The wait allows for retesting of donors for antibodies to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, which can take months to appear in the blood after infection. A few states mandate that sperm donors be screened for HIV, and several require that doctors supervise donor insemination. That is a risky practice. That's essentially like having sex with somebody you don't know anything about. Asking a friend or acquaintance to be the donor might seem to be safer, but such men also might be more likely to seek custody of any resulting children, Beaudoin says.
State laws vary on the subject of sperm donors' rights and responsibilities.
Some women require donors to sign contracts relinquishing their rights, but, Beaudoin acknowledges, such documents might not be recognized by the courts. Most of the donors on there seem to fall under the category of confirmed bachelor, or they're fathers already. The men can't be doing it for the money because they're reimbursed only for their expenses. In the past six months, Beaudoin says, five women have let her know that they have become pregnant thanks to sperm donors they found through her mailing list. Like herself, Beaudoin says, the women want as much information as possible about the donors to share with their children, but they're not basing their choice on looks or career.