Australia’s IVF industry is under scrutiny following revelations of embryo mix-ups and serious failures in donor regulation.
Health Ministers have ordered a rapid review after two major incidents involving Monash IVF, including a case in which a woman unknowingly carried another couple’s child.
Listen below to find out how one woman found out she has 700 siblings:
On Tuesday afternoon’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with donor-conceived advocate Katherine Dawson, who has discovered she has more than 700 siblings.
Dawson said that her biological father donated sperm under seven fake names across multiple clinics and hospitals.
“He was sort of using that as a side hustle. Essentially, he was using donor conception to make money on the side,” Dawson said.
Despite trying for years to access her records, Katherine says clinics and current laws failed her and countless others.
“My estimates are conservative,” she said.
“One donor code alone has 22 families and 33 siblings,” she added.
She criticises the current system as opaque and poorly regulated, with different states operating under different rules.
“You’ve got Australians born with completely different rights to their information… it just needs to be communicated by each state, linked up.”
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