|
Looking for a
Surrogate Mother or an egg donor?
This book
is a moving real-life account of one woman's struggle
with infertility and her journey through surrogacy to
have the family she desperately wanted.
Click here
for more details
Latest Surrogacy News
Sydney sperm shortage
By Stacy Farra December
11, 2003
Sydney Star Observer
More lesbians are using, or planning to use anonymous
donor sperm for parenthood, a forum on gay and lesbian
parenting heard this week.
The evidence is anecdotal. Jo Perks, a pregnancy
specialist from the Leichhardt Women’s Health Centre,
told ACON’s Pink Parenting forum on Saturday that she
has noticed a trend away from using known-donors’ sperm.
And there are already waiting lists of up to six months
for anonymous donor sperm. Current laws prohibit gay men
from donating sperm.
More than 90 future contributors to the lesbian and gay
baby boom attended the Pink Parenting workshop, to hear
speeches on conceiving and raising children in – and out
of – the gay and lesbian community.
Speakers included lesbian parenting columnist Bridget
Haire, who talked about sharing porn with her daughter’s
donor father. Paul van Reyk spoke about his six
successful donor inseminations and comedian and parent
Shelly Silberman introduced the conference.
Organisers had to turn almost another full-house of
would-be parents away, and were hoping to hold another
forum in the new year for those who missed out.
Meantime, the state government will debate changes to
the proposed Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 2003
in the new year. The bill could have ramifications for
surrogate parents, sperm donors and women using donated
sperm at a clinic.
The bill will prohibit commercial surrogacy
arrangements, and allow children born from anonymous
sperm donations to access details about their donor.
Health minister Morris Iemma tabled the bill, including
a proposal to establish a sperm donor registry, to be
available to children born from donated sperm when they
turn 18. The Bill also prohibits the use of a single
donor’s sperm for more than 10 pregnancies from five
women.
The register would not include information on children
born before the changes were approved in parliament.
back to top |
