There have been recent news items about a sperm donor found to have a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer in children. The donor’s sperm had been used to create nearly 200 children, some of whom have sadly already developed cancer and a number of whom have died.
Firstly, we’d like to send our sympathy to all the families affected by the situation.
This has raised several important issues. Despite some of the headlines focusing on the donor health screening process, the problem here was not a failure of screening. The particular mutation would not have been picked up by any current screening, so there was no way to avoid the man passing this on. The significance of the story is the large numbers of families affected. It raises the question of how many children a sperm donor can create globally and this kind of scenario is one of the arguments as to why limits are needed. If this person was creating his own family, the mutation is unlikely to have affected more than a handful of children. As a donor, he has helped create nearly 200, and it’s unclear whether that number will rise as more information comes to light.
More generally, our argument for limits on the numbers of families that can be created by one donor is rooted more in how donor conceived people feel about and experience those connections. This includes their anxiety over consanguinity. There are important questions around how many close genetic relationships can be managed meaningfully and what is in the best interest of all those who are conceived this way.
Whilst tragic for the families affected, this situation is fortunately rare. The shock headlines are likely to have created some distress and anxiety in the donor conception community, as well as anger. But the truth is that, however a child is created, there is a risk that they may develop an illness or suffer from a health issue, whether physical or mental. Of course, we should do all we can to minimise the chances but ultimately recognise that these situations are rare.
Our recommendations would be for prospective parents to do their due diligence as far as possible, whilst bearing in mind that there is a limit to the reassurances that screening can give and that some elements of parenthood – whichever route is taken, be it via donor conception or natural routes – will always involve some unknowns. For parents, we encourage them to recognise that they are navigating difficult and often complex decisions, and to remain focused on supporting their children with openness, care, and consistency as the child grows.
Finally, we support global limits on the numbers of families created by each donor and hope this issue will be taken up by clinics, banks, regulators and governments internationally. We know that ESHRE are addressing this in the EU and are currently consulting on the issue. The Donor Conception Network is ready to represent the interests of families and donor conceived people in these vital discussions.
DC Network
11 December 2025
Further reading:
Radio 5 Live: Hear DCN Director Nina Barnsley’s interview on BBC Radio 5 Live (10/12/25)
