A Dutch Court Prohibits Man, Father of Hundreds of Children, from Donating More Sperm

A court in the Netherlands on Friday prohibited a man, who according to the judge is the father of five hundred to six hundred children worldwide, from donating sperm. The court ruling stated that this 41-year-old Dutch man, identified by a local newspaper as Jonathan Meijer, is banned from donating more semen to clinics. He may face a fine of $110,000 for each violation. The court also ordered Jonathan Meijer to write to clinics outside the Netherlands and request them to dispose of his stored sperm, except for doses intended for parents who previously had children with him. This decision was made after a civil case was initiated by a foundation representing the interests of children and Dutch parents who used this man's sperm. They argued that Meijer's repeated sperm donations violate the privacy rights of the children born this way, making them unable to form romantic relationships due to concerns about potential accidental sexual relations with someone they are genetically related to. Meijer's repeated sperm donations came to light in 2017, leading to a ban on his donations to clinics in the Netherlands, where he had over one hundred children. However, Jonathan Meijer continued to donate sperm to clinics outside the Netherlands and was active internationally. In some cases, he used a false name to communicate with parents seeking sperm. A doctor who was the head of a sperm bank in the Netherlands is the father of at least 49 individuals. A gay couple used the womb of one of these individuals to have a child. Male contraceptive pills may soon be available at pharmacies. Scientists support a temporary ban on genetically modified artificial insemination. New research indicates that childhood abuse can affect the quality of men's sperm. A sperm bank in China only accepts sperm from communists.