Woman Dating Sperm Donor Insists on Legal Rights to Baby
A woman who began dating her sperm donor vows to be the only legal guardian if she becomes pregnant.
Known only as 39-year-old "Tanya,” the woman, who has suffered three miscarriages, is on an unusual quest to get pregnant with the help of her sperm donor, according to ABC news.
While using sperm donors is not uncommon for some women, Tanya's story is unique because she became romantically involved with her donor.
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"We spent weeks emailing and talking on the phone and really getting to know each other," Tanya said.
After creating a profile on a Free Sperm Donor Registry website and speaking with her prospective sperm donor, Tanya decided to meet him in person for dinner.
"We were both shaking as we were lifting our wine glasses," Tanya said.
"I hit the jackpot ... I never imagined that I would have gone on this website and found someone so wonderful," she said regarding her sperm donor.
The pair have begun sleeping together with the goal to have a baby, and despite their romantic chemistry, Tanya vows to be the only legal parent for the prospective child.
Sperm donation remains a controversial issue in America, particularly because donors can supply their sperm anonymously.
Some critics argue that sperm donors often leave children to be raised in unfortunate circumstances, particularly because the donor's identity is legally protected.
Colorado mother Wendy Kramer, who runs the Donor Sibling Registry website to help half-siblings unite, told LiveScience.com that sperm donors had a moral and social responsibility to reveal their identity to their biological children.
"For a woman, the man is her sperm donor ... For a child, it's that child's biological father," Kramer told LiveScience.
One woman, 21-year-old Hanne Anderson, was conceived through sperm donation and insisted that a sperm donor's identity is not important.
"I think as far as details regarding a person's name or any way to contact them, I don't see anything wrong with that being anonymous," Anderson said. "Of course, when you get into ethnicity and the more scientific aspects, I think that should always be made available," she added.
While Tanya's method to get pregnant through sperm donation is different than most, critics have applauded her for building some type of deeper relationship with her sperm donor.
Others have condemned Tanya for not allowing the sperm donor to be listed as a legal parent if the pair gets pregnant.
"I wasn't on that website to find a boyfriend or husband or a father of my child ... I was on the website to find a wonderful person that was willing to provide me free sperm,” Tanya candidly explained.
