Picky couples hunt for perfect donors

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Dr Baldev Chaddha runs a fertility clinic and sperm bank in Daryaganj and is on the hunt for a high-performing “good-looking” donor. He comes across Vicky Arora, a young Punjabi boy, and his problem of finding a good donor is solved.
This is the storyline of the recently released movie Vicky Donor. But this isn’t just the stuff of movies. IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) experts in the capital admit that they too face similar problems when dealing with couples who opt for a baby through the IVF procedure.
Most IVF experts say they find it difficult to cater to some couples who are adamant about very specific choices. Dr Shivani Sachdev Gaur, an IVF expert and director SCI Healthcare and ISIS Hospital, says, “Most of the couples opting for a baby through IVF procedure are very particular about looks. They want a donor whose physical attributes are similar to theirs. A good educational background of the donor is another demand. People who opt for IVF are basically well-educated, and prefer sperm donated by donors from a good professional background,” she says.
In fact, the experts say that some couples are so fixated on their wish-list that at times they even visit the sperm donation banks to check out the donors.
A couple, married for more than 10 years and considering IVF procedure, says (on condition of anonymity) that they would prefer to opt for the sperm of a person of their choice.
“If need be, after checking the medical requirements, like blood group etc, we are even ready to convince a person of our choice to donate sperm,” says the husband.
IVF expert Dr Sandeep Talwar, from B.L. Kapur Hospital, says that a film on the issue of sperm donation has made people more open to the concept. “Earlier, it was a hush-hush thing. Now, people have openly started talking about opting for it,” says Dr Talwar, adding that most couples who come to her are very particular about the complexion of the donor. “Sperm from a person who is fair is always preferred,” she says.
However, handsome looks, good height and fair complexion of the donor is not the only demand of couples opting for the procedure. “Some couples are also very particular about the religion, caste and sometimes even sub-caste of the donor. But we rarely cater to such whims and demands of a couple. We are more concerned about the medical aspect. We try to match the blood group and look into other details that are important for a healthy baby and mother,” says Dr Rita Bakshi, IVF consultant, International Fertility Centre, Green Park.