Sperm donors need limits, says a European fertility group
A European fertility group is proposing international limits on sperm donations to prevent donor-conceived children from having hundreds of half-siblings. The move follows concerns about the psychological impact of mass-conception and the increasing ease of identifying biological relatives through genetic testing.
Why it matters
As genetic testing makes anonymity increasingly impossible, the fertility industry faces a reckoning regarding the rights of donor-conceived individuals and the need for global regulatory standards.
Some donor-conceived people are finding hundreds of siblings. An international cap on donations could help prevent that.
Ties van der Meer doesn’t know how many siblings he has.
The 47-year-old was conceived at a private fertility clinic in the Netherlands using sperm provided by an anonymous donor. After the Netherlands banned anonymous donation in 2004, the doctor who ran the clinic destroyed records that might have identified those donors, he says.
He describes the situation as “problematic.” Children have a right to know their biological parents, he says. While he did ultimately track down one sibling, who helped him identify his father along with other genetic relatives, he may have others he’ll never find.
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