College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
Department of Education and Research, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK.
J Med Ethics. 2020 Jul;46(7):489-492. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105637. Epub 2020 Jan 20.
In this article we outline and defend the concept of voluntary non-directed postmortem sperm donation. This approach offers a potential means of increasing the quantity and heterogeneity of donor sperm. This is pertinent given the present context of a donor sperm shortage in the UK. Beyond making the case that it is technically feasible for dead men to donate their sperm for use in reproduction, we argue that this is ethically permissible. The inability to access donor sperm and the suffering this causes, we argue, justifies allowing access to sperm donated after death. Moreover, it is known that individuals and couples have desires for certain sperm donor characteristics which may not be fulfilled when numbers of sperm donors are low. Enacting these preferences contributes significantly to the well-being of intended parents, so we argue that this provides a reason for respecting them. Finally, we explore the benefits and possible disadvantages of such a system for the various parties affected.
本文概述并捍卫了自愿非定向死后精液捐献的概念。这种方法提供了一种增加供精数量和多样性的潜在手段。鉴于英国目前存在供精短缺的情况，这一点尤为重要。除了说明死人捐献精子用于生育在技术上是可行的之外，我们还认为这在伦理上也是允许的。我们认为，由于无法获得捐赠者精子以及由此带来的痛苦，允许在死后捐赠精子是合理的。此外，众所周知，个人和夫妇对某些精子捐赠者特征有需求，但当精子捐赠者数量较少时，这些需求可能无法得到满足。实施这些偏好对预期父母的幸福有重大贡献，因此我们认为这是尊重他们的一个理由。最后，我们探讨了这种制度对各相关方的好处和可能的弊端。
