Why Is Sperm Donation A Taboo In India? Experts List These Reasons

Last Updated:June 11, 2025, 16:32 IST

Couples struggling with infertility often avoid exploring sperm donation altogether – not because of medical concerns, but because of the fear of judgment

In a country where conversations around sex remain hushed and reproductive health is cloaked in euphemism, sperm donation remains one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised medical procedures in the country. Despite its power to bring hope to countless childless couples, the subject is rarely discussed in public, and when it is, it’s often accompanied by shame, sniggers, or silence.

Medical experts believe this silence is costing many couples their chance at parenthood. “Sperm donation is a scientific process that helps those who cannot conceive naturally,” said Dr Amarendra Pathak, Vice Chairman of the Urology Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. It is a lifeline for families struggling with male infertility, and involves procedures like IVF or IUI to help them have a child, he explained.

But even as technology advances, social acceptance has lagged behind.

In India, where family lineage and bloodlines are deeply tied to cultural identity, sperm donation is often viewed through a moral, rather than a medical, lens. Dr Prerna Kukreti, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Lady Hardinge Medical College, explains the root of the discomfort. Indian society places enormous value on hereditary identity. The idea that a child could be born from someone else’s genetic material is seen by many as compromising the purity of the family line. This creates emotional and social discomfort around the idea of sperm donation, she said.

This discomfort has tangible consequences. Couples struggling with infertility often avoid exploring sperm donation altogether – not because of medical concerns, but because of the fear of judgment, fear of community backlash, and fear that their child may one day be shunned by others.

The stigma affects donors too. Potential sperm donors worry about being labelled or having their identities exposed. Many assume that donating sperm is akin to “giving away” their privacy, their masculinity, even their honour. These misconceptions discourage participation and keep sperm banks critically undersupplied.

Even among those who do use donor sperm, secrecy is the norm. Families often hide the origins of their children, dreading the fallout of social discovery. “There is a prevailing anxiety that what if people find out? What if the child is bullied, or rejected?” said Dr Kukretim adding that these were real fears in many communities.

However, in recent years, growing urban awareness, the spread of IVF clinics, and even pop culture references through films and web series have begun to chip away at the taboo. Younger, urban populations are increasingly open to medical interventions like sperm donation, especially when faced with the painful reality of infertility.

But this shift remains limited to pockets of society. In rural India and within traditionally conservative households, sperm donation remains a conversation too uncomfortable to start.

Doctors agree that what India needs is not just more clinics, but more conversation. “This is not about ethics,” Dr Pathak insisted, “It’s about science, empathy, and human rights. Couples have a right to try every available option to build a family.”

For that to happen, the social narrative around sperm donation must change. Myths must be replaced with medical facts, fear with understanding, and shame with support.

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