Sperm For Tickets and Genetic Screening of Sperm Donors

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted March 12, 2008 in DNA Fun, DNA Testing

How gullible am I? This can’t be for real.

Sperm For Tickets is soliciting sperm donations in exchange for tickets to any music festival in Europe. (via Chart Attack) They are able to accept donations via DHL and UPS using containers that keep samples fresh for up to three days. They claim that all donations will undergo screening for genetic conditions and infectious diseases.

Genetic screening involves a full medical assessment and a medical history covering grandparents and any descendants, these details should be filled in on your donation pack that you receive in the post. The medical history places particular emphasis on any hereditary conditions that may be present in the family.

Just out of curiosity, I searched for more information on the genetic screening of sperm donors. According to an August 2007 New Scientist article, US sperm banks are not required to verify the accuracy of information provided by donors. They also don’t have to test for genetic diseases or even have contact info on donors or recipient families. Perhaps because of this lack of regulation, five children in Michigan who were conceived from a single sperm donor (four different mothers) were found to have inherited the genetic mutation that causes severe congenital neutropenia.

The Donor Gamete Archive (formerly known as the Donor Semen Archive) run by the Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CaBRI) and Donor Sibling Registry are attempting to remedy the situation by making it possible for people who were conceived through artificial insemination to track down their genetic relatives. The DGA is compiling genetic and personal profiles on sperm and egg (gametes) donors. Gamete donors who join the Archive will receive X-STR and Y-STR data. If there are any matches with a donor-conceived person, donors will be notified. Archive participants can also ask for medical genetic testing.

Here’s an example of the types of genetic screening sperm donations undergo at NW Andrology & Cryobank* in Spokane, Washington.

• Three generation family health history with no indication of major genetically linked disease.
• Cystic Fibrosis Mutation Analysis (done on all donors)- Some donors have only basic CF test panels looking for the most common 25 CF causing mutations, but almost all of our donors have had the entire CFTR read. This testing provides a 99% detection rate for all races and is the most comprehensive Cystic Fibrosis screening available anywhere! Complete CFTR testing is performed by Ambry Genetics Laboratory
• Thallasemias through CBC (complete blood count)
• Tay Sachs, Sickle Cell, if indicated by donor history and/or blood panel (CBC)

As for the validity of the Sperm For Tickets drive, I’m fairly sure it’s a joke. Sperm For Tickets claims that the donated sperm is meant to be used in fertility clinics in Ireland where they say sperm donations have decreased by 40% in the last four years. If I were a person in Ireland looking for donor sperm, I’d be asking about its source and would prefer NOT to use sperm from Sperm For Tickets. If Sperm For Tickets does turn out to be a hoax (which I assume it is), fertility clinics in Ireland must be pretty peeved.

NB: Thanks to a poster at The Something Awful Forums, I learned that the SpermForTickets.com domain is registered to Area52, a self-proclaimed technology and ideas think tank based at Dublin City University, Ireland. I have no idea why they think a sperm donation hoax site would be a “suitable project.”

*I have no affiliations with NW Andrology & Cryobank.

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3 Comments »

Comment by jhay

2008-03-19 14:00:01

It’s a fancy idea but quite a scary one.

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Comment by Jackie Paulson

2008-04-07 19:05:52

Donating for tickets! Craziness but I wonder how many people will respond? Too bad we can’t find that out.

In addition to DSR, there is a free site called Donor Offspring Matches that allows people to connect with siblings, offspring and donors. I’m thrilled to find there are resources out there.

I also know of someone who was able to link up with her donor. They didn’t use numbers at the time but the descriptions matched up. By using the site listed above (Donor Gamete Archive), they were able to make a positive match! SCORE!!!

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Comment by online doctor

2008-07-05 21:19:48

I have mixed feeling about Donor Offspring Matches. I wonder how many people actually try to connect with siblings etc.

Regarding the tickets, I wonder how many people will respond as well…

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