Pride Angel

Pride Angel have been contacted by female filmmaker with an award-winning television production company called ‘Below The Radar’. They are developing a documentary for Channel 4 in the UK on the subject of co-parenting and sperm donation. They wish to get in contact with UK based donors and recipients who are choosing to start their own families through direct contact with each other.

The Filmmaker called Eimhear says ‘I understand that this is highly personal and sensitive and I am committed to this subject matter both as a producer and in my personal life. Ultimately I am trying to find people who are trying to co-parent and /or donate to appear in this timely and much needed documentary. Contacting me stage will not be considered a sign of commitment to appearing in any programme, I'd just like to hear your stories and experiences to date and your privacy will be completely safeguarded.’

‘My contact info is included - if you are interested in chatting to me and learning more about our project and company, please get in touch at your earliest convenience. We are working to a tight deadline and I would like to hear the experiences of as many people as possible before we start filming. Our most recent co production documentary, 'Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House of God' was shortlisted for an Academy Award and won an IFTA for Best Documentary in Ireland. Good luck with your journey.’

Article: 18th June 2013 Eimhear, Below The Radar. eoneill@belowtheradar.tv 02890 315930

Alternatively contact us at Pride Angel for more information

Join some of Britains leading experts in fertility, surrogacy, adoption and fostering along with alternative families.

When?
Saturday 8th June 9:30am-5:00pm
The show is being held at the:

Where?
Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel
24 26 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0DD

There will be a variety of seminars taking place throughout the day to include:

Seminars
10:30 Surrogacy
11:20 Adoption and fostering
12:00 IVF in Wales
13:00 HFEA
13:50 Single mothers by choice
14:40 Fertility for the over 40s
15:30 Fertility treatment - donor sperm
16:20 Stonewall - different families - same love

Pride Angel are the leading parenting connection website, for sperm donors and co-parenting. They will be exhibiting at the show. Please feel free to come and speak to Pride Angel to discuss your gay and lesbian parenting options.

Article: 8th June 2013 www.prideangel.com

Looking for a sperm donor or co-parent? Gay, lesbian, straight or single? visit Pride Angel

There are many issues to consider for parents considering conceiving with a known donor or co-parent. With a minefield of information to navigate, parents can be left asking: what do we need to know? How do we set things up? How do we avoid problems in the future?

Where conception takes place at a fertility clinic, counsellors can play a key role in answering these questions. In the light of the recent landmark decision on known sperm donation, BICA – the association for UK fertility counsellors – asked NatalieGambleAssociates (NGA) to give some guidance on what fertility counsellors need to know about the law on known donation, to help them do their job effectively.

Nicola Scott's recent article in the BICA journal gives an overview of UK law and the implications of the case, and explains how early intervention by fertility counsellors can shape known donor arrangements positively by encouraging parents and donors to iron out potential issues and mismatched expectations at an early stage. You can read the full article here

NatalieGambleAssociates advise parents on a wide spectrum of arrangements by clarifying not only the legal issues but also the practical aspects which are all too often overshadowed. Please see our donor conception pages for more information, or contact us to discuss your arrangement and options here

Article: www.nataliegambleassiciates.co.uk

Read more about co-parenting and finding a known donor at www.prideangel.com

The new "Get Britain Fertile" campaign features a photograph of presenter Kate Garraway, made up to look elderly and pregnant. Her wrinkles and white hair juxtaposed with a fecund belly illustrate the main thrust of the campaign – to make British women aware of the decline in fertility by their 30s and 40s.

However, is there a grown woman left in Britain who's not already aware of this? Moreover, when are we, as a society, going to address a painful truth: that where timing is concerned, female fertility is not, as is often supposed, controlled exclusively by women, but also very much in the power of the men they are with?

There's much that's well intentioned about GBF. It claims to be aimed at both men and women. Garraway, an ambassador for the campaign, says she feels fortunate to have had children relatively late, and wants women to make "informed choices". However, GBF taps into the culture of misogyny surrounding female fertility. It feeds the urban myth of women "refusing" to have children because of careers, partying, or holding out for Leonardo DiCaprio.

