A Queensland woman who has discovered 77 half-brothers and sisters from the same sperm donor has called for the destruction of the remaining samples, as Australian health ministers prepare to discuss reform of the fertility industry.
Jessica Hamilton, 29, was told by Queensland Fertility Group (QFG) in 1995 that she could expect three to five siblings. After taking a DNA test out of curiosity, she initially found 13 half-siblings, a number that has since grown to 77. The clinic, now owned by Virtus Health, still stores nine samples of the donor’s sperm, some frozen for more than 30 years.
Hamilton's half-sister Lyndal Bubke learned this week that QFG continues to hold the samples, which she believes are available for use. The clinic insists they are only for families wanting a biological sibling for existing children. But Bubke argues that voluntary self-regulation has failed, and only independent government oversight can prevent further harm.
The issue will be debated at a meeting of federal and state health ministers in Perth on Friday, following a three-month rapid review of Queensland's fertility sector. The state health minister, Tim Nicholls, expressed dissatisfaction with the current self-regulatory regime, while the federal health minister, Mark Butler, called it a priority.
In 2022, QFG’s then medical director acknowledged the clinic had let down donor-conceived people. However, the clinic rejects claims that pre-2020 sperm samples are at high risk of misidentification, despite a health ombudsman’s finding that 99.8% failed to meet current standards. Hamilton and Bubke are urging QFG to destroy all old samples to prevent future mistakes.
