I was listening to Womans Hour yesterday. I was driving up the M1 to see my Pa in Warwickshire and the radio makes these journeys much more enjoyable.

There was an item about assisted conception which was talking about a shortage of donor sperm and eggs. What I felt the item lacked was a true acknowledgement of what a big deal sperm/egg donation actually is. It just seemed to suggest 'people want babies, more gametes are needed, something must be done', and was weighted very heavily towards the viewpoint of prospective parents.

Gametes are not like blood or organs. They are the essence of an individual and I know many people who could not bear the idea of their biological child being brought up by a stranger. Therefore, surely a shortage of donor gametes is to be expected and is entirely appropriate. Does anyone really want to live in a world where they are freely available commodities?