Donor to Order

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The proliferation of women choosing donor insemination has raised new questions, however, such as the risk that half-siblings will accidentally meet and marry. Sims says limitations on the number of specimens any one donor can provide make the risk "highly unlikely." In part to prevent such couplings, Jane Mattes of the 3,000-member group Single Mothers by Choice has started a sibling registry where moms can list their banks and donor numbers. Another concern is that it is impossible to verify family medical histories on donor profiles. Bank staff members say it would be hard for donors to lie: donors, who can be disqualified just because they strike a staff member as odd, meet frequently with "donor managers" and must update their information regularly. Yet California Cryobank is being sued by a woman whose child has a serious kidney ailment not included on the donor's family medical profile. The donor, says Sims, did not know his family had the disease.

For this and other reasons, the drive to know as much about donors as possible will continue, as will the drive by sperm banks to refine the donor population. Most recently, Xytex has begun to require that donors be at least 5 ft. 8 in. Explains David Towles: "Tall--along with college educated, sensitive, nice--tends to sell well."