Last chance: Woman asks AIIMS for dead husband’s sperm

The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi received a strange special request when a woman requested her dead husband's sperm, which the attending doctor refused.

Doctors at AIIMS denied this unusual request, citing unclear guidelines on postmortem sperm retrieval (PMSR).

The couple was married for a few years but didn't have any children. But the death of her husband put an end to the wife's desire to have children. Undaunted, she sent a request for her husband's sperm. Her in-laws were also supportive of the decision.

Speaking to Times of India, Dr Sudhir Gupta said, "Sperm can survive inside the testicular cavity for almost a day after death and it's a simple procedure. It can be done within five minutes by dissecting the testis and extracting the sperm. But there are ethical and legal issues involved."