A sperm donation scandal in the Netherlands is a helpful reminder of the ethical complications of this kind of reproductive technology, which can have lifelong implications for children conceived through it, says journalist Tim Wyatt

A new Netflix documentary, The Man With 1000 Kids, has shone a light on the often-underreported world of sperm donation. This procedure sees couples who are unable to have children themselves matching up donated sperm with the mother’s own eggs, to conceive children that still share some genetic tie to them. It can also be utilised by single women who do not have a partner to conceive a child with. In many countries, there are banks of donated sperm from which prospective mothers can choose. 

Jonathan Meijer, the Dutch man at the centre of the documentary, often appeared as an attractive potential donor. He was handsome, blonde-haired and tall – all good genes to pass on. He was a regular donor at a number of sperm banks in his native Netherlands. But he didn’t stop there. He continued donating sperm to banks in other countries, and also stepped into the world of private sperm… (Register to read the rest of the article)