Authors

Jenna H. Bauman

Article Title

Discovering Donors: Legal Rights to Access Information About Anonymous Sperm Donors Given to Children of Artificial Insemination in Johnson v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Abstract

In the Johnson case, six-year-old Brittany, a child conceived through artificial insemination, was diagnosed with a genetically-transmitted kidney disease originating from the child's anonymous sperm donor. The case documents the parents' struggle to obtain personal medical information regarding the anonymous donor. It also illustrates the donor's fight, with the full support of the sperm bank, to maintain his anonymity at all costs. This Note discusses the court's decision in Johnson v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, et al., in which it held that children created through artificial insemination should be allowed access to information about their anonymous sperm donor fathers under limited circumstances. This Note will also explain the impact this decision will have on current sperm bank practices. Part II explains the background of the artificial insemination industry, as well as privacy rights discussed by the Johnson court. Part III will discuss the facts of the case and its procedural history. Part IV explains the court's analysis of this case and its decision. Part V critiques the court's analysis and discusses the possible effect the decision may have on the artificial insemination industry.

Recommended Citation

Jenna H. Bauman, Discovering Donors: Legal Rights to Access Information About Anonymous Sperm Donors Given to Children of Artificial Insemination in Johnson v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 31 Golden Gate U. L. Rev. (2001).
https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/ggulrev/vol31/iss2/4