Women's lives 'put at risk' by net firms

A row broke out today over sperm donations as internet companies are accused of putting women's lives at risk by dealing in untested samples.

Firms are sending out fresh sperm by courier to women for home insemination within two hours. One of the companies, SpermDirect.co.uk, based in Reading, claims that by providing fresh sperm it gets around new regulations which say donors can no longer have anonymity. The new rule only applies to frozen sperm. However, doctors

said today such businesses were putting women and their children at risk as the sperm samples did not undergo testing.

Male donors are given initial health checks - including tests for sexually transmitted diseases - then later provide sperm donations which are couriered to women at ?395 per batch.

Women can only rely on the man's word and signature that he has not engaged in any activity that could have led to him contracting a disease since his last medical.

The services are not regulated as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) only licenses premises where frozen sperm is stored.

Sheena Young, of Infertility Network UK, said: "We would never condone bringing fertility down to a commodity like this. We need to make plain the dangers."

SpermDirect.co.uk is run by businessman Nigel Woodforth, who got the idea after overhearing a woman complain that she had wanted children but her exboyfriend had not.

She apparently said: "Wouldn't it be great if you could get sperm delivered to your door like milk."

Mr Woodforth, 38, said: "It just dawned on me. I didn't know anything about it. I talked to some friends, I went to see some lawyers and spoke to a medical company to do testing for us."

He set up a dummy website to gauge the response and received enquiries from 700 potential donors.

Mr Woodforth, who is single and has no children, said he expected huge demand since the change in the law and said women can call for further tests on the donor if they are concerned.

However, the HFEA says only frozen sperm can be properly screened for disease or genetic defects and licensed clinics test every batch. "We advise that people should not use services that are not licensed by the HFEA as they have no certainty of the source, suitability, health and efficiency of the sperm they receive," a spokesman said.