Part 1: Donor Selection
Chapter 1: Lifestyles Change
The year is 2060. Tia and Tim Sloan were drinking a cup of coffee after being sedated from a night of pure sexual pleasure. It could hardly get any better as they tried to re-energize their totally spent bodies. Yet, something was missing.
Tim and Tia had been married for six years and her biological clock was ticking loudly. Both wanted children.
Tim and Tia were an educated couple; fiscally conservative, yet, liberal in social philosophy. They prided themselves on their ability to communicate and discuss issues that were considered morally unacceptable in years past.
Tim had a degree in Network Engineering and worked for Sun Networks. He had a bright future.
Tia had a BA degree in Behavioral Science, and was pursuing her PhD. She was working as a research assistant with the New Life Center. The New Life Center was a part of the advanced fertility research work taking place at the University Medical School. Many new experiments were being conducted in the area of human reproduction. Some of the cutting edge research work done at The New Life Center involved the study of changing social lifestyles on human reproduction.
Tia’s work had become the topic of today’s conversation. Tim and Tia had been having problems getting pregnant and as a result of that difficulty. They had undergone a series of fertility tests at the Life Center. Results of the tests indicated that Tim had a sperm count in the lower range of acceptance and that Tia’s vaginal pH was more acidic than normal.
The doctors did not find any direct cause of infertility. The best conclusion they could offer was that the combination of the two adverse consequences was preventing conception.
This became the subject of Tia and Tim’s conversation. They had tried several relaxation methods... honeymoon cruises, and European ski trips. Neither felt their odds were too good to get pregnant in the same old fashion ways. Furthermore neither of them felt they could spend much time away from their careers.
Tia felt that time was running out on her. She knew that a woman’s age of 30 - 35 was the best years for successful pregnancy. She fell in that age category.
The work being conducted by Tia’s research team involved cloning, artificial insemination, combination copulation and surrogate impregnation. The New Life Center had just begun some very confidential work in the area of male surrogate impregnation.
A study was being done to investigate the destructive effects that childless marriages have on long term relationships.
Statistics indicated that an unusual high rate of divorce resulted when only one of the partners wanted children, or when couples wanting children lived together over several years without being able to have them. They seemed to harbor an expectation of being able to have children with another partner. Adoption was not a desirable option for a prospective mother, who had the ability to conceive, produce a normal pregnancy and give a normal birth.
The experimental work at the New Life Center delved into the active participation of a surrogate in the impregnation process. The findings of recent research indicated that an important aspect of the impregnation process was the physical pleasure derived from the breeding. The studies found that women treasured the procreative memories associated with insemination.
The New Life Center was exploring ways that prospective parents could become pregnant in this kind of an environment.
Tia’s work was involved in the social and psychological aspects of reproduction. Tia felt that women were expressing some basic instinctive urges in their quest for impregnation. Her research team had theorized that the instinctive urge to breed was coupled with an urge to seek additional mates in the absence of a fertile mate. Could this be done in a way as to make such activity acceptable to married partners and keep marriages together? Could this be done in a manner that would be acceptable to society?
The New Life Center found that women today were rejecting the old methods of clinical artificial insemination and the implantation of test tube embryos. More and more women were choosing to be bred by male surrogates. There seemed to be some psychological instinct in women that craves the experience of conception. It has become the ultimate act of female satisfaction. It is not clear whether this need is physical or mental. But it is clear that it is a powerful force in the act of procreation.
Chapter 2: The Decision
Tim’s curiosity generated many questions. “How are the subjects selected?
Tia answered, “A couple is selected when the husband is confirmed to be infertile. Interviews are held separately with each partner and then interviews are held with the couple together. Psychological tests are administered to each and evaluated by a specialist in human relationships. Every effort is made to make sure that both members of the partnership are supportive of the process. The New Life Center is particularly concerned about any jealousy that may result from the breeding.”
“Does the selection committee consider that one of the partners may be restless and seeking sex outside the marriage,” asked Tim?
“Absolutely,” was Tia’s reply? “Our research team is accepting the premise that people instinctively or subconsciously, seek sex with other partners. We are interested in the factors that create such behavior. We are interested in the need to procreate as a driving force in couples who seek sex with other partners, particularly in the absence of a childbearing capability.
Is this one of the root causes of sexual philandering? Does curiosity, variety, lust, personality conflicts, partner dissatisfaction, economic state, have any relationship on the need to breed? What are the differences and similarities in these characteristics?”
Tim asked, “I know you want children and I want children. Are you considering participating in this program?”
Tia said, “That’s why I’m discussing it with you. I don’t have any desire to take on another marriage partner to grow old with. I feel complete as a person with you. I feel complete as a couple with each other. I don’t want to risk that, and at the same time, I don’t want to be held to an outdated moral code or set of laws that say that if we have sex outside our marriage we have to sacrifice our relationship.
This logic makes no sense to me. I think the secret is that we completely trust each. Two people can only have this kind of relationship if the other partner is secure enough to know that such pleasure activities pose no threat to the relationship.”
Tim agreed. “I think the acceptance of society’s change comes about slowly. Behaviors change before cultural acceptance. It was around the turn of the century that some of our most hypocritical cultural problems existed. It was also during this period of time that some of these conditions began to emerge from the dark. I’m talking about, high divorce rates; same sex couples.... too many children in single parent homes.”
Tim said, “Let’s bring this conversation back to us. I thought you were commenting on a desire to participate in the program at the New Life Center.”