These delusional "picky" females have been figments of the collective imagination for so long they need to be dusted down. Indeed, GBF is accompanied by a survey, stating that many women aged 18-46 are concerned about practicalities: ranging from loss of earnings and workplace inflexibility, to childcare costs and housing. All crucial issues, but for the purpose of this article, let's look at the third of women who say they want children but haven't yet found the right partner.

In my opinion that one-third is an underestimate. Even not finding the right man often turns out to be a euphemism for: "I met him, I spent years with him, but ultimately, he wouldn't have children." Put bluntly, many of these women at their fertile peak didn't refuse anything, their men did.

Like it or not, this is how men influence female fertility and, ultimately, female infertility. The mere thought is enough to inspire feminist panic: women, not men, should control their fertility. Who could disagree? It's also true that some women don't want children, period. And yet how many of us have met (or even been) the thirty-fortysomething, forced to abandon a long relationship because the man wouldn't start a family?

Such men may feel that the relationship isn't right, or don't want their freedom curtailed, or other reasons, all as valid as a woman making similar decisions. It only becomes unfair, verging on selfish, when men keep such insights to themselves for too long. These are the time-wasters, what I'd term the fertility-drifters, who think nothing of keeping women dangling for years on end.

It's not that these women are pathetic wimps, rather that often they can't win: if they push, they're pushy (humiliating); if they don't push, if they're respectful and patient, they'll waste even more time. Frequently, these men go on to start families with younger women, leaving their original partners scouring dating sites, lampooned as desperadoes on the hunt for viable sperm.

Some might say: "Diddums, that's life." Fine, so long as we acknowledge that this is something many women put up with during their fertile years, and that to castigate them is unfair. Sometimes it's not women who are picky, it's men. Ergo, such men should at least be part of the ongoing debate about late female procreation. After all, a stalled relationship at the wrong time with an immature, untruthful, or simply unwilling, man, is enough to compromise or even destroy a woman's fertility. If the GBF campaign really is aimed at both sexes, perhaps they need to include a photograph of a man with the caption: "Play fair and, by the way, sperm deteriorates too." Meanwhile, women may need another mantra – don't let anyone waste your precious time.

Read more...

Article: 19th May 2013 www.guardian.co.uk

Not found the right man to have a baby with? Find your ideal co-parent or sperm donor at www.prideangel.com

I’m Adam and currently working on the second series of the prime time show Don’t Just Stand There….I’m Having Your baby which airs on BBC3 at 9pm. Last series, first time Dads-to-be were shown how to be more supportive during their partner’s pregnancy and during the birth itself.

In one to one sessions with a fully trained midwife, the Dads were taught about many aspects of pregnancy and labour including cervical dilation, pain relief, massage, breathing techniques and birthing positions.

They were also given practical home work like wearing an empathy belly, looking after a robotic baby and watching a birthing video. We wanted to help him become the perfect birthing partner for Mum and make the whole experience more positive than petrifying!

Last year we worked closely with the Royal College of Midwives in the making of this series and they were very pleased with the result. The first series was very successful and the Dads we filmed found the experience both positive and rewarding as they became more equipped to deal with the arrival of their little ones.

This series we would love to meet and speak with gay and lesbian couples who are currently on the journey into parenthood. I would really like to hear your story and find out, as a first time parent, what this means to you and also how we could help.

If you have any questions and fancy a chat about the series please feel free to call me on 0208 008 4901 or email me on adam.lonergan@bbc.co.uk. Thanks for your time and hopefully speak soon. Adam.

Article: 21st May 2013 www.prideangel.com

Gay or lesbian? want to have a baby? find your donor or co-parent at www.prideangel.com

Are you a UK-based co-parent, searching for a parenting partnership, or going through a co-parent pregnancy? If so we'd love to hear about your journey to parenthood.

Award-winning television company Windfall Films is researching a documentary about modern families and co-parenting. At this stage, we'd simply like to talk and this won't commit you in any way to taking part. Many new kinds of family are being created now.

