For many women the overwhelming desire to have a child means they will go to great lengths to achieve their dream of becoming a mum.
Those not wishing to go down the fertility clinic route are left with two main options artificial insemination or natural insemination. Pride Angel investigates why the risks of choosing natural insemination as an option is extremely concerning. Surely the majority of lesbian women would not wish to choose natural insemination ‘sexual intercourse’ with a man, however a minority of donors do offer natural insemination to lesbian couples and single women promoting that it is the most effective and ‘natural’ way of conception.
‘Obvious risks not only include the physical safety of having ‘sex’ with an unknown person, but the far greater chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection such as HIV. Donors may proclaim their clean bill of health by showing a week old test result, however many infections do not show up in blood tests until 4-6 weeks after catching the infection. Therefore health test results cannot be relied upon from donors who offer natural insemination ‘unprotected sex’ in the same way that any promiscuous man would be a higher risk.’said Erika from Pride Angel.
‘ Many infections are spread by blood or physical contact, for example hepatitis C is spread by contact with blood, herpes (genital warts ) is spread by physical skin to skin contact. Therefore the act of sexual intercourse itself puts women at more risk of acquiring infections than artificial insemination’ stated founders of Pride Angel.
Pride Angel recommends recipients get to know their sperm donors, ensuring their personal safety, checking their identity and health screening tests thoroughly.