Rongnongno Loc: FL

I just met a young woman who is alive because her mom used a sperm donor. She just accepts it as a 'fact of life' and does not appear to be curious about her father. That is perfectly fine, in my opinion.

From our conversation I did some research on the subject and found first statistics that befuddled me.
- The maximal kids a sperm donor is supposed to 'create' is 20 yet many pass that level and a few have over 60 kids. This does not include the criminal behavior from some 'doctors' who use their own sperm. Here the record seems to be well over 200.
- US sperm is sold across the world!!!
- Depending on the country the law differ widely from being illegal to 'who gives a s****'

Then there is the personal aspect of it. I saw various videos of how the children lived with that knowledge.
- Some, like the young woman I met do not care
- Other want to know and go to extreme to learn who their father was
- Yet other just want to meet their half siblings

Then one girl made a statement that hit me.
She said: 'I always felt I was not supposed to be born, that I was out of place.' She was not crying but she looked deeply distressed and really unhappy. Until that statement there was no indication of 'troubled water'.

Then I saw another issue. One man's sperm in California was used and he 'created' 49 children, all living in the same community (LA) but two. While the city is wide and populated it raises the question of what happens if unknowingly two of his kids fall in love?

That to me is the only reason why sperm donation should not be anonymous.

What are you thoughts?

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Note: Siblings created this way are called Dibling D(onor-created-S)ibling.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Exactly. Very dangerous unless obstetrician knows who’s who. Each child should be given the number of the donor so if two meet, they’ll know...

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I'm not a geneticist, but I believe I have heard that the prohibition between close relatives procreating is based on long-term statistics. The probability of having problems with offspring of one such marriage is not much greater than normal. It's when it becomes common practice that real problems arise (after several generations).

My great grandfather married a first cousin. And, of course, I'm the definition of normal as far as I'm concerned, as was my grandfather.

However, it would probably be a good idea to have some system that would allow tracking. There are genetic diseases that are passed down the line and it would be helpful in treatment to have the history available.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

In the UK I think it is 1 in 6 couples who cannot conceive together for a variety of reasons. We also have draconian adoption 'rules' for traditional married couples - but easier rules for gay couples. Surrogacy has been a 'solution' for many years. That way the people involved know who 'helped'. I understand that in The US you have to have a blood test prior to marriage in some states - surely this should decrease any problems for the children concerned.
I find it strange that most opponents to both IVF and Surrogacy are predominantly Male. The 'half' that cannot childbear.....