If you're interested in reflecting thriving modern families as they actually exist today, please do get in touch. Windfall Films has a trusted reputation and proven track record in making sensitive documentaries for all major broadcasters.

Our programmes have not only won awards but many have been used to help train doctors, social workers, and teachers: www.windfallfilms.com

For a chat, confidence guaranteed, please contact producer Kim Duke: kimduke@windfallfilms.com or 07966 139582 Alternatively contact us at Pride Angel for more information.

Article: 1st May 2013 www.windfallfilms.com

Leading UK Documentary Company Wants to Hear Your Co-parenting Story

Award-winning television production company Windfall Films, is researching a documentary about modern families and co-parenting.

If you’re based in the UK and are a co-parent, searching for a parenting partnership, or going through a co-parent pregnancy, we’d love to hear about your journey. We’d simply like to talk at this stage. Getting in touch will not in any way commit you to taking part.

Windfall Films has a trusted reputation and proven track record in making sensitive documentaries with a committed approach for the BBC, Channel 4, and all major broadcasters.

Our programmes have not only won awards but many have been used to help train doctors, social workers, and teachers. Please see more about us on our website: www.windfallfilms.com.

For a confidential chat, please get in touch with producer Kim Duke: kimduke@windfallfilms.com or 0207 251 7676.

Article: 19th March 2013

Read more about co-parenting and finding your ideal co-parent at www.prideangel.com

The High Court has today made a landmark ruling, allowing two civilly partnered sperm donors the right to ask for contact with their biological children (against the wishes of the children’s respective lesbian mothers), but also warning that it will consider the need to protect the lesbian families carefully before a final decision is made. NGA is representing the mothers in the case of Re Z, one of the two connected cases and the one which brought the novel legal issues to the attention of the court.

The ruling has significant implications for same sex parents and families created through donor conception. It is the first case to test rights for same sex parents introduced by Parliament in 2008, which give lesbian mothers the same legal protection following sperm donation as opposite sex parents. Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, the mothers in this case, as civil partners, are the legal parents of their children. The biological fathers, like sperm donors through clinics, are expressly excluded from being treated as the legal fathers ‘for any purpose’. Relationships broke down after the men each sought more involvement than the mothers agreed. They applied to court, and the court has now ruled that they can have their cases heard.

The court’s decision opens the door to legal claims from sperm donors who want involvement but have no legal parental status. But the judgment also makes it clear that every case will be considered carefully. Donors will not simply be treated as fathers, and protecting the primary family’s autonomy is also a ‘material consideration’.

Donors will only be able to seek redress on the basis of the the particular facts, where this is justified. In Re G and Re Z, the fact that the donors had had early contact with the children was what persuaded the court that they should at least be allowed to have their cases heard. However, although the court has given the donors ‘leave’ to apply, it does not necessarily follow that they will actually be given any rights of contact, and the court has warned that the underlying legal framework will be a significant consideration, and that any expectation of very significant contact is likely to be ‘wholly unrealistic’.

Mr Justice Baker suggested that there was no principle being created of automatic rights for donors to lesbian couples: “I endorse the submissions that the policy underpinning these reforms is an acknowledgement that alternative family forms without fathers are sufficient to meet a child’s need… Thousands of children in this country are being brought up happily and successfully by same-sex couples.”

Going forward, there are some significant lessons for same sex parents (and anyone conceiving through known donation):

Lesbian mothers need to understand that being named on the birth certificate does not give absolute protection. Conceiving with a known donor will always carry some level of risk if things don’t work out as intended, so mothers should be very careful about giving any level of contact unless they are absolutely sure.

Gay fathers who act as known donors need to understand that their legal position may be more fragile and uncertain than they think. Men who want to be fully involved fathers will not have any automatic rights if there is a dispute.

Everyone going into known donation or co-parenting arrangements should be crystal clear about their expectations from the outset. Setting the strongest possible foundations at the start is the best way of avoiding later problems. One way to do that is to put an agreement in place, but the real key is good communication – an agreement is a means to that rather than an end in itself. There is more from our blog on How to Avoid a Known Donor Dispute.

