Dead Sperm

Not even death can stop a dead man's sperm from living.

When a man dies, his heart stops beating, but his sperm does not die until more than a day later. The sperm is obtained by Posthumous sperm retrieval, a procedure in which spermatozoa are extracted after death.

Creating life from a dead man has been significantly questioned, ethically and legally. From my viewpoint, questioning the family of the deceased should not be done. It is not our right nor our place to intrude on something that I feel is too personal. The principles of morality should not even be an issue - their dead is not ours to claim, and although such a procedure may seem invasive, life from death should be celebrated.

The dead man cannot speak, therefore it is up to his kin to speak for him. Different principles affect how people make decisions, but whichever decision is made, it is theirs to make. One's moral philosophy often give clarity to the issue, but then, I would assume religion to be the first in line to oppose and shed confusion. When religion does so, those they regard as immoral often become the enemy; sinners in the eyes of the "righteous". But in mine, I think they are wrong. I think that religion, and other groups or individuals should be mindful of their own ethics, and boundaries. Losing a loved one is a very delicate issue and a painful experience - why aggravate the situation by pouring salt into someone's wound?

Finally, the golden question comes to light - Can a dead man have a baby? Yes, he can. In 1998, the first post-mortem-conception was done successfully. Since then, a number of requests for the procedure have been made. However, sperm extraction from the dead are rarely performed. Many reasons affect the scarcity of such procedure, and I would assume that the very first reason is grief. The widowed or those left behind are too preoccupied with mourning at the life that was lost, struggling to cling on to memories shared.. that a tiny swimming sperm would be the least on their minds.

The thought of harvesting sperm from a cadaver may be strange, but it can be done, and as strange as it may be for most people, it offers a sense of hope to those left behind. Having a piece of him: son, father, husband - where there is death, there is life; a miracle straight out of a penis.