This article is about a sperm donor who was found after to donation to be carrying a rare cancer-causing gene alteration and was used to conceive at least 67 children, 10 of whom have since been diagnosed with cancer. It highlights concerns about the lack of internationally agreed limits on the use of donor sperm.
Experts have previously warned of the social and psychological risks of sperm from single donors being used to create large numbers of children across different countries. The latest case, involving dozens of children born between 2008 and 2015, raises fresh concerns about the complexity of tracing so many families when a serious medical issue is identified.
If you’ve used donor sperm or eggs to build your family, you may receive a health update from your fertility clinic or donor bank at some point in the future. These updates are typically shared directly with you and may concern new medical information about the donor, or about a child conceived using the same donor.
Receiving this kind of notice can be unexpected and sometimes distressing. It may raise questions about your child’s health or future plans. This article is designed to help you understand what these notifications mean, why you’re receiving them, and what steps you can take.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like support information about the genetics of your donor or if you would like some help in understanding genetic information from your donor bank or clinic.e summary on the main blog page. Click on this text to edit it.
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