ESHRE proposes Europe-wide sperm donor cap after cases exceed 500 offspring

ESHRE members outlined plans for a Europe-wide cap after data showed current national rules fail under cross-border trade. Denmark caps at 12 families yet exported over half of UK sperm imports in 2020; the Netherlands banned anonymous donation in 2004 but lost records when a clinic destroyed files. Jonathan Meijer’s sperm produced 550-600 births before a 2023 court order halted further donations.

Genetic registries and consumer tests have exposed enforcement gaps. A Danish donor’s cancer-linked mutation reached at least 197 children across Europe before detection, with some fatalities recorded. UK data limit donors to 10 families, Malta and Cyprus to one birth, yet none bind importers or account for frozen inventory shipped years later. Incest risk and identity distress rise when half-siblings number in the dozens.

Operationally, any workable rule requires shared registries and import controls rather than unilateral family caps. Without them, prolific donors continue exporting across jurisdictions where screening varies. ESHRE intends to pilot Europe-wide tracking first, citing the impossibility of post-facto anonymity once commercial sequencing is available.

Next steps include drafting model legislation for member states and coordinating with US and Canadian banks that supply 2020-era UK volumes. Absent binding international data exchange, limits remain advisory.