How sperm donors like me lost their anonymity via official channels or growing use of online DNA testing
ABCWhen I was a sperm donor in the mid-1980s in Australia, I was told my identity would be kept private. In a world where DNA databases through commercially available genealogy tracing products are increasingly popular, children can bypass the "official" channels and track down their donor dad with ease. Rising demand leads to sperm shortages for IVF services Photo shows Two mothers holding newborn baby Patients and doctors are calling on the Victorian government to consider legalising financial remuneration for sperm donors. For those conceived through informal donor arrangements rather than clinics, the DNA databases allow them to track down donors whose details have not been recorded in official state registers. In Australia, whether it be DNA databases or "official" linking registries, donor-conceived people now have choices in how they can find their biological family.
History of this topic
One man, 180 children – and the paternity case that shocked Britain
The Independent
Joe Donor: What to think about when looking for a sperm donor online
The Independent
Inside the Facebook group where Australian women subvert the system and go looking for sperm
ABC
Why some people are turning to social media for donor sperm
ABC
The mystery of genealogy and the ethics of donor conception
ABC
Pre-2004 sperm donors can retain anonymity after all
Dutch News
Donor children to be offered free DNA test to identify fathers
Dutch News
Sperm donor anonymity disappearing as commercial DNA databases grow
NL Times
Anonymous sperm and egg donation is over because of the rise of genetic testing at home, says new research
The Independent
Sperm banks misinformed mothers for years
Dutch News
Sperm banks misinformed mothers for years
Dutch NewsDiscover Related