Health Minister Ida Auken says several Danish sperm banks, not only European Sperm Bank, have been reported to the police over the legal limit on how many families a single donor may help.
The information came out at midday on Thursday, September 11, in an interview with DR. Auken, of the Social Democrats, would not say which sperm banks have been reported, or on what grounds.
The day before, DR reported that European Sperm Bank had been reported to the police for overselling sperm from 81 donors. Those donors are the genetic origin of children in up to 30 families. Danish law sets the limit at 12.
A solo mother wants a number
Sascha Ditte Tarne became a mother seven years ago with help from a donor and European Sperm Bank. She told DR that the news of further police reports is shaking, but not surprising, and she compared the sector to the Wild West.
She said she asked European Sperm Bank how many children had been born using the same donor when her son was born. According to her account, she was told only that other children existed. The bank says it may not share the figure, because it is personal information about the donor.
Datatilsynet, the Danish Data Protection Agency, informed DR that it has not yet taken a position on the question. As it stands, families in Denmark cannot learn how many children have been born using sperm from the same donor.
Limits and earlier cases
The cap of 12 women per donor in Denmark was set by law in 2013. Before that, a recommendation stated that a donor should be the genetic origin of no more than 25 children. According to DR, European Sperm Bank also broke that recommendation in 105 cases.
DR has covered the donor sector for the past year, starting with the case of donor 7069. That donor is the genetic origin of at least 210 children in a range of countries and is a healthy carrier of a gene variant that markedly increases the risk of cancer. DR has also reported that one European Sperm Bank donor is the genetic origin of 110 Danish children.
Tarne told DR she hopes her donor was not sold to more than the 12 families allowed in Denmark, but fears that is not the case. She said a number would let her give her son certainty when he is old enough to understand.
Her main concern is that her son could one day fall in love with someone who has the same donor father without knowing it. She said she is worried about inbreeding and about the effect on his life. She also told DR she is grateful that donors exist, and fears they will be scared away.
Auken has not indicated when further details about the police reports will be made public. The health minister declined to elaborate on the individual cases when speaking to DR.
