Friendly coparentality and sperm donation

Posted by LauraDerb on January 16th, 2020

In a coparentality achieved through a sperm donation, donating semen is no longer about going to a sperm bank and disconnecting from the fertilization process (see our article on sperm donation). On the contrary, in a friendly coparentality, the semen donor assumes a biological father role that is established in advance.

Coparentality: a father, a mother and 2 children

Coparentality by sperm donation, what is it?

Coparentality, in the strict sense of the term, is the regime that allows for the distribution of the rights and custody of a common child among parents who are no longer - or have never been - in pairs.

In this sense, forming a coparental family can perfectly be done through a sperm donation, as long as the sperm donor and the future mother have agreed to define each one's role in the education of the future baby.

When being a semen donor means being a biological father

In many countries, donation of non-anonymous sperm is not authorized in medical centers such as sperm bank or artificial insemination clinic. Therefore, the semen donor is prohibited from any relationship with the baby that will be born from his sperm donation ... and vice versa.

A sperm donation coparentality project, however, allows future parents to define their relationships with the future child. In this case, being a semen donor may imply accepting to know the child without further family commitments, until sharing parental rights and custody of the child, depending on the level of responsibilities he is willing to assume.

Coparentality, for whom?

For anyone, gay or straight, single or in a couple, who wants to be a mother or father through a sperm donation!

And first of all for the good of the future baby, who is given the opportunity to meet both his biological parents, something that does not usually happen in the case of a belly rental, an artificial insemination, a donation of classical sperm made to through a sperm bank.

How to be a mom through a coparentality by sperm donation

In a coparentality initiated through a sperm donation, the method of conception is chosen by the future mother and the future father (or semen donor).

Remember that to form a coparentality, sperm donation does not have to be done through artificial insemination. A sexual intercourse or a homemade insemination in the presence of the semen donor are also options that can be considered.

Being a single mother by choice is not an easy situation to assume. Going alone to an artificial insemination center or a semen bank to get an anonymous sperm donation is not a light process for anyone who wants to be a mom. There is also the question of what will happen the day that the future boy or girl wishes to meet the semen donor, that is, his biological father. For these reasons, considering a sperm donation to start a coparentality project is a real alternative, which deserves to be studied.

How to think about the relationship with the semen donor

To prevail against future disputes over parental rights between the future single mother and the biological father (ie the semen donor), a "coparentality plan" can be presented in front of a judge to define the role of each.

The semen donor may simply want to meet the baby or share custody, in any case it is advisable to agree before the sperm donation is made.

Homoparental coparentality, another way of thinking about sperm donation

Coparentality is the ideal option for a homoparental family and can be achieved through a simple sperm donation. Both homoparental adoption and surrogacy are in most countries still illegal or unrecognized, except in Spain where homosexual couples have access to homoparental adoption and artificial insemination by sperm donation (anonymous), although the rental of womb However, both processes are usually long and expensive, and in principle, not intended for people without declared fertility problems.

Multiple homoparental coparentality settings

Although there is only one leihmutterschaft ukraine semen donor and one female genitator, coparentality can involve more than two people. Sperm donation can be made between a gay couple and a future single, straight or lesbian mother. Or between a lesbian couple and a single man, gay or not. Last configuration of homoparental coparentality by sperm donation: when two homosexual couples agree to have a child in common. In all cases, those involved must first choose who will be the semen donor and who will perform the home (or artificial) insemination in countries where they are authorized by donation of non-anonymous sperm.