The Scary Truth Behind Sperm Donation
New Idea|June 14, 2021
Sarah discovered dirty secrets of the fertility industry while looking for her biological dad
Courtney Greatrex
The Scary Truth Behind Sperm Donation

Sarah Dingle was 27 years old when she discovered that her identity was a lie.

Over dinner with her mum one night, she was told she was conceived using a sperm donor and that the man who raised her wasn’t her biological father. The discovery left her questioning who she really was.

Sarah, a journalist by trade, decided to use her skills to track down her roots and made shocking discoveries about the fertility industry as she went.

“When I found out the truth that was a big shock, but that was the least of it,” she tells New Idea. “My part in that mess is so tiny, compared to just the magnitude of problems I discovered. It’s a baked-in disaster.”

Sarah, now 37, says she initially didn’t believe her mother when she revealed the truth about her conception.

“My first reaction was, ‘Are you joking?’ I couldn’t compute. It rocked everything I knew about myself.”

The weeks and months that followed left Sarah reeling.

“I was going about my life feeling very detached and hollow. I would brush my teeth and when I looked at myself, I didn’t recognise my face.”

Denne historien er fra June 14, 2021-utgaven av New Idea.

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Denne historien er fra June 14, 2021-utgaven av New Idea.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.