A podcast revealed that IVF-minded women are subject to bullying, sexual assault and coercion from sperm donors who operate through unregulated internet networks.

BBC Radio 4’s Male Order, presented by US social psychologist Dr Aleks Krotoski, delves into the shadow fertility marketplace that operates outside the regulated sperm banks and clinics, and reveals how the lack of oversight places women at risk.

Dr Krotoski explained that women seek sperm, and men supply it. ‘There is no regulation, security check, test for STIs or limit.

This podcast features women who say they have been harassed or threatened by sperm donor sex requests.

The spreadsheet also reveals the secrets of prolific sperm donors, which log all their women and any children that they father on a spreadsheet. 

However, despite these risks, it is still a very popular way to connect with donors in the UK via Facebook Groups, Facebook apps, and websites.

Male order, presented by US social psychologist Dr Aleks Krotoski, delves into the shadow fertility marketplace that operates outside the regulated sperm banks and clinics in Male Order. Stock image

The US psychologist, Dr Aleks Krotoski presents Male Order. He examines the dark fertility market that exists outside of the regulation sperm banks, clinics, and other facilities in Male Order. Image from the Stock Photo

Partly this is due to the high costs of regulated sperm bank. A single vial of semen costs in the region of £1,000, and that doesn’t include the price of any fertility treatment or additional vials, if the first insemination isn’t successful.

You also have to consider the possibility of having contact with the donor. The UK allows donor-conceived children to find out the identity and contact of their biological father once they reach 18 but not before then. 

Many families desire a more involved sperm donor in the child’s development and opt to find an online donor.  

According to Dr Krotoski’s team, there are approximately 100,000 users on these networks at once.

These websites can be a great asset to families and have been incredibly successful. However, some donors misuse their power.

They possess the access and information to semen as well as the knowledge and can use it to position women in uncomfortable or dangerous situations. 

Dr Krotoski talked to one woman, who stated that 75% of her encounters with potential donors for sperm turned sexual after she sent three private messages. 

The popularity of online groups is partly due to the costs associated with regulated sperm banks. A single vial of semen costs in the region of £1,000, and that doesn't include the price of any fertility treatment or additional vials, if the first insemination isn't successful. Stock image

Partly, the high cost of regulated sperm bank is what has made online groups so popular. A single vial of semen costs in the region of £1,000, and that doesn’t include the price of any fertility treatment or additional vials, if the first insemination isn’t successful. Image from the Stock Photo

Many donors make false claims about having intercourse. This is known on the market as natural insemination. It can result in women having sex without their consent. 

One American woman named Jasmine said: ‘I ultimately think they don’t want to donate, they just want to have sex with people. They will put their post on “natural insemination” or “God’s way of having sex.” Most of the times, I learned that there is no evidence. They just claim “it’s God .”

“You’re walking in a Lion’s Den on the Internet.” This is something more widespread than you might think, and it can cause serious injury. Yes. It’s risky, but you take it on faith.

Another woman called Veronica told the story of how she agreed to have artificial insemination with a donor. His plan was to ejaculate the egg into a cup and then give it to Veronica to allow her to inseminate in another area. 

HOW DOES IVF FLOW?

 The menstrual cycle is first suppressed with medication before other drugs are used to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual.

A ultrasound scan is done to examine the egg development and to administer medication to assist in their maturation.

After the egg collection, a needle is inserted through the vagina into the ovaries. The eggs then become fertilized with sperm.

The fertilized embryo is then transferred to the womb for growth and development.   

An average IVF cycle yields 32.3 percent success for people under 35. This drops to 5% for women over 43, 44, and 1.9% for those aged 45 or older.  

While IVF may be most effective for women under 35 years of age, only 57% percent of IVF cycles involve older women.

He attacked her as she entered the room, pushing her against a wall, and then kissing her. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her, prompting her to tell him to stop.

Veronica recalled that he put his hand on her leg, and I still feel grateful to him for getting me out of the house. It was an idiotic act to go into a dark place with a stranger, but it was something I can be grateful for.

A second woman who did not want to be identified described how she had been sexually assaulted in the past by a donor that she had agreed to have artificial insemination at her home. 

She said, “The first time that he arrived, I began to black out.” He touched my skin in areas I did not want and that was quite triggering. I was the only one he had respect for. 

‘He didn’t care if my children were up. He was all about sex. “No” wasn’t acceptable. Three nights later, he arrived. I tried to tell him that I wasn’t sure if I was having ovulations but he insisted. 

