How is donor insemination seen in Jewish Law?

Hello,

I recently got an invitation from an infertile couple to be their sperm donor. We’ve been friends for a long time, so I find it very nice if I could help them become parents, but I don’t think Jewish values give an approving look to this process, do you know something about this? What do Jewish traditions and values advise on this matter? Let me know before I made up my mind, please.

Thank you very much for your help

Hello Adam99,

Donor Insemination (DI) is seen by some rabbis as a way of adultery, a view that does not differ too much from that of the Islam (see Is egg donation allowed in Islam?) or the Catholic Church (see Is sperm donation a sin?). The fact that a married woman is inseminated with the sperm from a man other than her husband is seen by some rabbis, as I said, as a way of adultery, which would make any child born via DI, according to them, illegitimate. This is something they call a “mamzer”. Jewish do not approve this because, for them, it violates the trust between wife and husband.

Besides, they make reference to donor identity as well, stating that anonymous donations lead to unintentional incest, since using an anonymous donor raises the possibility of incest in the next generation.

I hope I have clarified your concerns