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27.10.2025
From a young age, Bárbara Maranhão always wanted to be a mother. Even without understanding exactly what that meant, the certainty was there, it was "very real," and, as the years passed, it solidified. Having a child was "the dream" for the young Rio native, and she was willing to try anything.
About seven years ago, Bárbara and her partner at the time began trying to conceive a child through the most obvious route: fertility clinics. "I looked for information, but it was all very expensive. The cheapest you could get was 30 reais [equivalent to just over 4.700 euros] for artificial insemination in Rio de Janeiro. I didn't have that kind of money," she says.
In the Brazilian public health system, the waiting list can be several years long, depending on the region. While searching for alternatives, Bárbara "by chance" discovered Facebook groups discussing home insemination.
These digital forums—which also exist on WhatsApp and other platforms—are a meeting point for sperm donors and "trying" people, that is, people trying to conceive. Membership numbers range from tens to tens of thousands, depending on the case. There are groups exclusively for LGBTQI+ couples, others just for single women, others just for donors, and even those that offer a little bit of everything, from donors willing to help conceive a baby to people seeking co-parenting projects—that is, those seeking to conceive and raise a child without involving a romantic relationship between the caregivers.
When doing scroll In these groups—which are more numerous in Brazil, but also exist in Portugal and other countries—you can read posts from people with very specific requests regarding hair color, eye color, etc. There are also those trying to conceive who aren't looking for any particular physical characteristics in a donor, just someone healthy, with no genetic abnormalities, and with a compatible blood type. This was the case with Bárbara. "It's almost like a [sperm] bank," she says in an interview with Gerador. "There are people who are very selective, very demanding, who want an extremely perfect guy. I just wanted a guy who could have a child, so for me, there wasn't much of a requirement."
There are donors who want to be part of the life of the child they will help conceive, just as there are women trying to conceive who also desire this involvement. They want a close relationship to be established, without it being a paternal figure. In other cases, donors simply want to know if the insemination was successful, as they value the dissemination of their genes. There are also those who, after donating, immediately cease contact with the women trying to conceive, to prevent any bond from developing. "There are women who accept the donor as a kind of godfather to the child. For me, that wasn't realistic. I literally wanted his sperm to make a child. I don't want his involvement," says Bárbara.
For about five years, Bárbara Maranhão performed countless home inseminations. She decided to try this route because she couldn't afford private clinic treatments, and the waiting list in Brazil's Unified Health System—the equivalent of Portugal's SNS—was extensive, with a wait time of up to three years. In total, she estimates she used "four or five" donors, almost all of whom donated sperm to her multiple times. “Emotionally it is extremely exhausting for those who are trying, because you want to succeed and you can't.”, account.
Given the lack of a positive result, her mother offered to help and supported her financially. Bárbara underwent medical tests. She discovered that her egg count was too low for a 36-year-old woman and that her chances of getting pregnant were slim. At a clinic, she underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) with her wife's eggs, which were inseminated and then implanted in her uterus. This is called the RoPA method – Shared Oocyte Retrieval/Parenting. She tried twice without success. She didn't have the financial means to repeat the process.
Despite wanting very much to be an expectant mother, Bárbara tried the only option left: performing home insemination on her wife, who agreed.
The process was similar to the previous ones: a donor was contacted through a Facebook group. There was a prior conversation to ensure expectations were aligned and updated medical exams were requested. On the day Bárbara's partner was in her fertile period, the couple met with the donor in a house they rented for this purpose. There, in the bathroom, the donor masturbated and ejaculated into a container, which is usually a standard cup for collecting fluids for analysis. He then handed the container to the woman trying to conceive, who collected the semen with a syringe and injected it into her vagina.
Typically, the donor leaves the scene before the woman attempting self-insemination, to give her more privacy. This process can be repeated several times until pregnancy results. In this case, it only took two attempts. Nine months later, the curly-brown-haired baby was born, whom she now holds in her arms, demanding her attention.
