In a bizarre incident, a sperm donor fathered over 60 children in Australia under false names, as per a report in Independent. The man was exposed after several new parents observed how similar their newborns looked to one another during a gathering.
The outlet stated that parents from the LGBTQ+ community met at a gathering meant for new parents and they got extremely concerned since some of their kids resembled one another. To find out about the strange occurrence, the parents from the community started to contact IVF clinics across Australia.
It was then investigated and revealed that the man, whose name has not yet been made public, used four different false identities to donate sperm, the outlet further said.
Dr Anne Clark from Fertility First told News Corp that the man had been to her clinic only once. However, she added that the donor advertised his services through a number of unofficial channels, including Facebook groups. "We know he got gifts, holidays - all a complete criminal offence," she further stated.
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The Human Tissue Act in Australia forbids the sale, exchange or receipt of a gift in exchange for the donation of another person's organs or tissues. Giving gifts in exchange for human sperm is prohibited in Australia and the crime carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. Yet, unofficial donations are surging in the country as a result of online discussion groups that connect people without children with donors.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in the UK, where it is similarly illegal for sperm donors to earn remuneration for their donations, a donor is only eligible to receive a maximum of 35 pounds (Rs 3,480) for each clinic visit. It also added that a person's sperm donation may only be given to a maximum of 10 families. However, there is no restriction on the number of children that may be born to a family.
