Sperm Donors Anonymous (ATOM study guide)

Sperm Donors Anonymous is a cautionary and inspiring documentary about the effects of anonymous sperm donation on donor-conceived children, their families and the sperm donors themselves.

Myf, Michael, Jeff and Ross were conceived in the 1970s using anonymous donor sperm. All four grew up thinking their dad was their biological father, only to discover in adulthood that they were donor-conceived. Sharing a desire to uncover the truth about their donor father and their genetic heritage, their search for answers is hampered by old promises to donors that they would remain anonymous. Faced with this obstacle, they are inventive in their efforts to find out what they can, and searching yields some very surprising results. They meet the doctors responsible for their conception, follow the trail of missing files, undergo DNA tests and connect with other donor-conceived people – all in the hope of uncovering their genetic heritage and finding out about their sperm-donor fathers and donor-conceived siblings.

The 1970s saw major advances in the technology to freeze and store sperm. Men were paid to donate sperm to infertile couples on the understanding their identity would remain secret. These men often don't know how many babies they fathered. And in many cases, their offspring have been kept in the dark about how they were conceived.

Sperm Donors Anonymous lifts the lid on donor anonymity, looks at the effects on the donor-conceived, their families, and on the sperm donors themselves, and shows what is possible when the truth is told.

Curriculum Links

Sperm Donors Anonymous is recommended for study in Years 10–12. The curriculum areas that Sperm Donors Anonymous can be related to include English, Science, Legal Studies, and Health and Human Development.