Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/04/04/woman-shocked-when-her-dna-tes.html
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That sounds a little victim-blamey.
Few choices are as personal as those surrounding human reproduction. The doctor didn’t just violate his medical oath, he violated a woman’s decision about who or what to allow into her uterus.
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There was a Law & Order episode just like this.
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I thought it was just me.
I can understand the potential embarrassment in general; because our society has serious sexual hangups, which extend to fertility, or any lack thereof.
But I’m not certain that the woman in question was ‘owed an explanation’ of her parents’ choice to utilize artificial insemination if they were having problems conceiving naturally.
Had she been adopted and if they had chosen to lie about it, that would be different; but implying that the parents are somehow “wrong” for not disclosing their reproductive method with their offspring is just weird.
It’s not like they knew the doctor was going to violate his oath by using his own sperm instead of that of an anonymous donor.
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It was based on an actual case.
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It seemens to me that this type of thing is pretty common.
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someone please explain to me how Ancestry.com had the specifics of the father based on the DNA sample? last time I checked, names aren’t imbedded in the sequence.
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My, you have a fertile imagination… and that’s okay. Seminal ideas often come from that.
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I could see the case for saying parents “owe” their children an explanation for their conception if that information was important for making informed medical decisions (for example: if the parents learn the biological father was a carrier for a rare genetic condition), but beyond that it really feels like it should be a call left to the individual family.
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Yeah, good point Brainspore. I think I’ll change that - thx!
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Exactly, like if you carry the genetic trait of Sickle Cell or Tay Sachs; then I can understand the necessity. But aside from that, I agree it should be at the discretion of the family.
(That said; how many of us really want to hear a ‘blow by blow’ discussion of how our parents got preggers?)
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Here you go: Inconceivable!
This is a deeply awful story, though.
Also wasn’t something like this the basis of an XFiles ep, too? that’s how creepy it is.
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I was going to say, what is the typical “responsible” thing when it comes to artificial insemination? I am not sure if it was a random donor one would tell the child? Or do they, I dunno.
I don’t think there is “shame” from resorting to a donor to try to conceive.
Certainly having it be from the WRONG donor is fraudulent and a huge breach of trust. Though I have heard of other fertility doctors doing this. And I have heard of people learning through DNA tests their uncle was really their father, or some other family friend (i.e. child of affairs unbeknownst to at least one of the parents, usually.)
I’d say that was every adolescent’s nightmare; except that I have a friend who once walked in on his parents having sex… and they kept on going.
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Scenario based on my first hand account re my own DNA sample dealings with Ancestry.com: Both the doctor and the young lady in question submit their DNA samples to Ancestry.com for analysis (millions have out of need or just plain curiosity). Ancestry then sends a “helpful” email to clients saying, “Hey! A whole bunch of DNA matches came up! Click here to see those matches!” And when you see those matches (all the way to 6th cousins from what I’ve seen so far!!) you sometimes get to see the pictures of and actual names for other clients who didn’t have a problem with submitting those pictures with those names. Some “names” are poorly hidden (ex: a portion of a, say, yahoo email is used as a client-name, and that can lead to an actual name… and location… without contacting a DNA matching person). Clients can even opt for having Ancestry allow release of certain information (likely based on having filed out ones profile).
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OMG - I did that once, but didn’t stick around to see if they kept going.
"Mom, dad, I’m going to woorrr - " turns around, shuts the door
I guess I should have knocked… I guess they should get a fucking lock. It was a Sunday morning, for gods sake.
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Yup. Was just about to post this. I remember it well.
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I walked in on my older sister once, and that was disgusting enough. (3:30 pm on a school day, and I was living with her at the time.)
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This is why there are kids summer camps.
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