With the difficulties she faced in accessing Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP) treatments, and the solutions she ultimately chose, outside of private clinics and the public health system, Bárbara's case illustrates a complex reality, outside of standard systems, that exists in many countries.
Due to its informal nature and lack of regulation, there is no concrete data on the prevalence of this practice, either nationally or internationally. However, it is known that this is not a recent phenomenon: since the 1970s, groups of lesbian women have been sharing information about home insemination, promoted by activists as an alternative to the social exclusion caused by the high costs of treatments in private clinics.
It is also seen as a form of emancipation for women, who in this way take the reins, bypass patriarchal structures, “mandatory mediation” and the “pathologization of the process”, according to Andreia (fictitious name), a Portuguese mother of two adult children conceived using home inseminations carried out in the early 2000s.
"We have many structures created precisely to prevent women from being free, autonomous, and in control of their own bodies and fertility. That's one of the reasons this practice is so interesting.", explains Andreia, in an interview with Gerador. "This is an anti-patriarchy, anti-system practice that is completely revolutionary, but at the same time, completely natural," says the feminist activist who is part of the lesbian association Clube Safo.
In fact, in the 18th century, Scottish surgeon John Hunter inseminated a woman with her husband's sperm, resulting in pregnancy. This was the first recorded experience of artificial insemination in humans, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The current method of home insemination is not much different from this.
The new feature is the way in which contact between donors and those trying to conceive is made, through groups on social networks, which facilitate communication and meetings, giving space for the creation of communities around the topic., as explained by psychologist and researcher at the State University of Rio de Janeiro Roberta Nunes, who focused her doctoral thesis on this subject and also did a documentary titled What If (It's Not) Home Insemination?.
For the expert, the practice "isn't revolutionary," but it began to take on new forms at the beginning of the millennium, thanks to the internet. Despite this, the researcher doesn't believe it's common, even in Brazil, where the topic has been discussed for longer. "There are a lot of people who have no idea what it is," she says.
“Most people who use [this technique] are lesbian couples, because they don't have the male gamete, but there are also single women and heterosexual couples who do it.” For Roberta Nunes, the big difference is that heterosexual couples don't talk about it.
Facebook groups contain reports of people who succeeded on their first try, others who tried dozens of times before success. In some cases, the homemade technique never even works.
“In itself, it is a technique with little chance of success”, says specialist Carlos Calhaz Jorge. "What we need to keep in mind is that in our species, the probability of success, in a normal cycle for young women up to age 35, is about 25% at most. Therefore, a couple with no problems at all, in one month, only has this probability."
The president of the CNPMA states that, if there are no infertility problems and it is simply a matter of a lack of male gametes, "the chances of success are close to these values, but this is if [home insemination] is performed at the correct time of ovulation." If there are no "clinical markers" indicating ovulation, "it's like having sex at home." "And couples don't always get pregnant, do they?" he adds.
The high costs of private clinics are a frequent justification given by interviewees for resorting to home treatments. In some cases, people tried clinics once or twice, but the prohibitive prices led them to give up and seek alternatives.
In Portugal, prices vary but range from thousands of euros per treatment. Below are three examples, chosen at random.
In the Portuguese NHS, ART treatments are available, generally free of charge, but certain criteria must be met. Heterosexual couples diagnosed with infertility, same-sex couples, or single women can access the service. In the case of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), the pregnant woman must be under 40 years old. For artificial insemination, the age limit is 42. Many women, even if they have not yet reached the age limit at the time of referral by their family doctor, are excluded from the outset, as waiting lists are three and a half years long, according to Carlos Calhaz Jorge, president of the CNPMA (National Council of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), who calls the situation "absolutely intolerable" and "unacceptable."
Furthermore, public fertility centers do not cover the entire national territory. According to the information provided in CNPMA pageThese services are available in Guimarães, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Covilhã, Coimbra, Lisbon, Almada, and Funchal, in the Madeira Archipelago. The same source lists 19 private centers authorized to perform ART techniques, almost double the number of public centers. One of these centers is in Faro and another in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, where there is no public service.
