Why Sperm Donation Taboo in India: Sperm donation is a word that people feel embarrassed to mention. Many people consider sperm donation to be socially wrong and remain childless throughout their lives. Many times people also feel that the child born from sperm donation will not be their child. However, these are all misunderstandings. Sperm donation is rarely discussed in India and even if it is, it is often in the form of hesitation, shame, or joke. Whereas from the point of view of medical science, it is a boon for childless couples.

Dr. Amarendra Pathak, Vice Chairman of the Urology Department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told News18 that sperm donation is a medical procedure in which a healthy man donates his sperm to help childless couples have children. Men who are unable to produce children naturally may need sperm donation to have children. Through sperm donation, conception is achieved using techniques such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) or IUI (intrauterine insemination). Sperm donation not only provides the joy of motherhood or fatherhood to childless couples but is also a scientific option to increase the family in society. Many people are deprived of the joy of children, so sperm donation is necessary. Healthy people can help in taking society forward through sperm donation.

Why is sperm donation considered taboo in India?

Dr. Prerna Kukreti, Associate Professor and Psychiatrist of Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, said that Indian society is linked to traditions and culture. Here lineage and family identity are given great importance. In such a situation, when a man donates his sperm, it is seen that he is handing over his lineage to someone else. This thinking makes people morally and socially uncomfortable. Therefore, sperm donation is seen from a negative perspective. However, sperm donation is an option to take society forward and there is no need to hesitate about it.

Dr Prerna said that people in India do not have complete information about the process of reproductive science, IVF, and sperm donation. Many people misunderstand it and consider it unethical. Due to a lack of awareness, people are not aware of the scientific truths related to it and ignore its social benefits. In India, there is still a belief that if a man donates sperm, he is selling his privacy or respect. Apart from this, men who do not produce sperm and have children with the help of a donor are looked down upon in society. This mentality not only keeps people away from sperm donation but also closes the doors for childless couples.

According to experts, both sperm donors and receiving couples are worried about the confidentiality related to this process. There is a fear in society that if someone comes to know that the child is born from sperm donation, then both the family and the child may have to face social criticism and embarrassment. At the same time, the donor also does not want his identity to be revealed or the child to try to know his identity in the future. However, in the last few years, there have been some changes in the thinking about sperm donation in India. The increasing number of IVF clinics in big cities, the popularity of films and web series, and increasing awareness among the youth have made this subject a little easier. However, this change is still very limited and it is not easy to accept it in rural areas or traditional thinking families. According to doctors, sperm donation is a scientific and human process, which can be a ray of hope for many childless couples. Seeing it as a taboo in India is only the result of ignorance and traditional thinking. There is a need to talk openly on this topic, spread awareness, and give it social acceptance so that every person can get the right to enjoy the happiness of having children without any shame or fear.

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