At NGA, we provide leading specialist advice to parents conceiving through known donation, including same sex parents, both male and female, and leading representation to those in disputes. We have worked at the cutting edge of the law, pushing boundaries, for many years, and were instrumental in helping create the rights for same sex parents in the HFE Act 2008. There is more information on our website about known donor disputes and about planning known donation for mothers and for fathers. You can also follow us on Twitter for the latest updates on our work and campaigns.

Article: 1st February 2013 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

Read more about your legal rights as same-sex parents at www.prideangel.com

"Stephen Whyte a social sciences researcher from Australia recently asked for people to help him with his study, by completing an online survey. Stephen would like to thank everyone who contributed from Pride Angel. He is delighted to have received approximately 70% of the amount of completed surveys needed to go ahead with the study. But he still needs more people to complete his work. Whether you are looking for a donor, you are a donor or considering donating - your views are valued."

Reproductive Medicine has evolved rapidly over the past four decades since the first IVF child was born in the late 1970’s. Unfortunately social research into the field of donor insemination & IVF has not moved as quickly. Over the previous decade the internet has enabled and facilitated a new forum for potential parents to pursue the gift of life. A developing market for people seeking more than is currently on offer from private sperm banks, public health systems, policy makers and governments.

More about Stephen.....
My name is Stephen Whyte and I am a social sciences researcher from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (QUT), Australia. I’m conducting research into the changing market for Donors and women seeking donors for DI, IUI, ICSI and IVF treatment.

As a father of three beautiful sons myself, I am lucky enough to already know “why” people are seeking the amazing gift of parenthood. What my study is seeking to establish is the driving factors behind the potential parents and donors seeking to step away from the current public and private sector options for donor insemination treatment. My research aims to better understand the participants in this new market place (Website Forums for Donation), so that fiscal policy and legislation can affect more socially beneficial outcomes. Government policy is often based on stringent un-biased academic research such as the type I am attempting to conduct.

I am seeking to better understand the donors and potential parents involved in websites such as Pride Angel. To do this I first need to have an understanding of the people involved and what has brought them to participate in such online forums. I have created a short survey that takes approximately five - ten minutes for donors and ten – fifteen minutes for people seeking donors to fill in.

The survey does not ask you to personally identify yourself, it is completely anonymous. We do not wish to identify you now or in the future. What we do want is a general demographic outline of you, so as to form a better idea of what has brought you to this forum. Understanding how you have got to this point, the factors that drive you and what is influencing your selection is the essence of this research.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I would ask and hope that you follow the links below, fill in our survey and help us in our research endeavour. Thank you and good luck in your pursuit of the amazing gift of life.

If you are a donor please fill in the survey at this link: www.survey.qut.edu.au

If you are looking for a donor please fill in the survey at this link: www.survey.qut.edu.au

Article: 8th January 2013 by Stephen Whyte - Social sciences researcher from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (QUT), Australia

Looking for a sperm or egg donor, or want to help others by donating, visit www.prideangel.com

Perhaps inevitably, the World Wide Web now has a role in that most human of accomplishments; procreation. Sperm donor websites are becoming increasingly popular in the UK with many people now searching for a sperm donor or co-parent online.

The demand for this has been partly fuelled by the vagaries of the NHS. Many health authorities are cutting back on IVF treatments because of the expense, trusts already refuse treatments for single and lesbian couples and these factors coupled with the shortage of sperm donors here in the UK seem to be pushing the advantages of the internet over the more traditional clinic route. For those looking to create their own family, are these websites a realistic option? Could they even pose a health threat? Like dating online, isn’t there something potentially seedy or unknown about such an endeavour? Or do these websites provide the transparency, advice and directness of purpose that people who just want to be parents are in need of?

Whatever the risks, these services have swiftly established their legitimacy as a resource, enabling people with limited options to choose for themselves where and from whom that all important genetic material comes from.

We spoke to Pride Angel, a leading online facility, for their views. The issues facing those using such a website include the benefits of using a known donor, anonymity law, working alongside fertility clinics and the importance of using a reputable sperm donor website.

