• A man can donate as many times as possible but should limit to 8-10 times in a lifetime to avoid genetic pooling.
• Most donors are between the ages of 24 to 54 years.
Image: FILE
In 2017, Jack saw a blog post that stated he could get quick money by donating his sperm.
"I read through and saw that I could do it, so I left my contacts and waited for a call," he said.
The blog post, seen by the Star, has comments from over 100 men and women willing to donate their sperms or ova for some cash.
For instance, Phoebe, who was willing to donate her eggs for a token, left her contact and qualifications.
"I am healthy, blood group B+ and haven't used contraceptives for the last 10 years. Please contact me as soon as possible," she wrote.
Some cited they would be willing to donate in exchange for money to clear or pay college fees.
"Hi, I am Austin and would like to donate my sperms to get some tokens to support my college fee. Please consider me for a bouncing baby," he said.
Another offered to donate his sperms, a testicle and kidney for some money.
The post also attracted women looking for donors, who listed the specifications they wanted.
"Hello, I am looking for a sperm donor willing to undergo screening and other usual required tests, all covered by me," she wrote.
"If you are a healthy, chocolate to light skin, height from 5'6 and above and have no history of hereditary conditions/diseases, kindly leave me your contacts and I'll get in touch with you. A good token will be rewarded."
The Star reached out to 20 of the respondents, and from the 15 who picked our calls, only Jack had donated his sperm.
"I was contacted by a German lady who was a doctor, and she explained that she wanted a child. Initially, she wanted us to do natural insemination, but I declined and luckily she agreed to have the sperms extracted," he said.
Jack and the woman went to the hospital, where he underwent tests to ensure he was healthy before his sperms were extracted.
"We also went to a lawyer, who drew an agreement that stated I was not supposed to contact the child or his mother, and that I was not liable to pay for any child support," he said.
After the woman got pregnant, she left the country and Jack was compensated for his donation. He declined to give the exact amount.
"She paid me in euros and so you know it was very good money. The lady and I still talk via email, and when she gave birth she sent me some photos of the child," he said.
HOW IT WORKS
Dr Khandwala Shounak, IVF director at Mediheal Group of Hospitals, describes sperm donation as a process by which a healthy, young man voluntarily donates his sperms for the infertility clinic or sperm bank by natural ejaculation.
"The man is initially tested for all infectious diseases and routine screening of seminal parameters. The sperms are then used to inseminate the woman's uterus after certain processing in the laboratory, and when the woman is expected to ovulate," he said.
Shounak says any healthy male individual who is married or not and who has normal seminogram with no significant family or genetic history, can donate sperms.
"Most donors are in the age group of 24-45 years," he said.
Seminogram is a semen analysis that evaluates certain characteristics of a man's semen and the sperm contained therein.
It is done to help evaluate male fertility for those seeking pregnancy or verify the success of vasectomy.
The doctor says a man can donate as many times as possible.
"But to prevent genetic pooling, maybe eight to 10 times in one's lifetime, in different laboratories or sperm banks," he said.
Those looking for donors can ask for specific physical features, qualifications and medical history.
"Physical features include height, body form, skin colour and age, whereas qualifications include education levels and profession. The donor also needs to have proven fertility," Shounak said.
The doctor said those who are looking for donors pay anywhere between Sh15,000 to Sh100,000 for the sperms.
NON-REGULATED ASSISTANCE
There is currently no law in Kenya that regulates assisted reproduction, which has been happening without clear-cut guidelines and rules.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo tabled a bill in Parliament that addresses issues surrounding sperm and ova donation to childless couples.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, if approved, will make surrogacy for women under 25 illegal. It also prohibits obtaining sperm or ova from minors under the age of 18.
“A child born out of assisted reproductive technology under this Act shall have the same legal rights under the Constitution or any other written law as that of a child born through sexual intercourse,” it adds.