A significant health and ethical dilemma has emerged in the global fertility industry following revelations by Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR. An anonymous Danish sperm donor, operating under the alias ‘Kjeld,’ was identified as an asymptomatic carrier of a rare TP53 genetic mutation, which substantially increases cancer risk. His genetic material was distributed internationally between 2006 and 2022, resulting in the conception of at least 197 children across 14 countries.
The case came to light when Denmark’s European Sperm Bank (ESB), one of the world’s largest, received its first alert in April 2020. A child conceived through the donor’s sperm was diagnosed with cancer and found to carry the mutation. The bank initially suspended sales and conducted a screening, but the rare nature of the mutation evaded detection. Consequently, the distribution of the donor’s sperm resumed.
It wasn’t until three years later, upon receiving a second report of another child with the mutation developing cancer, that the ESB conducted more rigorous testing. Multiple samples confirmed the donor was a healthy carrier of the gene. His sperm was permanently blocked from use in late October 2023.
The Danish Patient Safety Authority confirmed that 99 children in Denmark were fathered by this donor, with 49 born to women residing domestically and 50 to women abroad. The ESB issued a statement clarifying the complexity of the case, noting the mutation is ‘rare and previously undescribed,’ present in only a small fraction of the donor’s sperm cells and undetectable by prior genetic screening protocols. The company emphasized that not all children conceived from this donor will carry the mutation.
This incident highlights critical gaps in international reproductive medicine regulations. While many European nations impose limits on domestic donations—the ESB itself now caps donations at 75 families per donor—there are no binding international agreements governing the total number of children a single donor can father across borders. The ESB, which claims involvement in over 70,000 births globally in the past two decades, now faces scrutiny over its screening processes and international oversight.