<p>Sperm donations initially made in the UK are being exported to other countries in violation of rules, creating a situation of children being 'mass-produced' in multiple countries in Europe and beyond, according to a report.</p>

<p>Rules limit each sperm donation to 10 families in Britain, but there's no such limit on sperm or eggs from the country being sent abroad. This legal loophole is being exploited in what appears to be an industrial-level practice.</p>

<p>Such exports lead to more donor-conceived children abroad, who "could have to navigate relationships with dozens of biological half-siblings across Europe," The Guardian newspaper said in an exclusive report.</p>

<h2><strong>Why is UK sperm donations abroad a cause of concern?</strong></h2>

<p>“I’m not against there being more than 10 families if some are outside the UK, but 75, which some of these banks have alighted on, is a heck of a lot of relatives," Sarah Norcross, director of the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust told The Guradian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These days, donor anonymity is practically non-existent, and it's possible to track down biological parents using new DNA testing options proliferating online.</p>

<p>While making contact with biological half-siblings is viewed positively, but when their numbers grew, it "felt unmanageable to have contact and relationships with a growing and indeterminate number of people,” said Prof Lucy Frith of the University of Manchester.</p>

<p>“Once you’ve frozen sperm it doesn’t get any older,” said Prof Jackson Kirkman-Brown, chair of the Association for Reproductive and Clinical Scientists.</p>

<p>This means donor sperm can be used over years or decades.&nbsp;“You can end up with donor siblings older than your parents,” Kirkman-Brown said, giving a hypothetical scenario.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: UK: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-man-makes-partner-pregnant-by-mixing-his-own-sperm-with-fathers-escapes-paternity-test-690887">Man impregnates partner by mixing his sperm with father's, escapes paternity test</a></strong></p>

<p>Donations are "presented to donors as a beautiful gift to help someone create a family, not as, ‘We’re going to maximise the number of births from your gametes and make as much money as we can from that,’” said Prof Nicky Hudson, a medical sociologist at De Montford University.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Who is in control of sperm donation rules in the UK?</strong></h2>

<p>The rules in Britain regarding sperm and egg donations are controlled by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). “As the HFEA has no remit over donation outside of HFEA licensed clinics, there would be no monitoring of how many times a donor is used in these circumstances,” Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the HFEA, was quoted as saying in the Guardian report.</p>

<p><br />
<strong>WATCH: 50% drop in sperm count globally</strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Guardian report said Kirkman-Brown and other experts are asking HFEA to crack down.</p>

<p>“There is data showing that some of the children who find the really big families struggle with that,” Kirkman-Brown said. “If you believe that it’s necessary to enforce the 10-family limit in the modern world, then logically that should apply wherever the sperm are from.”</p>

<h2><strong>Britain's sperm donation 'industry'</strong></h2>

<p>Ironically, Britain was an importer of sperm till five years ago, mainly from the US and Denmark, the report pointed out. But between 2019 and 2021, UK exported 7,542 straws of sperm. The world’s largest sperm and egg bank Cryos opened a unit in Manchester this April.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australias-supreme-court-allows-62-year-old-woman-to-remove-sperm-from-her-dead-husband-676124">Australia's Supreme Court allows 62-year-old woman to remove sperm from her dead husband</a><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The European Sperm Bank, which accounted for 90% of exports, applies a worldwide limit of 75 families a donor and estimates that its donors help on average 25 families," the report said.</p>

<h2><strong>Egg donation also rising, but some feel it's like human trafficking</strong></h2>

<p>Besides the better-known sperm donations, there is growth in egg donations too in Britain.</p>

<p>Egg freezing technologies have grown in recent years, and egg donations are likely to increase as payments for the same is going to go up from £750 to £986 in October, the Guardian report said.</p>

<p>“The idea of a dad to loads of children already exists in our cultural imagination. We don’t have that for women,” noted Prof Nicky Hudson, a medical sociologist at De Montford University, Hudson, adding that it's not an idea encouraged by women. One of them told Hudson it 'felt like human trafficking'.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Sperm donations initially made in the UK are being exported to other countries in violation of rules, creating a situation of children being 'mass-produced' in multiple countries in Europe and beyond, according to a report.

