Call for sperm answered by Tasmanian men

Last week I reported a news story which told of the struggle Tasmanian sperm clinics were having, after finding the number of donations at an all time low.

It seems the story in the local press there has raised awareness and Tasmanian men have acted quickly, with thirty calling for more information and seven appointments for donation having been made.

As reported last week, Tasmania was down to it's last 4 donors so this has more than doubled donor resources for the clinics.

For more information on this story follow this link http://www.dailyindia.com/show/351800.php

Conference for prospective gay and lesbian parents...

Gay and lesbian couples hoping to start a family can meet with experts and other like minded couples at a conference designed to support and advise.

Questions will be answered and resources found at the conference which will take place in LA, at the Gay and Lesbian Centre there. Organisers expect many couples to travel from far and wide for the event, which is the first of its kind and will offer hope to many same sex couples wishing for children.

The event will take place on Saturday 13th Feb, attendance is free but a donation of $25 is suggested. For more info please visit www.lagaycenter.org/ or email familyservices@lagaycenter.org.

"Congratulations, it's a Viking"

Changes to anonymity laws for sperm donors in 2005 has led to shortages in sperm donations in the UK. Now the BBC has reported that this is leading to women travelling overseas to conceive with donor sperm - often to the world's largest sperm bank, which resides in Denmark.

In 2007 the Danish sperm bank treated just 20 women from the UK, but as sperm supplies here in the UK have dwindled, this number has risen to 50 per year, and is set to increase further still.

DanFert clinic in Denmark has a rather unusual slogan for it's patients. "Congratulations, it's a Viking." Cute as this may be, for many British women, travelling overseas for fertility treatment is a hassle and inconvenience they could do without.

The Danish clinic says the changing legislation in neighbouring countries has forced many European women to seek treatment in Denmark.

Follow this link for the full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8298465.stm

Christmas - what a difference the birth of a child can make...

Christmas is a time to celebrate families... The entire festive holiday celebrates the birth of a child - Jesus Christ. Which is why, for those who are experiencing the holiday with a new baby, this Christmas will be all the more poignant.

What a blessing the birth of a child can make to people's life's. Particularly at this time of year - when we contemplate the meaning of life and the importance of having our loved ones around us.

For those who have had to endure fertility treatment in order to conceive, Christmas with their new baby will be a time to finally relax and celebrate their precious gift. It is surely the best Christmas present anyone can hope to receive. For those who have yet to conceive I hope our website www.pureadam.com can help you get in touch with someone who could make your dreams of having children come true.

Having a baby will completely change the way you look at the holidays. While babies are hard work at any time of year, there are a lot of things that will be much more fun this Christmas than they were pre-baby.

For new parents experiencing the Santa ritual for the first time this year, to family gathering to adore your new addition, a longed for baby is surely the icing on top of any Christmas cake.

And many years of celebrating Christmas with your growing baby are set to come. The toys and outfits will change over the years... the age of your child will change each year as you wonder how they have grown up so fast.

But two things will stay the same. The all consuming love you have for them will stay with you from now until your very last Christmas, by which time your bundle of joy may well have their own bundles of joy.

That, and the date, 25th December, will never change. And for that let us be thankful.

Merry Christmas everyone.

the BBC addresses inferility on Gavin and Stacey

BBC hit show Gavin and Stacey tackles the issue of infertility this week, as Gavin finds he has a low sperm count.

As they examine their options sperm donation is discussed, and best friend Smithy offers to act as a sperm donor for the couple.

The BBC have approached the issue in a light hearted manner in this comedy programme, but who of you who have experienced similar have been watching?

What do you make of the storyline and do you think the BBC should be addressing this topic in a more serious way?

Minister urges sperm donation

Lack of sperm donations in the Australian island and State of Tasmania has led to the Island's health minister urging more donors to come forward.

Tasmania is down to it's last 4 sperm donors and for the first time women seeking donation will have to join a waiting list.

The problem is reportedly due to fewer men donating and more interstate women draining the dwindling stocks on the island.

Of those seeking donations in Tasmania about 60 per cent of the woman are heterosexual relationships, 30 per cent in lesbian relationships and 10 per cent are single.

Follow this link to find out more and for info on how to donate http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/12/21/116971_tasmania-news.html

A prolific sperm donor shares his concerns

Yesterday, an article hit the headlines which gave a different take on sperm donation. From a controversial standpoint, a sperm donor who estimates that he has fathered more than 400 children shared his concerns about sperm donation.

Kirk Maxey from Mid West America donated sperm twice a week for 14 years, due to persuasion from his wife who worked at a fertility centre low on donor sperm.

