Photo credit: www.theguardian.com
Concerns Rise Over Sperm Donation Practices in the Netherlands
Recent revelations from the Netherlands have raised serious concerns regarding the practices of sperm donation, as a report indicates that at least 85 donors have fathered 25 or more children each. This alarming finding comes from the national gynaecology and obstetrics organization, the NVOG, following the introduction of a new registration system aimed at monitoring compliance within fertility clinics.
According to the NVOG, various clinics have violated established regulations by excessively using sperm batches beyond the permissible limit of 25, exchanging donor sperm without proper documentation, and permitting the same donors to contribute sperm to multiple clinics. This systemic disregard for regulations has sparked widespread calls for accountability.
“The number of so-called ‘mass donors’ should be zero,” stated gynaecologist Marieke Schoonenberg during a broadcast on Nieuwsuur. “On behalf of the whole profession, we wish to apologise. We didn’t do things as they should have been done.”
Since 1992, Dutch law has sought to limit donors to fathering no more than 25 children to mitigate risks associated with involuntary incest and inbreeding. However, strict privacy laws have made enforcement challenging. In 2018, this limit was reduced to 12, but the implementation of a national registry, combined with a coding system to prevent the use of sperm from the same donor in more than 12 conceptions, only began retroactively in April 2023.
“As a result, we now know, for the first time, the exact number of children per donor,” Schoonenberg explained. Following the lifting of anonymity rights for donors in 2004, it has now been revealed that there are at least 85 individuals classified as “mass donors,” each having contributed to 25 or more conceptions.
The majority of these donors fathered between 26 and 40 children, while some have reportedly fathered between 50 and 75 children. Notably, at least 10 of these mass donors are fertility doctors, including Jan Karbaat, who is known to have unlawfully fathered at least 81 children through his clinic.
The most notorious of these donors is Jonathan Jacob Meijer, featured in the Netflix documentary The Man with 1,000 Kids, who is credited with fathering over 550 children globally, with more than 100 conceived in Dutch fertility clinics.
Ties van der Meer, representing Stichting Donorkind, an organization that assists children in tracking down their donor fathers, described the situation as a “medical calamity.” He estimates that there could be at least 3,000 children in the Netherlands with 25 or more half-siblings, raising significant concerns about familial connections.
“The harm done to people’s trust in the medical system, and in the governments that allowed all this to happen, is just the beginning,” van der Meer remarked, acknowledging that this scenario may create ongoing stress for both the children and some donors involved.
In a country as densely populated as the Netherlands, these children could face additional complications as they grow. “Once they start dating someone, they’re going to have to do DNA tests to make sure they’re not going out with a close relation,” he added.
Van der Meer emphasized the critical need for transparency and full disclosure of information to all parties involved. The NVOG has encouraged mothers, donors, and offspring to reach out to their fertility clinics for guidance. In response to the findings, the Dutch health ministry has announced plans to address these issues with members of parliament this week.
Source
www.theguardian.com