I’ve got 180 kids as UK’s most prolific dad – I don’t get a single present and I’ll eat Christmas lunch at Wetherspoons
A DAD who fathered more than 180 kids has told how he doesn’t get a single present at Christmas.
Sperm Donor Joe, 51, has had sex with more than 200 women and even got some pregnant without ever meeting them.
He impregnates women that he meets online by “partial intercourse” - sex without kissing or cuddling - NI (natural intercourse) and AI (artificial intercourse).
Single Joe, who uses a pseudonym, has travelled across America, Argentina, Italy, Singapore, The Philippines and the UK donating his sperm.
But despite racking up more than 180 tots, he only sees about 10 of his offspring a year.
He told The Sun: "The holidays are often so hectic with travel but I do have a few children that live fairly close to me so I do plan on doing something with them.
MORE ON SPERM DONATION
"It might be like getting a Christmas picture together. It's nice for the smaller ones to have that memory. Even if they can't remember they’ll have a photo at least."
However, Joe, who does not get paid for his services, says he doesn't get any Christmas present.
Joe explained: "This year I will probably have Christmas dinner in Wetherspoons with one of my kids.
"I don't really get any present. I'll be happy if I get a card or a pair of socks."
Joe refers to himself as the “angel of the north”, for helping women who can’t naturally conceive to fulfil their dreams.
But he has varying relationships with his different kids - as it's down to the mothers to decide how he fits in.
He explained: "As an infant, the mums are very protective but then kids go into nursery and they see other kids have fathers.
"The kids want to have one because others have them. Once they realise their family situation isn't the regular they ask their mums 'who's my father?'
"I connect with lots of my kids when they're a little older."
A donor shortage, coupled with the high cost of going private - as much as £2k for a single artificial insemination (AI) cycle using donor sperm, or £7k for IVF - has pushed thousands of women to find help through social media.
He said: “People contact me on Facebook or Instagram or email me and ask me for help and I usually will ask them about their period.
HOW DOES SPERM DONATION WORK IN THE UK?
In the UK, donation in exchange for payment is prohibited by law.
If you donate your sperm through a fertility clinic or a sperm bank, you won’t have any responsibilities or rights towards a child conceived using your semen.
However, as of April 2005, children conceived through sperm donation do have the right to ask for certain information about their donor once they reach the age of 16.
You can find the clinic that is best for you through the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licensed clinic.
Every year, around 2,000 children are conceived with the help of a donor.
Donated sperm cannot be used to create more than 10 families, with no limits on the number of children born within each family.
“I use the start date for all my calculations and I put that in my calculator and then we work out a date to meet and we discuss exactly how they want to go about doing it.
“For some people natural insemination is the most effective but some people are in a relationship where they feel that might cause trouble, so they prefer to do an artificial insemination.
“I help people all over the UK. Right now I have a couple of women who are pregnant because I sent them my sperm by overnight courier.
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“So I got those women pregnant without ever meeting them.
“Out of my 180 kids I have met more than 60. There are some kids that I meet on a daily basis and there are some that I often talk with on WhatsApp.”
PLAYING IT SAFE
WOULD-be parents should do their homework on how to safely seek a sperm donor, fertility experts say.
Official fertility clinics are tightly regulated, with donors undergoing medical and psychological checks. Sperm donors through these clinics are not the legal parent.
But private arrangements outside clinics are unregulated, with no safeguarding. These donors may be considered a legal parent under UK law.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said: “It’s always safer to have treatment at a licensed clinic.”
According to the NHS, some people get pregnant quickly, but for others it can take longer. It's a good idea to see a GP if you have not conceived after a year of trying.
Women aged 36 and over, and anyone who's already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner.
They can check for common causes of fertility problems and suggest treatments that could help.
Infertility is usually only diagnosed when a couple have not managed to conceive after a year of trying.
There are 2 types of infertility:
- primary infertility – where someone who's never conceived a child in the past has difficulty conceiving
- secondary infertility – where someone has had 1 or more pregnancies in the past, but is having difficulty conceiving again
