A landmark story in the news: For the first time, a Dutch donor-conceived child has successfully identified her anonymous sperm donor father. Here's how modern DNA technology made it possible.
In 2004, the Netherlands introduced a law allowing donor children to contact their biological fathers from age 16. Anonymous sperm donation was banned thereafter, but prior to that, an estimated 40,000 children were born from such donations.
"The anonymity promised in the past holds no value today," says family researcher Els Leijs in de Volkskrant. Commercial DNA databases, especially popular in the U.S., now enable detailed comparisons that match individuals with distant relatives.
Last year, a 32-year-old woman conceived via anonymous donation sent cheek swabs to three commercial DNA services. One database connected her to an Australian woman—the grandniece of her donor father.
Curious for more? Read the full story in de Volkskrant.