In addition to the territorial disparity, access to ART in public centers poses other challenges. One is the lack of gamete donations, which can only be made in Porto, Lisbon, or Coimbra. The lengthy donation process—subject to appointments and service availability—is one of the factors that deters donors. “It's much easier to go to a private center that has structures created to simplify the circuits as much as possible”, explains Carlos Calhaz Jorge.
Furthermore, provided they are duly authorized, private clinics can import gametes to fill the donation gap. Currently, 17 clinics are authorized by the National Council for the Advancement of Health (CNPMA) to do so. The NHS lacks sufficient resources to do the same, although the law allows it.
O Gerador contacted several private clinics to clarify how everything works, but received no response to the requests.
The fact that there are (virtually) no costs, and that the procedure can be performed at home or in a chosen location, in privacy, on the most convenient day and time, without having to travel hundreds of kilometers, are some of the advantages of home insemination cited by both women trying to conceive and donors. The possibility of repeating the process multiple times is also considered important. The lack of bureaucracy is a factor particularly valued by donors.
"André" (not his real name) is 29 years old, lives between Aveiro and Porto, and has been a donor for about two and a half years, but only recently decided to join the Facebook groups. At the time of the interview, conducted on June 18, 2025, via text message, he reported having helped conceive five children through home insemination. He states that his limit is eight babies, and that after that number, he will stop donating.
He tells Gerador that his sole motivation is "to help someone build their life project." "For example, if you donate blood and receive a message thanking you and saying you helped save a life, you feel happy, but you don't visualize anyone specifically. In this case, the impact is greater because it's not "someone," it's one (or two) people with whom you exchanged a few words."
According to André, the usual donation process is similar to that mentioned by Bárbara Maranhão: "On my most fertile days, I usually go to the woman's house, collect the semen, and go about my life. I have absolutely nothing to do with the process that follows."
André says he doesn't want to create any kind of relationship with the women trying to conceive or the children he might help conceive, for fear of legal trouble, but sometimes a relationship of mutual support emerges. "In a way, a kind of friendship develops. We're like a team working toward the same goal. It can take a few cycles to get a positive result. When it doesn't work out and comes back negative, you end up being the first person (apart from the couple) to know, and you try to provide support," he explains.
It is important to note that not all donors have the same motivations and concerns. O Gerador joined several home insemination groups on Facebook, conducted interviews, and found very diverse profiles: from men who say they simply want to help, to donors who suggest having sex with women trying to conceive, using a "natural insemination" approach. There are also men who want to spread their genes at all costs or who dream of having children and, having never been able to achieve this ambition, see donations as an indirect way to do so. There are also people seeking co-parenting projects and cases where donors intend to profit from the donations.
Daniel Bayen is a unique example. For the past two years, he has dedicated himself to being a "professional private donor," refining his routines and publishing as much information as possible about them. On his Instagram profile, under the name "Donor Dan," the 24-year-old, with German and American citizenship, posts videos showcasing his health care, the dietary supplements he takes to enhance fertility, the medical exams he undergoes, as well as reflections and answers to common questions.
His life story helps explain his professional choice: his mother became pregnant using a sperm donor. Having undergone fertility treatments at clinics in the US, she incurred significant expenses to conceive both times. She raised her two children alone and never hid from them how they were conceived. Daniel knows the man who was his donor well, as well as his 23 "half-siblings," fathered by other women who received donations from him. “It’s a great gift to have so many connections and know so many people who are my blood.”, says to the Generator.
He travels frequently at the request of those trying to conceive, who cover his travel expenses and may or may not arrange other amenities, such as sightseeing tours, hotels, etc. For the effort he puts into the process, Daniel Bayen charges for his donations and his time, as he believes this is a way for those trying to conceive to be assured of receiving a "quality" donation that increases their chances of getting pregnant.
