Quebec looking to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
The series by Noovo Info, called "Pere 100 enfants," showed that the trio served as sperm donors for women across Quebec who turned to the internet to try to get pregnant.
Quebec's public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, said in an interview with Noovo Info on Monday that he was "shocked" by the documentary. He said he would like to minimize the risks of artificial insemination by setting a maximum number of donations per donor, which other countries have already done, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
According to the documentary by journalists Marie-Christine Bergeron and Maxime Landry, the three Quebec men fathered at least 600 children. Two of the donors also carry a rare hereditary genetic disorder affecting the liver that could be passed down to the children.
"On the Canadian scene, no one saw this coming either. This is a new situation," Boileau said, adding that he is in talks with his counterparts at Health Canada to examine setting new limits for donors.
Boileau also said public health is looking into how it can inform the mothers involved, as well as their children so that they're aware they are genetically linked to hundreds of half-brothers and half-sisters "to reduce the risk of inbreeding."
Fathering hundreds of children a 'public health issue': Dubé
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé reacted to the Noovo's reporting on Tuesday, saying the documentary reveals a "public health issue."
"I think it's especially worrying for parents who have used the procreation service, to know: 'Could my boy or girl be in contact with one of the other children?' That's what's worrying in terms of public health," he told a press scrum at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The minister says he will meet with Boileau on Wednesday to see what can be done. "We're going to find solutions," said Dubé, evoking the idea of a "regulatory response."
Opposition parties also called on the CAQ government to put an end to what the Quebec Liberal Party described as the "Wild West" of sperm donation.
With files from Noovo Info and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING BMO clients face outages in Canada, U.S. following data centre fire alarm
Bank of Montreal clients on both sides of the border Thursday morning have reported outages with banking services. BMO said its technical team is investigating.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
'I'm not wealthy': Ontario senior shocked she owes $40,000 in capital gains after gifting land
An Ontario senior who wanted to help her daughter and grandson eventually own homes one day decided to give them two lots on her property as a gift—but she didn’t know it would eventually cost her tens of thousands of dollars.
Want to turn off Meta AI? You can't - but there are some workarounds
If you use Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, you've probably noticed a new character pop up answering search queries or eagerly offering tidbits of information in your feeds, with varying degrees of accuracy.
opinion Trump's Republicans falling far behind in fundraising, infrastructure
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Washington political analyst Eric Ham explains how and why Republicans -- up and down the ballot -- are falling far behind Democrats in both fundraising and infrastructure.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Canadians' interest in buying EVs fades as barriers, concerns remain: J.D. Power
A new study finds fewer Canadians say they're interested in buying an electric vehicle as concerns remain about limited driving ranges, high prices and a lack of charging stations.
McDonald's says US$18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.