Channel Four have aired a documentary on women who decide to get pregnant by artificial insemination, using sperm donated free of charge by strangers who offer their services via the internet [1]. One such man, a 61-year-old from Yorkshire, claimed to be a retired teacher. He advertised himself on Facebook, and was happy to drive up to 80 miles to park outside a woman’s house, hand over a syringeful of fresh sperm, before heading home. He asked for no payment, except a text to announce each pregnancy and a photo of each baby. Most of the women who called on Clive’s services were in same-sex relationships.
All of the donors were secretive, and two insisted on keeping their identities hidden, one wearing an odd-looking wig. ‘My wife would be aghast if she knew what I was doing,’ he said. This man has 54 children, with nine more on the way.