Sperm donation outside of fertility clinics (home insemination) is an increasingly common way to start a family, in Quebec and elsewhere in the world. Prospective parents sometimes turn to donors they meet online through social media or other internet platforms. Their motivations for doing so are varied and understandable, but online sperm donation comes with specific risks. For example, in 2023, journalists investigated three Quebec-based online donors—a father and his two sons—and revealed that they were responsible for more than 600 births across Central Quebec and the Outaouais region. Their biological ties and the scale of their donations outside of fertility clinics were not disclosed to the prospective parents, whose families are now linked to a genetic network far larger than they expected. Several of these parents sought support from the Centre ESPER, a help and support center for people experiencing fertility issues, and reached out to public authorities to request a systemic response to the issue. Over the past decade, similar cases have emerged in other countries such as the Netherlands, England, and Australia.
Very few studies have explored the phenomenon of online sperm donation and so-called “prolific” sperm donation. When families learn that they are connected to a vast genetic network as a result of their assisted reproduction journey involving sperm donation, how do parents react? What do they need to adapt to this situation? What personal or collective resources do they draw from? The Photovoice participatory research method will provide concrete answers to these questions, lead to the development of intervention tools, and conclude with a photography exhibition at Galerie UQO.
This collaborative research project is the first of its kind in Canada, and one of few in the world, to examine the psychosocial impacts of widespread online sperm donation. It will raise awareness among professionals and government agencies about the needs expressed by the families involved, and help co-develop courses of action and intervention strategies.
Funded by a Partnership Engage Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2026–2027) and by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services, this project is led by principal investigator Isabel Côté and postdoctoral fellow Loïs Crémier, along with co-investigators Sabrina Zeghiche and Anne-Marie Luca (Centre ESPER, project partner).
