The ‘joy’ of fathering 22 donor kids
by Xavier Symons | 25 Jun 2016 |
The American tabloid media was abuzz this week with news that a New York mathematics lecturer had fathered 22 children through informal sperm donation.
Ari Nagel, a 42-year-old Kingsborough Community College academic, proudly told the New York Post about his exploits – including details of how he donates sperm in public toilets to desperate women who contact him over the internet.
Nagel said he finds satisfaction in helping families realise their dream of having children. “I get a lot of joy from seeing so many happy families that I was able to play a role in creating”, he told reporters.
Nagel says he sometimes fathers children by donating at fertility clinics, though others are conceived through informal sperm donation or intercourse.
Subsequent to his interview with the New York Post, papers revealed that Nagel himself is married with three kids. When questioned by the media Nagel’s wife said she was “livid”. Nagel was sued successful for child support by the mothers of the first five children he fathered.
In an interview with Slate, Gregory Zapantis, medical director of New York Reproductive Wellness, a fertility clinic, said that Nagel’s actions raise a host of medical, ethical and legal concerns:
“From a professional standpoint, I was appalled,” Zapantis said of his first reaction to the Post story. “Something like donor sperm is a complex process that requires considering social issues, ethical issues, and legal issues, and it seems like all of those things have not really been thought through carefully. In fact, it was approached in a very blasé and egotistical manner.”
“What does Brexit mean for bioethics?” is our lead story today. Given that the Leavers were not expected to win and that the pundits have widely different views of the future of the politics and economies of the UK and the EU, it is unwise to be dogmatic on the issue.
However, the question highlights the importance of Britain in the world of bioethics. Britain is the home of utilitarianism, which is the dominant philosophy in bioethical discourse at the moment. The medical and scientific establishment is dominated by a utilitarian mindset which has set the agenda for debates on embryo research, stem cell research and assisted dying around the world. As one cynical writer commented, “when it comes to bioethics, Europe might be better off without Britain”.
There is something in this. Although I am handicapped by a big language barrier, my impression is that from Norway to Italy there is much more depth and diversity in bioethical discourse across the Channel. The Greens and the Christian Churches are much more influential, to say nothing of Continental philosophy, which despises utilitarianism as vacuous and naïve. If England (the pundits all agree that Scotland will secede) loses its biomedical industry to the EU, perhaps utilitarian bioethics will lose some of its funding and its influence. That would be no bad thing, I think.
******
Sorry, guys, but BioEdge will be taking a holiday during July. Our next issue will be in the first week of August.
Michael Cook
Editor
BioEdge
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