Some of the many children Kirk fathered have found him via the Donor Sibling Registry. Although he does not regret donating, Kirk wishes to draw attention to the lax safety and information access surrounding sperm donation.

His main complaints about the system are that the children he fathered will know nothing of his medical history, as none was ever given during his 14 years of donations.

With the understanding that he will likely have fathered hundreds of children, Kirk worries that he could have passed on a genetic disease or recessive genes to his offspring.

His cavalier attitude in younger years, and the clinic's lax attitude, Kirk says have put the children of sperm donation at risk. He is now fighting information laws surrounding donation in the hope of finding out about the children he fathered.

Of course, having made such frequent donations in the small town of Michigan has also led to the risk of incest for those fathered by him. These worries are a burden to Kirk who wishes he had thought about the future implications when donating so regularly.

Follow this link to find out more about Kirk's story http://www.newsweek.com/id/227104

Sperminator film 2005 - a story of sperm donation ethics gone wrong...

The Sperminator 2005 is a film which tells the story of Dr Cecil Jacobson, a leading fertility expert who misled women into thinking they were pregnant by an anonymous donor and fathered 75 children by donating his own sperm.

Sounds like a good idea for a plot? The horrifying reality is that this is a documentary film about a true story which occurred in a small area of Virginia.

Features of the film include interviews with some of the women, and examines the future risks of incest with him having fathered so many children in a relatively small community.

Follow this link for more details http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/809196

The latest from the States - fertility consultants

While many of us are familiar with the notion of receiving therapy for particular issues in our lives, the US has introduced a new type of help guru - fertility consultants.

A maze of confusing questions exist for couples needing help to conceive - such as the treatment best suited to them, the best doctors and clinics to turn to, and not forgetting legal advice, the importance of which was shown in a sperm donation case in Ireland this week.

For this reason fertility consultants have been introduced to assist and support couples embarking on fertility treatment.

Follow this link to find out more:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/16/having-a-baby-in-fertility-maze/

PureAdam TopGear release

Top Gear’s top Sperm donor revealed by PureAdam


What were the results?

Richard Hammond is the first choice of sperm donor for 48% of the people surveyed by PureAdam.

Both Jeremy Clarkson and James May were beaten by the Stig, a man with a helmet for a head, who polled 28%.

Jeremy Clarkson came shortly behind the Stig with 18% while James May limped in last with only 6% of the vote.

Quotes from the survey

“Even though we never see the Stig’s face it gives him an air of mystery. He is the silent type and his skill on the race track makes me think he is a man’s man with a lot of testosterone.”

“I voted for May because unlike the others he seems quite intelligent and actually behaves like a gentleman. Education and IQ would be far more important to me than looks as characteristics to pass on to my child.”

Our next survey

Our latest survey asks which politician’s people would want as a sperm donor. Currently Barak Obama is ahead of Bill Clinton and Boris Johnson, the mayor of London is beating Gordon Brown, who is ahead of David Cameron.

You can add your vote to our surveys at www.pureadam.com


Media information

PureAdam www.pureadam.com is a sperm donation website in which singles or couples of any creed, ethnic background or sexuality can identify suitable matches to have a child. Users can search for a suitable donor or recipient and get in touch with them.

We will be reporting reaction to the survey on Twitter. http://twitter.com/pureadam

More punning headlines on this story can be found on our blog

If you are planning a story on sperm donation or have an idea for our next survey we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

All media enquiries to be made to Ava Kelly
UK +44 20 7193 3741US +1 347 284 6719
avakelly@pureadam.com

Press Release PureAdam launch

PureAdam Launch

An introduction to PureAdam

PureAdam (http://www.pureadam.com/) is a website for singles and couples of any creed, ethnic background or sexuality who wish to identify suitable matches to have a child. Users can search for a suitable donor or recipient and get in touch with them.

PureAdam users

PureAdam is a site used by a variety of people with different circumstances. Single women and couples in mixed sex relationships with fertility problems have the opportunity to find donors.

Gay couples can do the same, and single men of either sexuality can choose to donate sperm either anonymously, with limited contact, or as a co-parent.

Why PureAdam?

Users of PureAdam have the chance to explore the area of sperm donation in the privacy of their homes, and meet with potential donors if they choose. Our site is discreet and confidential and allows users the chance to see the options available to them.

PureAdam offers an alternative to the current options available – asking someone you know to donate sperm can be awkward and embarrassing, while using an anonymous donor via a sperm clinic means you don’t know the donors looks or personality. Our site allows a middle ground, whereby a donor does not have to be a stranger, but does not need to affect an existing friendship.

PureAdam also allows users the option of avoiding long waiting lists on the NHS or expensive fees at private clinic. By utilizing the internet as a way of connecting people we have cut out much of the time and cost implications of sperm donation.

