Delhi: Widow asks AIIMS doctors for dead husband’s sperm

New Delhi: The AIIMS, one of the top medical colleges and medical research public university, witnessed an unusual incident, when a widow asked for the sperms of her dead husband. The man died suddenly while he was being brought to the hospital. She requested the doctors, to retrieve the sperm of her dead husband, so that she can get pregnant. Reportedly, the couple was married only a few years ago and did not have any baby. The in-laws of the widow also supported her plea. However, the plea of the widow was rejected by the AIIMS doctors, as the guidelines on postmortem sperm retrieval (PMSR) are not very clear in the country and does not allow such move. According to reports, the whole process of retrieval of sperms takes only a few minutes, as sperms can persist in the testicular cavity for a day after the death of an individual, but the doctors refused the request because of ethical and legal issues on PMSR in India. In India, the principle for assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics allows the insemination of females with the sperm of dead husband. But, the husband should be alive and has the capacity to think or understand. There are some countries, which allows the retrieval of sperm after the husband’s death. Israel is one of the countries, which allows sperm retrieval and the sperm will be transferred to the wife within a year after husband’s death. In case, the wife dies before the transfer then the sperm cannot be used.