Kitz Forum
Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: AArdvark on September 01, 2015, 09:49:30 PM
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Just nine men are registered as donors a year after the opening of Britain's national sperm bank in Birmingham.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34113080 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34113080)
:D :o :( >:(
What a waste of Money.
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In a way I think its sad and I believe that the UK should have a National Sperm Bank. I'm not much into discussing politics, but to me 77k is a drop in the ocean when it comes to NHS area's of wastage.
There are couples out there who could benefit and end up going overseas, the alternative is what? A turkey baster and unscreened donor?
I used to work with someone who loved her husband dearly and they longed for a child. In the end they were fortunate to adopt but that was after many many long years on a waiting list. I'm certain that they are far from an isolated case.
Perhaps what needs looking in to is why just 9 donors came forward. Should there be a better recruitment drive... or is the following part of the problem:
The change in the rules in 2005 means children conceived using donor eggs or sperm will be able to trace their biological parent in the same way as children who are adopted
I believe records should be kept for health and medical reasons. However, could some men be deterred if there's a possibility that 18yrs down the line some one could end up knocking on their door? I don't know how that part works, but it is strange that organ donation and transplantation is entirely anonymous and although at times there has been contact this has to be at the wishes of both parties.
The amount of egg donors also reduced after 2005, I don't have any hard figures to back up what Im saying because I haven't particularly searched for them other than what came up on the first return which simply said since that date, fewer new donors have registered and there is a shortage as demand has increased and that 1300 women every year are treated with donated eggs.
The process for sperm donation is so much simpler than egg donation and I think its a shame that only 9 men have registered. :(
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Perhaps what needs looking in to is why just 9 donors came forward. Should there be a better recruitment drive... or is the following part of the problem:
The change in the rules in 2005 means children conceived using donor eggs or sperm will be able to trace their biological parent in the same way as children who are adopted
Those two points are the point.
Yet again start something, spend the money and leave it there.
Why was the effort to promote left out. ?
Why was the possible impact of rule changes not considered ?
It is the same all the time ill-considered projects that are not fully thought though.
Just creating things to put on you CV to point at.
Spending money that is not yours with no regard for getting a return financially and/or socially.
Not political because the issues are not to do with which colour flag you follow but basic diligence in maximising returns for the money that is spent. :o >:(
(Another one to add to my soapbox collection :) )
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They obviously haven't been getting the word out properly. :no:
It would have been interesting to compare with egg donation and some proper statistics to be able to compare egg - v - sperm donation. I couldnt find a UK figure, in the States it is >10,000 women per annum.
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I just tried to do some quick back of the cig packet calculations:
In that report iirc one donor supplies 10 donations, so that would be a total of helping 90 people.
Compared with 1300 helped from egg donation. Now trying to work backwards for egg donation:
Mean average of 20 eggs per harvest which can help 4-5 people, but this can vary because harvest figures can vary so much, but if we do work on the figure of 4-5 and there are 1300 helped then that means there must be at the very least 260 egg donors per annum?
Bearing in mind how much harder and even has some risks for egg donors, then it really does make that 9 sperm donations look pretty paltry :(
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It is just so sad that the end result was so small, almost off the bottom of the scale.
The aim is a valid and good one yet the execution is verging on negligent.
An 'almost worked' costs the same as a success and the money is gone along with the chance to help many desperate people.
In the current 'usual style' I should not care or be bothered as it is of no interest to me & does not impact me personally.
But I do care about society as a whole and this is another missed opportunity to make things better for someone.
The constant drip feed of 'little failures' is what signals the slow negative change in our society today.
It keeps happening and less & less people care! :( :(