As of the date of the interview, conducted in June of this year, he claimed to have helped conceive 10 children. He also said he had donated in the US, Thailand, Germany, Austria, Malaysia, the UK, China, Switzerland, and Greece. His limit is helping conceive "between 30 and 50 children," a number he was advised by ChatGPT and considers reasonable.
Reports have been coming to light of "professional" sperm donors who travel the world to donate sperm. One case that has gained widespread media attention due to its extreme nature is that of Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch donor profiled in the Netflix documentary. The Man with a Thousand Children.
Jonathan is considered a serial donor. He donated to sperm banks and at home all over the world. He helped father hundreds of children, without the exact number of his offspring ever being determined. He claims no more than 550 children, but authorities estimate the number could be as high as 3,000. The risk of future intermarriage, leading to consanguinity issues, terrified the mothers and fathers who took the case to court. Jonathan was barred from continuing to donate by a Dutch court ruling.
With the proliferation of more groups on social media, Portuguese health authorities have issued warnings about the potential risks of this practice. In addition to the issue of excessive donations, the possibility of spreading sexually transmitted infections (STIs), causing injuries to the woman's body, or even endangering the child's health are aspects highlighted by Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, president of the National Council of Ethics for Life Sciences (CNECV). "We're talking about a homemade method, with sperm being obtained from whom we don't know, nor do we know how. It hasn't undergone any type of analysis, nor has the container in which it was placed," she emphasizes in an interview with Gerador.
“[The problem is] not only how the sperm reaches these women, but also how they then introduce the sperm into the vagina, without any knowledge, without any hygienic environment and, therefore, with immense risks of injuries to the female genital tract, and of infections, which arise both from the environment they are using, whether from the environment or from the material they are using, which is not sterile.”, which, it claims, promotes the proliferation of disease-causing microorganisms.
Despite this, Maria do Céu Patrão Neves admits that this is a problem stemming from a lack of equity, which prevents many people from accessing treatment. "That's why the NHS must function to meet needs, because we cannot allow inequity in access—meaning those with financial means go to a private clinic, while those without are placed on an indefinite waiting list," she laments.
The person in charge also says that the use of kits of home insemination, which is now available on specialized websites and marketplaces like eBay and Aliexpress. "On the one hand, they encourage and create expectations, and on the other, they sell illusions, and the only thing they do is expose the woman to significant risks," he adds.
These kits These cups—priced from €5 to €60, depending on the quality and model—usually consist of one or two syringes and a collection container. There are also "conception cups," made of silicone and with a morphology inspired by menstrual cups. Reusable across multiple cycles, they promise to be more effective at retaining sperm in the cervix. At Wells, this product sells for €27,99.
In addition to the risks already mentioned, Carlos Calhaz Jorge also highlights the risk, “for potential children born, of the lack of screening for the most common genetic diseases, to which donors are subjected before donation”, when this is done in a controlled environment.
The president of CNPMA even states that the practice could constitute a crime. "I can't help but state what the law states, and the law states that any ART technique performed outside of centers expressly authorized for that purpose is punishable by a fine or imprisonment. Therefore, in theory and inherently, it constitutes something that is illegal and, therefore, if it has the possibility of imprisonment, it constitutes a crime.", believes the expert.
Law No. 32/2006 of 26 July regulates the use of ART techniques in Portugal. Article 5 states that these "may only be administered in public or private centers expressly authorized for this purpose by the Minister of Health."
This law applies to the following techniques: Artificial insemination; IVF; ICSI; Transfer of embryos, gametes or zygotes; Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; “Other equivalent or subsidiary laboratory techniques of gametic or embryonic manipulation” and also “surrogate pregnancy situations”.
Since home insemination is not a "medically" assisted technique, the question arises as to whether or not it can be included under the term "artificial insemination." Furthermore, Article 19 states that "insemination with donor semen is permitted when pregnancy cannot be achieved by any other means," without further specification.