Sperm donations initially made in the UK are being exported to other countries in violation of rules, creating a situation of children being 'mass-produced' in multiple countries in Europe and beyond, according to a report. Rules limit each sperm donation to 10 families in Britain, but there's no such limit on sperm or eggs from the country being sent abroad. This legal loophole is being exploited in what appears to be an industrial-level practice. Such exports lead to more donor-conceived children abroad, who "could have to navigate relationships with dozens of biological half-siblings across Europe," The Guardian newspaper said in an exclusive report. Why is UK sperm donations abroad a cause of concern? “I’m not against there being more than 10 families if some are outside the UK, but 75, which some of these banks have alighted on, is a heck of a lot of relatives," Sarah Norcross, director of the fertility charity Progress Educational Trust told The Guradian. These days, donor anonymity is practically non-existent, and it's possible to track down biological parents using new DNA testing options proliferating online. While making contact with biological half-siblings is viewed positively, but when their numbers grew, it "felt unmanageable to have contact and relationships with a growing and indeterminate number of people,” said Prof Lucy Frith of the University of Manchester. “Once you’ve frozen sperm it doesn’t get any older,” said Prof Jackson Kirkman-Brown, chair of the Association for Reproductive and Clinical Scientists. This means donor sperm can be used over years or decades. “You can end up with donor siblings older than your parents,” Kirkman-Brown said, giving a hypothetical scenario. Also read: UK: Man impregnates partner by mixing his sperm with father's, escapes paternity test Donations are "presented to donors as a beautiful gift to help someone create a family, not as, ‘We’re going to maximise the number of births from your gametes and make as much money as we can from that,’” said Prof Nicky Hudson, a medical sociologist at De Montford University. Who is in control of sperm donation rules in the UK? The rules in Britain regarding sperm and egg donations are controlled by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). “As the HFEA has no remit over donation outside of HFEA licensed clinics, there would be no monitoring of how many times a donor is used in these circumstances,” Rachel Cutting, director of compliance and information at the HFEA, was quoted as saying in the Guardian report. WATCH: 50% drop in sperm count globally × The Guardian report said Kirkman-Brown and other experts are asking HFEA to crack down. “There is data showing that some of the children who find the really big families struggle with that,” Kirkman-Brown said. “If you believe that it’s necessary to enforce the 10-family limit in the modern world, then logically that should apply wherever the sperm are from.” Britain's sperm donation 'industry' Ironically, Britain was an importer of sperm till five years ago, mainly from the US and Denmark, the report pointed out. But between 2019 and 2021, UK exported 7,542 straws of sperm. The world’s largest sperm and egg bank Cryos opened a unit in Manchester this April. Also read: Australia's Supreme Court allows 62-year-old woman to remove sperm from her dead husband "The European Sperm Bank, which accounted for 90% of exports, applies a worldwide limit of 75 families a donor and estimates that its donors help on average 25 families," the report said. Egg donation also rising, but some feel it's like human trafficking Besides the better-known sperm donations, there is growth in egg donations too in Britain. Egg freezing technologies have grown in recent years, and egg donations are likely to increase as payments for the same is going to go up from £750 to £986 in October, the Guardian report said. “The idea of a dad to loads of children already exists in our cultural imagination. We don’t have that for women,” noted Prof Nicky Hudson, a medical sociologist at De Montford University, Hudson, adding that it's not an idea encouraged by women. One of them told Hudson it 'felt like human trafficking'. (With inputs from agencies)

Sperm from UK is being exported to other countries, leading to dozens of half-siblings: Report

<p>In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious.</p>

<p>Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue.</p>

<h2><strong>What is IVF, and what are embryos?</strong></h2>

<p>IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos.</p>

<p>Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception.</p>

<p>IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus.</p>

<h2><strong>Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos</strong></h2>

<p>On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-alabama-supreme-court-rules-frozen-embryos-are-children-692287">US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children'</a></strong></p>

<p>Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics".</p>

<p>The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death.</p>

<h2><strong>Nikki Haley's comments&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies."</p>

<p>"When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley.</p>

<p>However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/embryos-are-babies-nikki-haley-agrees-with-alabama-supreme-court-ivf-ruling-692583">'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling</a></strong></p>

<p>In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs."</p>

<p>Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Concerns over the court ruling</strong></h2>

<p>The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has&nbsp;temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "We must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments."</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision</strong></p>

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<p>The&nbsp;decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF.</p>

<p>"We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters.</p>

<p>On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. <a href="https://t.co/N04pReaM2B">https://t.co/N04pReaM2B</a></p>
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1760417615019757924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women.</p>

<p>"This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alabamas-largest-hospital-pauses-ivf-after-sc-says-frozen-embryos-are-children-692515">Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children</a></strong></p>

<p>In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden.</p>

<p>His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies.

