Infertility and Donor Insemination

Infertility

Obie Editorial Team

A woman may choose donor insemination for a number of reasons. Women who would like to have a baby but who don’t have a significant other to impregnate them might choose this option. A woman who is suffering from infertility might also undergo donor insemination. A donor (sperm) can be someone that a woman knows or they can be completely anonymous.

The donor insemination process is a rather short one once a woman has chosen a donor. Upon doing so, the sperm from the donor is placed by a doctor into her cervix, uterus or fallopian tubes. Uterus placement is the most common.

Unknown Versus Known Donors?
When choosing a donor, as mentioned above, a woman has two options. She can choose someone that she knows or use an anonymous donor from a sperm bank. There are disadvantages and advantages associated with both options. If a woman chooses someone that she knows, she will have a good idea about what’s she’s getting. She will know exactly what the person looks like. She will be knowledgeable of their temperament, level of intelligence and health.

The disadvantages of choosing a sperm donor that a woman knows are that issues which may develop down the line. These can be minimized by coming up with an agreement that clearly outlines what role, if any, the donor will play in the baby’s life.

Working with an anonymous donor may be a good option for women who would rather not use a known donor or who doesn’t know anyone she would like to be her donor. There are often less personal issues and complications involved when using an anonymous donor.

Success Rates
Donor insemination isn’t always successful. There is a chance that the sperm may not “take” and thus not result in pregnancy. It has, however, proven to be an effective option for many women.

Why Donor Insemination?
Women that are unable to get pregnant naturally may opt for donor insemination. A woman might also choose to have a baby via donor insemination when she is ready to have a baby but there is no suitable partner in her life to have one with. Rather than wait until one comes along, she can have a baby on her own with a donor, immediately, if she decides to.

A woman that is getting older may want to have a baby before she moves into the high risk category. She may thus opt for donor insemination, rather than wait until she meets a partner that she would like to have a baby with.