André Gonçalo Dias Pereira, jurist and Director of the Center for Biomedical Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, considers that this practice “will be illegal”, but not necessarily a crime.
"It's behavior that's against the law. Which is different from being a crime. The crime must be defined by law.", he explains. "It does not fall under general criminal law," says the vice president of the CNECV. "Since it is unlawful, it can generate civil consequences, meaning the donor is immediately considered a father."
Madalena Pinto de Abreu, a lawyer and professor at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal, considers that “home artificial insemination is also a MAP technique”.
“There seems to be no doubt as to the illegality of home artificial insemination, and it must also be carried out in accordance with the law,” he states.
If this does not happen, "the general rules regarding the establishment of parentage will apply, and the donor may be considered the father." Furthermore, the lawyer believes that "if artificial insemination is performed in violation of the provisions of the Medically Assisted Procreation Law, participants may incur criminal or administrative liability if one of the behaviors defined in articles 34 et seq. of the respective law is involved."
In Portugal, when a couple uses PMA to have a child, it is mandatory for both partners to sign a prior CNPMA Informed Consent Form, which describes the treatment a couple chooses to undergo to have a baby. This document also states that the children generated will "always be considered as the children of the person who consented to the use of the technique in question."
For a couple to register a child as theirs, they must present this document to the Civil Registry. This is particularly important, as it invalidates the registration of a child conceived through home insemination as the child of two mothers.
To Gerador, "Andreia" explained that, in order to register her two children, she was forced to lie to the Public Prosecutor's Office and claim that the child was the result of a casual sexual relationship with a man whose identity she doesn't know. "My children were initially registered under just my name," she says.
Typically, the Public Prosecutor's Office opens a paternity investigation, which is ultimately dismissed. At a later stage, co-adoption proceedings can then be initiated. Thus, Andreia's partner only officially became a mother years later, especially since when the children were born, more than two decades ago, Portuguese law didn't even provide for co-adoption by same-sex couples.
Since the non-pregnant mother is not recognized as such when the child is registered, this also means that she will not have access to any maternity leave, in addition to having no parental rights. If the pregnant mother dies, for example, she cannot have custody of the child. If the couple separates, there is also no legal basis for one partner to ask the other for child support. And if the non-pregnant mother dies, the child will have no inheritance rights, as legally, there is no family bond.
In Brazil, where the law is similar, public defender Mirela Assad Gomes found a way to turn this situation around and ensure that Bárbara Maranhão and her partner were legally recognized as the mothers of the baby created through home insemination.
"I filed a lawsuit that I called a Registration Warrant. And a ruling was issued, and it was successful, while they were still pregnant [...]. The ruling stated that the offspring should be born alive, and that it should be registered in the names of both mothers, with all legal rights, without any demands, in short, without any discrimination."
So, when the baby was born, the couple presented this document—a court order signed by a judge—to the registry office, and it was accepted. From the very beginning, both were recognized as the child's mothers, meaning they were able to enjoy their respective maternity leave and all their rights.
This case, recorded in Rio de Janeiro, was unprecedented at the time, but in the meantime almost a hundred similar situations have arisen and been resolved in the same way, according to Mirela Assad Gomes, who advocates for the regulation of the practice.
This declaration also resolves another issue: because it is registered under both mothers' names, the donor will never be able to claim paternity of the child, a situation that can occur in Portugal.
"The good thing is that no one argues. The [public] defender's office automatically handles this process, the Public Prosecutor's Office doesn't file any objections, the judge issues the ruling, and the registry office complies. It's all about love. All that's missing is a legislative adjustment to make this warrant unnecessary, right?"
For Mirela Assad Gomes, this is extremely important as it allows children of mothers who cannot afford clinical treatment to be legally protected.
"Before being a legal issue, it's a social and financial issue. It has to be seen as a matter of public health and inclusion. They have the right to be included in society, to be able to give birth like any woman who can afford it, or who has money. Right?"
