When you think of the kind of people who need donated sperm to have a child, do soldiers returning from war come to mind?
Like all soldiers on active service, Sergeant Rick Clements was briefed by the army about the possibility of losing limbs in Afghanistan. The possibility of losing his fertility was never raised. When an IED bomb blast in Helmand a year ago left him without his legs, it was a double blow to discover he could never father a child with his fiancee.
Now he thinks that all soldiers should be offered free treatment to freeze their sperm to protect their fertility.
“The Ministry of Defence is doing brilliant work warning soldiers about the dangers of losing limbs at war. But there is no warning that fighting could leave you unable to have children. No one wants to talk about losing your testicles – it’s a highly emotive subject.”
Rick Clements
The prevalence of IEDs in Afghanistan means it’s becoming more common for soldiers to receive serious injuries to the legs and groin. Military couples are taking advantage of new technology to store sperm before going on active service to ensure they can still have a family should the worst happen. But sperm storage is expensive, and for some it’s already too late.
Surely when someone has sacrificed so much, they deserve a bit of help to get their life back on track now they’re home.
- Soldier’s campaign for sperm to be frozen before frontline deployment
- Soldiers in sperm bank bid for wives
Tags: army, recipient, sperm donation