“The last time we spoke, the he wanted me to bring him back, but I did not want him to. He got angry and was furious at me. He said he needed to. He was constantly texting me, telling me to allow him in. I replied that I’d ruin his weekend. However, I maintained my resolve and said “no”. 

“He texted me the next day that he had just got someone pregnant. I could’ve been a part of it, but I’d never become pregnant.”

The podcast also recounted the case of Professor Gennadij Raivich, 52, a neuroscientist from North London who was convicted of molesting one of his clients.

Raivich  set up a ‘breeding programme’ on the internet to artificially inseminate women who were desperate to start a family. He visited three of his children and pretending to be trying to help the women.

A court was told that Raivich had ‘exploited women’ who wanted to have children from his’sexual satisfaction’.

Claire Long was even warned by him that she would have a better chance of getting pregnant if they had orgasmed in the process.

Professor Long, a specialist in maternal and foetal medical, was found guilty of assaulting her in July 2014. His abuse of two women was also cleared. 

After the judge said that he had suffered an employment and reputation loss, he was not sentenced.

Some of the Facebook groups are overseen by moderators who check profiles and intentions before allowing new members to join. Members can also report each other, helping to weed out the bad apples in the group. Stock image

Moderators oversee certain Facebook groups. They verify profiles and make sure that members are honest before accepting new members. The group can be filtered by members who report one another, which helps to eliminate the undesirable ones. Photo from Stock

Dr Krotoski spoke with administrators and owners from several sperm-donor groups and apps all over the globe who stated that they have never seen a case where someone was dangerously injured or assaulted. 

Dr Krotoski states, “This is either foolish or they are intentionally suppressing some thing.” “The issue isn’t whether or not it exists, but how it can be fixed.” 

Beth Gardener runs the Known Donor Registry and said some victims get put off as they don’t want legal problems to impact their children with the sperm donor.   

Krotoski asserts that this problem is made worse by the lack of ‘no alternatives. There are no safe spaces for women to speak without someone watching.

These groups are either donor-only or donor-run and keep the recipients powerless.

One man in the group stated that he was skeptical of reports about inappropriate behavior. 

Some sperm donors are genuinely looking to have children or consider themselves Good Samaritans. Others have been incredibly prolific donors and have collected dozens upon dozens of donations. 

One man from the US spoke on the podcast about his journey to becoming a donor. He ate well, took fertility supplements and wore special underwear that contained ice packs. This helps keep his semen from drying out. 

A second American donor shared how he kept a spreadsheet of his donors and which children they had fathered. 

The transactional nature in his life as Super Donor is illustrated by his description of a recent European trip. 

He stated that he flew to Copenhagen for one week, and then the girl had an early ovulation. So he decided not to donate. 

“So I flew to London from Copenhagen, and stayed for a while. Then, I donated my money to a girl. After that, the positive result was given to the girl in Sweden. So I booked my flight at 9am for her. It is 1.30 am. I slept so little that it was difficult to fall asleep. 

“I flew to Copenhagen and had to cross into Sweden to donate. I spent 30 minutes there, then donated to a little girl in a cup. After returning to London, I made three donations to women there. This trip saw the Swedish girl get pregnant and three UK women become pregnant.    

Moderators oversee certain Facebook groups. They verify profiles and make sure that members are honest before accepting new members. The group can be filtered by members who report one another, which helps to eliminate the undesirable ones. 

There are however flaws to this system. Facebook rules prohibit members from complaining of bad actors out of fear that they will be bullied. Moderators can also remove any negative comments. 

Facebook and other platforms have become more involved in the moderating of such groups.  

Emily Bell is Director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. She stated: “What have we seen? The platform companies are starting to exercise their muscles in content moderation…and becoming a proxy regulator for that type of communication. 

“But, they’re small companies when compared to how many people are using their platforms. So, inevitably they will find spaces that they don’t want in. 

“This is why there have been a lot of Bills that are being introduced in various parts of the world, but especially in Europe and Britain to specifically address this issue of online hurts. 

“They all agree that the platforms should, even though they are not moderating them, be capable of demonstrating that they understand what harm could result from certain activities on these platforms and have taken steps to mitigate it. 

“It is currently just a wild west where everything goes.”

Facebook released a statement saying: “We recognize that Facebook could be a forum where people can talk about personal medical matters, and we permit this. They can be used to discuss issues related to fertility, elderly care or cancer treatment. 

“We have strict rules against the solicitation of sexual favors to protect people. We remove such content whenever we see it. And we encourage everyone to report any inappropriate material.

The platform does not permit content encouraging, encouraging or co-ordinating sexual encounters among adults.