There are many factors that the traditional ‘system’ of sperm donation fails to cater for. For example while the NHS does a wonderful job with stretched resources it can struggle to offer the option of co-parenting, which is something our site offers as an option.

How are we different?

Our site is a more social and less clinical version of existing sites. We offer the easy first steps to exploring your options in the privacy of your own home with no appointments to make or difficult conversations to have. At PureAdam it is important to us that users have a safe environment to explore their options at their own pace and make decisions based on the matches they find.

PureAdam is on Twitter and Facebook, and will keep in touch with users via regular newsletters, making them feel part of the community we are building.

PureAdam also has its own blog, and is encouraging users to subscribe and set up their own blogs if they choose, documenting their journeys. Sharing experiences and information is the key to making the process of sperm donation less daunting and building a supportive network.
We provide links to government guidelines and other websites that give help and advice for those considering donation for the first time. Links to clinics in the US and the UK are also listed.

Facts and figures

A third of women in the UK aged 35 are single.

More women than ever are undergoing fertility treatment according to the latest national data published by the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

The UK's Donor Conception Network says record numbers of thirty-something women are enquiring about using sperm donors to get pregnant.

The average private sperm donation clinic costs almost £1,000 for each attempt and has a 20 per cent success rate.

In the United Kingdom, clinics that are part of the NHS will not inseminate a single woman in her twenties, nor will they offer any background information about a donor.

Private sperm banks typically only accept donors between the ages of 21 and 38.

How exactly does the service work?

Users set up an account and add information to their profiles. Users search other profiles to identify someone they feel might be a suitable match and then they get in touch with them by exchanging emails through our website.

Our site runs in a similar way to a dating site so everyone can see personal pages and send messages etc in a safe environment. Users can control how much information to provide and who can see it.

Users may decide to meet and visit a private clinic if this is a chosen donation method.

What are the fees?

Registering your personal profile on PureAdam is free.

Regular service is $8 per month and allows users to send 3 messages a day to other users (and read an unlimited number of messages).

Upgraded ‘gold’ membership - $15 for one month or $30 for 3 months - allows users to send up to 10 messages a day.

Introductory offers

As an introductory offer in order to build its community PureAdam is offering the first month’s regular service for free. Payment details need not be provided and users are not locked into a contract.

Who we are

PureAdam is a privately owned website and all those who work on it are passionate about helping those embarking on sperm donation. We invite new users to check out our site and join the supportive community we are building.

Ava Kelly is in charge of PR and is fronting PureAdam’s site. She is enjoying helping those looking to conceive to connect. She has set up her own blog about her experiences working on PureAdam, called From London With Love. Click here to access the blog http://londonwithloveava.blogspot.com/

PureAdam.com launch date

PureAdam’s official launch date is 3rd Dec 2009.

Contact
All media enquiries to be made to Ava Kelly:UK +44 20 7193 3741US +1 347 284 6719avakelly@pureadam.com
PureAdam.com is on:
Our Website http://www.pureadam.com/
Facebook Twitter Blogspot

Notes to editors
PureAdam has set up a profile which journalists can be given the log-in details to in order for them to explore the site as a user.

Contact details for case studies of sperm donation can be obtained via Ava Kelly. If you are planning a story on sperm donation we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

Top choice of Topgear sperm donor revealed!

PureAdam http://www.pureadam.com/ has conducted a survey on facebook revealing the Nation's favourite choice of TopGear personality for sperm donation.

Hammond typically came out on top with 48% of responses listing him as first choice.

After the Hampster though came the surprising results.

For the Stig was more desired as a sperm donor than either Clarkson or May - proving having a helmet as a head is not a factor holding the mystery driver back in terms of popularity.

I wonder how Clarkson and May, two of TVs best known faces will feel at being beaten in the sperm donation stakes by a faceless, nameless character.

With 28% of people surveyed choosing the Stig as their favourite donor choice, it may leave the bottom two red in the face.

Not only has this silent mystery man beaten them on the track, but also on the popularity stakes for desired DNA.

Clarkson will at least be able to say he didn't come last, because with 18% of votes he was laps ahead of May's 6%.

To take part in the next survey, on which politician you would most want to donate sperm , please check out the site http://www.pureadam.com/.

The latest banking crisis - sperm bank shortages

The removal of sperm donor annonymity in 2005 is thought to have caused a shortage in sperm bank donations according to fertility experts.

However this research contradicts the latest findings of the UK Government HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority).

Let's hope the HFEA are right because this is one banking crisis tax payers won't be able to help bail out.

If fertility experts are right and we are to see a decline in the donations given at registered clinics, will more people be turning to the Internet to sites such as http://www.pureadam.com/ in a bid to find donors?

