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DNA and Online Search Finds Birth Parent

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the anonymity-is-dead dept.

stuyman writes "NewScientist is reporting that anonymous sperm donation is not so anonymous anymore. An enterprising 15 year old tracked down his biological father, an anonymous sperm donor, using an online genealogy service and an online information service."

6 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. A potentially ugly situation by treff89 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This would be quite creepy if the (father) had never actually formally donated sperm. (ie. someone has picked up a condom or tissue, and impregnated themselves with the sperm.)

  2. Re:He didn't need DNA to narrow the search down by Buran · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not necessarily. I'm adopted and I haven't had much luck using my birth parents' names. I'm now going to have to ponder whether I want to do somemthing like this, or whether I should. I don't know yet because I have no idea whether they would want to be contacted. (They were high-school students, though, so they may wonder what happened to the baby they gave up because they couldn't raise her... so I have a chance that they'd be interested).

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  3. Could lead to trouble by Rethcir · · Score: 4, Interesting

    18 years, 18 years,
    She got one of yo kids got you for 18 years

    I can just picture someone tracking down an anonymous sperm donor and trying to get child support out of them. Or is this subject covered in the contract you sign at the clinic?

  4. Not Anymore by Kawahee · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "NewScientist is reporting that anonymous sperm donation is not so anonymous anymore. An enterprising 15 year old..."

    What I'm noticing here is that these records have had to be held since around 1980... which suggests that it never really was that anonymous. I mean, back in 1990 you could still get DNA testing done (for a price).
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  5. It contacting me.... by headkase · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Another way to look at it is donors are helping someone who would otherwise not have their own child to love through a theraputic process that allows the reciever to conceive. Whether or not you agree with the ethical/legal concensus achieved so far is a different argument. Onwards, if the child feels a need to contact me in the first place because its a human and being human it may feel some qualitative feeling of comfort in meeting the next person up in it's lineage that goes back in an unbroken chain to algae give or take a billionish years ago. Your right, I would be a donor not a parent - but if the child wanted to see me I wouldn't be so callous as to not give it an audience.

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  6. Douglas Adams was a real prophet... by fionbio · · Score: 3, Interesting

    First something quite like original Babel fish, then these singing mice, and now tracking down anonymous fathers. Well, what Arthur Dent donated was just his DNA, but similiarity is striking, isn't it?