Pride Angel is one of the foremost worldwide connection sites, with over 19,000 members. Though primarily aimed at the gay and lesbian community they are dedicated to providing quality information regarding health screening and fertility law for all. Created and run by Erika and Karen, they aim to equip those who need it with the knowledge and support necessary to negotiate such a potentially delicate undertaking. Both scientists, they are passionate about improving the services available for those looking to become parents. Not just academically qualified, Karen has fostered and personally experienced conception using the sperm of a known donor.

Using a known sperm donor
There has been a social and cultural shift in recent times, towards women wishing to meet a known donor. This could be because of high fertility costs, or perhaps the shortage of donors, whichever, the benefits of knowing who exactly will be credited with creating your own bundle of joy cannot be denied. There has been much research and evidence which has shown that children who know the identity of their donor and the honest circumstances of their conception from an early age are more secure with their identity as they become adults. Another plus is the potential for a prospective mother to meet a like minded individual who is happy to stay in touch, albeit, at a distance, omitting the longing within their child to meet an unknown donor as they grow up.

Anonymity law and future children
The change to the anonymity law in 2005 was certainly a positive thing for donor conceived children, allowing them to trace the identity of their donor at age 18. However we are still to really discover the effect this will have on the thousands of children who may be wanting to meet their biological father in the future; they may find that the donor is simply not interested in being contacted. There is also the worry that the donor may not be the kind of person the mother would wish for their child to meet, after all, she may have only received basic details such as height and eye colour by which to choose her donor originally. There is also the very real concern of genetic attraction, something which especially affects parents and children who have never met before adulthood. The repercussions of this could be catastrophic.

When the effects of this law are eventually felt, in the year 2023 and beyond (eighteen years after the law was introduced in 2005) will it be felt that children were better off not having access to this information? Would it not therefore be far better for donor conceived children to have known of their donor from the beginning?

Websites working alongside fertility clinics
Sperm donor websites assist in the much needed recruitment of donors and help bring together co-parents and the creation of alternative families in a way which clinics are less able to do. By working alongside the authorities and regulated clinics, websites can therefore provide a much needed service, providing they are educating their users about any health risks and legal considerations.

A spokesman for the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) is advising people to only use sperm donor websites which direct their users to a licensed clinic, ensuring that complete health screening is completed and that a record of the donor’s name is kept on file. Choosing a reputable sperm donor website

When choosing to use a sperm donor website to find a donor or co-parent it is important to ensure that they are providing the necessary health screening and legal advice and directing users to use regulated fertility clinics for treatment.

Erika, co-founder of Pride Angel highlights the advantages of their connection site and the safeguarding in place; ’All profiles are continually screened to ensure users are not offering ‘natural’ insemination or requesting an anonymous donor. Nor is payment for donations allowed to be offered or requested. If any donor attempts to contact more than 10 different recipients, an email is automatically sent, highlighting the ‘no more than 10 live births law within the UK’.

She continues,
‘We are committed to providing a user friendly service, while ensuring that we do everything within our power to make it a safer environment for our members. We also offer email support for users requiring help and further information. Users should never consider using a donor who offers natural insemination, even if they offer artificial insemination as well. The health risks of such promiscuous donors are too great.

Unfortunately many other connection services do not monitor profiles and restrict messages in the way that we do at Pride Angel. This means that many of the more prolific donors tend to use other sites which do not monitor them as closely. These factors are really important to consider when choosing a connection service to find a known donor or co-parent’

A bleak thought and a fair warning of the realities and risks inherent in such a situation but Erika is keen to point out that for most, the benefits of the self determination and choice Pride Angel provides far outstrips the negatives. ‘We have had so many people thank us for the service we provide, without which co-parenting arrangements would not happen and many lesbian couples and gay men would not have the chance to experience the joys of parenthood’

For more information regarding finding a co-parent, health screening, home insemination and fertility law visit and register for FREE at www.prideangel.com

Article: 6th Januray 2013 Pride Angel