[thedoc (OP)]

How many children does the average sperm donor father?
Asked by Haffen Teuport, Milford Haven

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[thedoc (OP)]

We put this to Wendy Kramer, Co-founder and Director of the Donor Sibling Registry:

[img float=left]/forum/copies/RTEmagicC_Bebes12_008_01.jpg.jpg[/img]Well, the answer to that is a little bit tricky because nobody keeps track.  What we do know is that the guidelines here in the US are supposed to be that only 25 pregnancies per 800,000 of a population area should be allowed for each donor. So that would mean that what they would like to do is limit each donor to 380 children. But the bottom line is, the sperm banking industry doesn’t keep track. They don’t have accurate record keeping. So they really don’t know how many kids are born from any one donor.

For instance, we have one donor on our site that says they donated two times a week for two and a half years.  And this is pretty common.  Each one of his donations turned into approximately 10 to 15 vials. So he produced over 3000 vials during that time. So just for that one donor, 3000 vials were sent out. But we don’t know many children were born from those 3000. You could say, maybe up to 3000, but we don’t know. What we do know is that on our website we have very large groups of half-siblings. They’re people born from the same donor.  Many in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, with the largest group that we know being just over 125.

[RD]

NEW {UK} LAWS INTRODUCED in April {2006} mean that a donor's sperm can be used by up to 10 families instead of being limited to 10 children.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families

In Britain there is a legal limit on sperm donations. The same donor can only 'father' children for 10 families, although there is no specific limit on the number of children.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health


Caveat emptor ...
 [ Invalid Attachment ]
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blog/editors_corner/article/26357/23/

[chris]

That is a tragic, but hilarious story!

[Shibs]

Sperm donor fathers 46 children
Published: Dec. 1, 2008 at 7:58 PM

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A Dutchman known as Europe's most committed sperm donor says he's fathered 46 children and is willing to keep at it.

"I do it because I know how hard it is for people who desperately want a child," said Ed Houben, a tourism guide from Maastricht.

One of the reasons Houben is so popular, he said, is because many men stopped donating sperm three years ago when the United Kingdom said donors no longer could remain anonymous, The Sun reported Monday.

As a result, British women are going to other countries to find a sperm donor or having sperm samples sent to them, said Houben, noting women find out about him through the Internet and through word of mouth.

Houben, who said he's never had sex with any of his children's mothers, recently held a party at his home for his children and their families.

"The kids had the chance to play with their half-brothers and sisters, which was nice, said Houben.

[thedoc (OP)]

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[RD]

Here is a reference to the old UK limit of 10 children per donor ...

Limit of live births per donor
Current position (2004)

15. The limit of live births permitted using gametes taken from an individual donor is currently 10 (plus siblings) in the UK. This limit is set by the HFEA in its Code of Practice (paragraphs 8.30 and 8.31).

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/SCAG_Evidence_base_for_SEED_April04.pdf

Houben ... recently held a party at his home for his children and their families.

"The kids had the chance to play with their half-brothers and sisters, which was nice, said Houben.

Half-siblings first meeting as adults may not be a good idea ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_sexual_attraction