Screening sperm donors for cystic fibrosis

Screening gamete donors for cystic fibrosis status

Gamete donors are currently not tested for cystic fibrosis, even though carriers have a very high risk of producing children with the disease. We recommend that gamete donors be routinely tested for cystic fibrosis. Similar arguments exist for antenatal screening for cystic fibrosis.

Genetics and human reproduction

Most people want children, and most people want healthy children. For those couples with an infertility problem who have recourse to assisted reproduction, usually in vitro fertilization (IVF) or donor insemination (DI), the practitioners have a special responsibility to ensure as far as possible that the babies in whose conception they assist are in good health. How can they best tackle the challenge of inherited diseases, of which about 4000 are known today, and chromosomal malfunction?