A recent national registry in the Netherlands has revealed shocking findings about the number of children fathered by sperm donors across the country. The data showed that there are at least 85 mass donors who have sired more than 25 descendants each, with one man fathering up to 125 children. These numbers exceed the limits set by Dutch law, which previously allowed each donor to father up to 25 children before 2018 and 12 children thereafter.
Vincent Karremans, the minister for youth, prevention, and sport, has expressed regret over the discovery of these mass donations, citing poor oversight and record-keeping practices at fertility clinics. The new legislation requires stricter tracking of sperm donations to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The revelations have raised concerns about consanguinity and genetic anomalies as these children grow up and potentially seek partners and have children of their own. Donorkind, an organization supporting families who have used sperm donation, has called for tighter regulations on the industry and for better oversight to prevent similar cases in the future.
The Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has admitted to the mistakes made by fertility clinics in using the same donor for multiple mothers and not properly tracking the number of children each donor has fathered. The new law, known as the Artificial Fertilization Donor Data Act, aims to improve monitoring and accountability within the industry.
While the industry of sperm donation is thriving globally, it remains poorly regulated in many countries. The Dutch government’s efforts to address the issue of mass donations have been met with both support and calls for further action to ensure the well-being of children born through artificial insemination.
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