Quebec may introduce sperm donor registry

The Quebec government is considering the introduction of a registry for sperm, egg, and embryo donors, following the discovery of prolific sperm donors in the province.

In 2024, Quebec television network Noovo released a documentary titled Père 100 enfants, which revealed that two men from the same family had become prolific sperm donors, collectively fathering hundreds of children. A third related donor was discovered later. Following these revelations, political leaders began calling for a cap on the number of donations a single donor can make (see BioNews 1238). The Central Committee on Clinical Ethics in Medically Assisted Reproduction subsequently recommended that people should be able to donate to a maximum of ten families, and that a centralised registry be established.

The Quebec Health Department has announced that it will consider how best to respond to these recommendations in the coming months, and Health Minister Christian Dubé told CTV News that Quebec is 'committing' to implementing the committee's recommendations.

If introduced, the donor limits and registry would cover people donating gametes and embryos in assisted reproduction centres, but would not apply to informal donations arranged outside of a clinic. The three related donors identified following the documentary have continued to offer sperm through informal channels. This unregulated activity raises serious concerns about consanguinity among donor-conceived people who are unaware of their genetic origins.

Additionally, two of the donors were found to carry a rare genetic variant associated with tyrosinemia – a liver disorder that could be passed on to offspring, posing significant health risks.

One woman, who chose to remain anonymous, had three children using sperm donated outside of a clinic and later discovered that they were part of a large sibling group. She told CTV News that the proposed restrictions did not go far enough and should apply to 'all donors'.

Dubé described the issue of informal, prolific donation as 'worrisome' and pledged to launch an action plan to ensure safe access to sperm donation services. The health ministry has stated its intention to increase public awareness and improve access to information for individuals considering donor conception.

In December 2023, the Collège des médecins du Québec also issued a public warning about the risks of purchasing sperm from unregulated sources, including the potential for infections and genetic complications.

Prolific donors have also been identified elsewhere in recent years, including in the UK and the Netherlands, raising concerns risks of at-home sperm donation (see BioNews 1247 and 1281).