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A Good Egg or Sperm
In Search of the Perfect Donor By Sharon Miller Cindrich
FOR SALE: High IQ Sperm
"35 Year old male.175 lbs 6'2", blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular build. No family history of birth defects or heart problems. Highly intelligent computer systems profesional with extremely good problem solving skills. 15/16th German, 1/16th Irish Caucasion."
Infertility can make a want-to-be parent crazy. But crazy enough to buy sperm online? This advertisement from eBay a few years ago boasts the donor's good looks and high intelligence for the relatively reasonable price of $250. Perhaps, however, you get what you pay for. While the little Jack or Jill that may be born using this donor's sperm might be computer savvy enough to place an ad online, the fact that this vendor spelled the words "profesional" and "Caucasion" wrong might mean that his "qualifications" aren't all they are cracked up to be.
So what do couples look for when choosing an egg or sperm donor? Are they really concerned with eye color, physique and intelligence? Ron Harris, "Playboy" photographer, thinks so. His Web site, RonsAngels.com, boasts access to some of the most beautiful egg and sperm donors around, acting as a venue for buyers and sellers looking to help parents create the next generation of attractive people. Prices for egg and sperm donation range from $15,000 to 150,000. And though he can't guarantee you a child with a body for modeling, he surely gets his share of the profits.
Of course, most parents seeking ovum or sperm donors just want to achieve a healthy fertilized egg, one that implants well, enjoys an uncomplicated pregnancy, and finally after 9 months delivers the baby they have hoped for. But how tempting is it to dream about having a child with beautiful features or a high IQ?
"I'm not going to say that I didn't want a donor that didn't look like me," says Lavinia Laux of Arlington, Va. who, along with her husband, Adam, found a donor through their own search. "We put an ad in three local college papers," she says.