To hear more about the story follow this link http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-09-22/uk-donor-sperm-shortages.html

Changes to sperm donation at the NHS and registered clinics

A major review of sperm and egg donation is to take place over the next year. The NHS and all registered clinics will have to abide by any changes to the rules on donation, and there are currently a lot of changes up for debate.

Among them, is the issue of payment for donations, and also the number of families a sperm donor can donate to - 10 being the current maximum.

In addition to this the upper age limit of donors which is currently 45 is set to be reviewed.

With increasing restrictions being placed on sperm donation, will more people be turning to sites such as http://www.pureadam.com/ in their quest to have a baby?

For more details of the changes click this link: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/egg-and-sperm-donation-rules-to-be-reviewed-1837111.html

Alesha Dixon's views on Sperm Donation

Popstar Alesha Dixon has presented a documentary for the BBC in which she gives her views of sperm donation.

The documentary, titled 'Who's your daddy?' is to be broadcast at 9pm tonight on BBC3. It follows Alesha as she explores the issue of growing up without a father - something she herself experienced.

In the documentary, Alesha comments about the development of fertility procedures such as sperm donation. She gives the opinion that unlike many children of absent fathers, children conceived of sperm donation have the support of groups such as Donorlink, which is subsidised by the Government to help donor children find their half siblings.

Click here for further details of tonight's show : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8395638.stm

Creating life after death - sperm from deceased man used for donation

In a controversial case, a Jewish Court yesterday ruled that sperm belonging to a deceased man could be used in order to impregnate a woman unconnected to the deceased's family.

The donor was 22 when he died from cancer a year and a half ago, shortly after completing his military service. Before receiving cancer treatment he made a donation in the sperm bank and in his will, he expressed desire to become a father.

The woman, who received permission to use the sperm from the deceased's parents, does not know the family and plans to raise the child that results from the fertilization herself.
In previous similar cases the mother acted as a surrogate for the grandparents who chose to raise their grandchild from their deceased child.

What are your views on this case?

Sperm Donor X. Documentary following the journey of sperm donation

Anyone interested in embarking on the journey of sperm donation should take a look at Sperm Donor X, the soon to be released documentary following some women's experience of using donor sperm to become pregnant.

The film has emotional highs and lows for any viewer, but particularly one who can empathise with the experience themselves.

The documentary sees women desperate for a baby go to extreme lengths to make their dreams come true. The film brings home to the viewer the reality of embarking on such a journey, and the eventual joyful family a successful conception will lead to.

Take a look at Sperm Donor X on facebook where you can also see the trailer to the movie:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Sperm-Donor-X/183751679659?ref=search&sid=505245037.4099286740..1

The Story of Donor 401

If you google Donor 401, you will find the story of a man whose donated sperm has fathered at least 25 known children.

This is extremely unusual, only one or two children are ever the result of the same sperm donor. However, by using the website http://www.thedonorsiblingregistary.com/ the parents of these children decided to find out more about their children's siblings, and had the shock of discovering the same donor had produced 25 children all under the age of seven.

The sperm bank involved, in Virginia, USA had guaranteed anonymity so they will not reveal the identity of donor 401. What is known, however is that he is of German heritage, Protestant religion, and is described as healthy and intellectual.

This very same man most likely does not know his fame among the sperm donation community. He will probably never discover his importance as Donor 401, or know anything of the many happy families he has created.

For many people Donor 401 is simply an interesting tale of high fertility - but for a surprising number of families in America he is the man who made their dreams of having a child come true.

Click this link to see the full story http://askville.amazon.com/reasons-Donor-401-famous-sperm-donation-organ/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=11265366

Sperm donation on the big screen

Three Hollywood blockbuster films are to be released in early 2010, with focusing on the story of women who are approaching the menopause turning to sperm donation in order to become pregnant. In both films the women choose artificial insemination as a method of conception.

The Baster, starring Jennifer Aniston tells the story of a woman in her late 40s who chooses her favourite donor's sperm to inseminate with, only to find out seven years later her best friend swapped the sperm sample and used his own.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889573/

Meanwhile in The Back Up Plan, Jennifer Lopez plays the role of a woman who inseminates herself with donor sperm only to meet the man of her dreams the same day.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212436/

The Kids are Alright meanwhile, tells the story of sperm donation from the viewpoint of the resulting children. Jullianne Moor stars in this tale whereby the children of same sex parents seek their donor father once they reach adulthood.

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2009/11/lisa-cholodenkos-kids-are-alright.html

While all three films are comedy based, they do highlight the plight of women longing for a baby, and the solution that sperm donation can offer. The subject is set to be brought into the public domain with the release of these films.

Check out http://www.pureadam.com/ to find your own perfect match for donation.