more on Anonymous sperm donor traced using DNA, Internet

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Alberti <alberti () sanction net>
Date: November 4, 2005 7:22:31 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: RE: [IP] Anonymous sperm donor traced using DNA, Internet
Reply-To: alberti () sanction net

What a fantastic story, and what a resourceful young man.

As a reunited adoptee and one of the founders of Bastard Nation
(http://www.bastards.org ) I have to say that I am encouraged by this  
lad's
ability to unearth his heritage. But I am disturbed that a child  
undertook
all the cost and risk involved in meeting this stranger, and that the  
donor
agency stresses the confidentiality of the adult donor over the  
emotional
and physical well-being of the searching child.

The forgotten member of the anonymous donor contract is the offspring.
These persons did not agree to the contract of anonymity.  The fact  
of their
conception does not obligate them to adhere to a contract to which  
they did
not agree.  Likewise, adoptees all over the world are held to adoption
contracts and promises to which they were not a party.

Adopted persons and donor offspring are more vulnerable than other  
citizens
to genetically-inherited vulnerabilities to disease.  They do not have
contact with blood relatives, increasing the difficulty of locating  
organ or
marrow donations.  And these liabilities are handed down to their own
offspring, who certainly have no responsibility for the conditions under
which their parents were conceived.

Adoption and sperm donorship are excellent and necessary  
institutions.  But
for too long agencies have made promises that they have no right  
making in
order to facilitate their business.  And they maintain policies of  
secrecy
and privileged information without appropriate oversight: policies  
that deny
the rights of the adult citizens who emerge from their practices.

It is long past time that these organizations revisit the core  
beliefs that
underly their placement policies: that children are a commodity, that
secrecy is beneficial to the donor or adoption process, and that they  
have
any right at all to keep from adult citizens the personal and medical
information that can profoundly affect the lives of those citizens  
and their
own chilren.

And as this story indicates, if these agencies cannot grow and change  
they
will be bypassed.  Mightn't it have been better in this case for the  
15 year
old to be encouraged to wait until he was an adult, with the  
understanding
that at that time he would have the right to contact his biological  
father?
Wouldn't it have been better if, refusing to accept that delay, he  
and his
parents could have received counselling in concert with the meeting  
with his
biological father?  Instead, a child took matters into his own hands and
faced all the risks without any professional guidance.

Secrets and lies are not an appropriate foundation for such well- 
intentioned
businesses as donor banks and adoption agencies.  It's long since  
past time
that these ill-considered secrecy policies be discarded, and open  
practices
be put into place to protect all parties and guarantee the full  
rights of
everyone involved - including the adults who trace their origins to  
these
organizations.

Bob Alberti, "Founding Foundling," Bastard Nation, http:// 
www.bastards.org
Phone: (612) 486-5000 ext 211                                PO Box  
583453
http://www.sanction.net                                Mpls, MN  
55458-3453

"They SAY that your network is secure, but how can you be certain?"


-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 5:47 PM
To: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: [IP] Anonymous sperm donor traced using DNA, Internet



Date: November 3, 2005 2:35:14 PM EST
To: Multiple recipients of list talk <talk () privacy cs cmu edu>
Subject: PRIVACY:: Anonymous sperm donor traced using DNA, Internet
Reply-To: talk () privacy cs cmu edu


     Here's a clever 15 year old. First he uses DNA to find two men
with very similar genes to himself and the same last name. His mother
knew the date and place of birth of the unidentified donor. Only one
person with that name was born at that time in that place. It seems
to be time to figure out the risk of re-identifiability using {DNA,
DoB, place of birth} along with genealogical databases.

       http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18825244.200

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