Screening sperm donors for autism? As an autistic person, I know that’s the road to eugenics

Britain’s largest sperm bank has a policy of turning away autistic donors and those diagnosed with other neurological disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], dyslexia and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The London Sperm Bank’s policies are deeply concerning. But to those of us who have been monitoring the ways in which genetic knowledge is being misused across the globe, they are not surprising. In egg donations (as in sperm donations) similar genetic screening of a diagnosis and a family history of autism, dyslexia and obsessive compulsive disorder is not uncommon. There is considerable evidence to support that these are all conditions with strong genetic components.

In the US, where sperm banks are only very lightly regulated, recipients may select for everything from preferred pets and hobbies to astrological sign. In Israel, sperm banks have been fielding a large number of requests for sperm from members of the military, particularly combat soldiers. As early as the 1980s, unsuccessful efforts were made in California to populate a sperm bank entirely with deposits from Nobel prizewinners...