Sperm donations: Quebec minister says 600 children fathered by 3 men in the same family is a public health issue

Quebec’s Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, says he is concerned by Noovo’s revelations about three sperm donors from the same family who are the fathers of at least 600 children. This is a “public health case,” he said. “I think that it especially worries parents who have used the service, to know: ‘could my boy or my girl be in contact with one of the other children?’ That’s what is worrying in terms of public health,” he said in a press scrum on Tuesday at the National Assembly.The minister said he plans to meet the national director of public health of Quebec, Dr. Luc Boileau to see what can be done. “We will find solutions,” said Dubé, evoking the idea of a “regulatory reaction.”“It doesn’t have to be the Wild West.”The Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois are calling for more supervision regarding sperm donations.“This is extremely worrying. . . . What about the risks in relation to certain diseases? Also inbreeding. It doesn’t have to be the Wild West. It requires supervision as quickly as possible,” said interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay.“This is very serious. Which means that there are thousands of people affected in Quebec, when you count families, and who are worried. How could three people do such a thing? How did they get to the sperm banks? How were they able to make so many donations and sometimes through the internet? It’s astonishing. So, limit the number of donations,” said PQ leader Pascal Bérubé.“We are concerned about the revelations about sperm donors and the effects it could have on affected children, including genetic impacts. Minister Dubé must quickly look into the issue and ensure that families have access to appropriate resources. We also consider that this is a public health problem and we offer our collaboration to the minister to provide the best solution,” wrote Vincent Marissal, Second Opposition Group Critic for Health for the Quebec solidaire party.This article was translated from its original French.

Sperm donations: Quebec minister says 600 children fathered by 3 men in the same family is a public health issue

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