Parenthood

Awkward First Date Questions: Who’s Your Daddy?

Thanks to growing sperm donations, you're way more likely to date a sibling.

There are myriad issues that can be brought up regarding the unregulated sperm donation industry.  Popular donors can introduce unknown genetic defects into a larger population, or end up with offspring in the hundreds.

But what appears to be most uncomfortable, according to the New York Times, is the potential of dating your own half-sibling:

Now, there is growing concern among parents, donors and medical experts about potential negative consequences of having so many children fathered by the same donors, including the possibility that genes for rare diseases could be spread more widely through the population. Some experts are even calling attention to the increased odds of accidental incest between half sisters and half brothers, who often live close to one another.

“My daughter knows her donor’s number for this very reason,” said the mother of a teenager conceived via sperm donation in California who asked that her name be withheld to protect her daughter’s privacy. “She’s been in school with numerous kids who were born through donors. She’s had crushes on boys who are donor children. It’s become part of sex education” for her.

That would definitely add a whole new section in the “getting to know you” first date questionnaire.