Only one "benefit" to donating sperm
Although the Centre for Assisted Reproduction gets few sperm donors, donors still have to go through a strict donation process, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Citing Dr Yu Su Ling, a senior consultant in Singapore General Hospital's department of obstetrics and gynaecology, the report said those who call to make enquiries are screened. Callers are rejected if they come across as shallow in attitude or immature, or if they are donating only for the sake of money.
The report also said that donors can receive a travel allowance of about $100 from the Centre. This allowance will be given out half a year after the sperm donation, but only if the sperm is determined to be suitable for use.
The only "benefit" of donating sperm, said Dr Yu, is that the donor can get a free full-body health check, which includes a test for Aids.
WHO CAN DONATE?
- Healthy males aged 18 to 40
- Do not need to be married
- Singapore citizens living in Singapore, permanent residents or foreigners with Singapore employment permits
- If not a Singaporean, the potential donor must have lived in Singapore for at least a year and gone through the required health checks
- Clear all the health checks, including tests for sex-linked genetic diseases
BEFORE DONATION
- Call the Singapore General Hospital's Centre for Assisted Reproduction (Care) and book an appointment for a health check
- Go through a full body checkup conducted by a male doctor and provide personal medical history as well as information on the health of family members
- Sign a document to verify that all information provided is true and to agree not to pursue the identity of the child who is born from his sperm
- Sperm donation can be done after the results of the basic medical checkup are out (about a month after the checkup)
THE DONATION PROCESS
- Go to the sperm donation room at Care
- The room is equipped with a bed, dim lighting and a washroom
- Adult publications will be provided for the donor
- The donor will wash his hands and genitals thoroughly and wipe dry with paper towels
- Containers for storing semen will be provided
- After depositing his semen in the container, the donor can pass it to the Centre staff without disclosing his identity
AFTER DONATION
- The quality of the donor's sperm will be checked. If the sperm count is too low, the donor may be asked to go to the Centre to donate a second time
- The sperm may be contaminated by germs if the donor had a urinary tract infection or had not cleaned himself properly. In such a case, the sperm is unusable and the donor may be asked to return to the Centre to donate again
- After half a year, the donated sperm will be tested again to check if the donor is a HIV carrier. The sperm will only be used after it clears this test.
http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Men%27s+Matters/Sexual+Health/Story/A1Story20090520-142694.html
