Word: sperm
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...ignored by politicians and religious leaders. All too often religious views are used as justification for sweeping public policy reforms. But this blanket resistance to anything related to cloning is problematic. If we say that these unfertilized eggs are too close to life to be destroyed, what follows? Will sperm banks still be legal? Will masturbation be outlawed...
...long ago, sperm-bank customers had no such choices, and many preferred to know as little as possible about their "mates." But as the clientele has shifted--fewer married couples, more lesbian couples and single women--the nation's 100-odd sperm banks have changed the way they do business. Many of these women want as much information as possible about their children's provenance, so they can pass it on to them later. "It's become very consumer driven and competitive in the past 10 years particularly, as women have rightfully taken over the position of selecting their donors...
Uncertainties surrounding anonymous donors lead many sperm-bank clients first to seek out a "known donor": the best male friend from high school with the great IQ, say, or the married friend (as David Crosby is to Melissa Etheridge and ex-partner Julie Cypher), with kids of his own. But potential emotional and legal complications can make this approach feel too risky. Using a sperm bank offers more control. "I had one friend who was always whispering his sat score and IQ in my ear," says Chicagoan Laura Rissover, 35. "But in the end, it was very important...
...fact, sperm-bank clients often know more about their donor's genetic and medical history than they might about any men with whom they choose to procreate. Regulations vary according to state law and individual bank policies. (The fda will begin regulating sperm banks in 2003.) But after medical screening and personal interviews, on average only about 4% of willing donors are accepted into programs, where they typically stay for one to two years. Most are between 18 and 40; more than half are students. And their reasons for staying go well beyond the average $75 per specimen...
...this and other reasons, the drive to know as much about donors as possible will continue, as will the drive by sperm banks to refine the donor population. Most recently, Xytex has begun to require that donors be at least 5 ft. 8 in. Explains David Towles: "Tall--along with college educated, sensitive, nice--tends to sell well...