Inconceivable: Super Sperm Donors, Off-the-Grid Insemination, and Unconventional Family Planning

Newsweek investigative reporter Bauman’s book is about her desire in her late 30s to have a child and as a single person. Traditional fertility clinics and sperm banks are expensive and unwelcoming—many have discriminatory practices—so she explores the world of unregulated online sperm donation. Her story provides a window into a little-known world on Facebook and Craigslist, where men offer their sperm. She describes how potential parents vet potential fathers and negotiate the donation and insemination protocols while considering the ethical, legal, psychological, and political implications of their choices. She says many aspects—STDs, parental rights, and more—may be problematic. Not only does she interview donors and people who employ them, she also recounts her own story and experiences, including detailed depictions of self-insemination and self-reflection.