In the United States, Nikki Haley, a Republican Presidential hopeful has courted controversy by stating that she believes frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were babies. Her comments echo a recent controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. Haley, the last major 2024 Republican presidential challenger to frontrunner Donald Trump, has added fuel to the debate over the status of embryos in IVF procedures and the legal implications of considering them as children. With the 2024 presidential race gaining heat in the US, the issue is likely to remain contentious. Here's all you need to know about the 'embryos are babies' issue. What is IVF, and what are embryos? IVF or In-vitro fertilisation is a popular fertilisation method available to childless individuals. It uses eggs from a biologically female individual and sperm from a biologically male person to create embryos. Here, embryos refer to the initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In humans, the term embryo is used to refer to a pregnancy until the end of the seventh week following conception. IVF combines egg and sperm to grow embryos in the culture medium until they are implanted in the uterus. Alabama Supreme court ruling on embryos On Friday (Feb 16), the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the state's laws, and that they are entitled to the same right as other unborn children. Also read | US: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are 'children' Passing the 7-2 majority ruling, Justice Jay Mitchell wrote "Unborn children are 'children'… without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics". The ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court was issued in response to wrongful death cases involving destroyed embryos. In 2021, a patient at a fertility clinic in Mobile had allegedly broken into an IVF freezer and dropped several trays containing embryos. The case was brought against the fertility clinic, and after the top court ruling, three couples can now sue the facility for wrongful death. Nikki Haley's comments On Wednesday (Feb 21), speaking during a TV interview with NBC News, the presidential candidate addressing the Alabama court ruling remarked, "Embryos, to me, are babies." "When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that's a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that," said Haley. However, when asked about the potential ramifications of the decision, she chose a softer approach and said: "This is one where we need to be incredibly respectful and sensitive about it." Also read | 'Embryos are babies': Nikki Haley agrees with Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling In another interview later the same day — with CNN, she clarified that her remarks didn't mean she agreed with the court ruling. "I didn't say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling," she said, adding "Our goal is to always do what the parents want with their embryo. It is theirs." Nikki has campaigned as an anti-abortion presidential contender, reports ABC News. However, seeking to differentiate herself from the Republican field, she tends to voice a less strict tone on the issue. Concerns over the court ruling The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos has raised concerns among IVF patients and doctors, with some unsure about how to proceed with treatments. Following the ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has temporarily stopped IVF treatments due to fears of legal repercussions and said: "We must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments." Watch | Are frozen embryos Children? Alabama Supreme Court gives first-of-its-kind decision × The decision has been met with criticism, from experts who warn that it could have a devastating impact on people suffering from infertility and hoping to utilise IVF. "We know for all these years that we've been doing IVF not only in the United States, but around the world, there is no moment of conception. This is a group of cells. We know that not every embryo even gets to a stage of several days, let alone a live birth. And so to say that every single embryo is a child is just factually incorrect, flies in the face of science, and it is an affront to the millions of babies that have been born through IVF and this process," Barbara Collura, President and CEO of infertility advocacy group Resolve, told Reuters. On X, Vice President Kamala Harris called the decision "outrageous" and said it would rob "women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family." This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. https://t.co/N04pReaM2B — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 21, 2024 × Criticising the decision, the White House, said it would create chaos for American families. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women. "This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state," he added. Also read | Alabama's largest hospital pauses IVF after SC says frozen embryos are children In the upcoming elections, abortion rights is likely to be a key issue. On one hand, Democrats are likely to utilise it to draw more Democrats and some independent and Republican voters to US President Joe Biden. His likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, however, is known for his anti-abortion stand, and has gone as far to take credit for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have shown that most voters oppose candidates who favour strict abortion restrictions. Will the issue sway the 2024 US Presidential elections? Only time will tell. (With inputs from agencies)

WION Explains: The 'embryos are babies' debate and how it will affect 2024 US Presidential elections

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