Twins who were taken away from each other as babies met later and got married without knowing they were brother and sister, according to a member of the British House of Lords.

Artists Impression
http://www.cantcoachthat.com/images/uploads/03velha.jpg

wow that really sucks for the people involved

Yeah, I just read this on ninemsn, pretty unusual.

The news story relates this case to another article about children born through IVF needing to have the biological fathers' name listed on birth certificates so as to avoid this sort of thing - makes a pretty good point i think.

I suppose not knowing they were your brother/sister and obviously having so much in common it would be easy to find some sort of connection with them. Sucks to find out though that you've slept with your own brother/sister unknowingly :S

The news story relates this case to another article about children born through IVF needing to have the biological fathers' name listed on birth certificates so as to avoid this sort of thing - makes a pretty good point i think.

no it doesn't. It makes a good point for having some identifier on the birth certificate but not the name. Instead of a name you could have a doner number or some such. Then people can check if they have the same doner if they are both IVF kids.

In the case where the doner's child is one of the people in the relationship the doner could tell their own childern their doner number.

Since the law was changed to give the rights to the child to find out who their biological parents when they turn 18 sperm donation has dropped 70 to 80 percent.

"Donors don't mind doing the good samaritan thing, but they're less keen to have, 18 to 20 years down the track, five or 10 kids turning up on their doorstep wanting contact with them," Dr Molloy said. "A lot of the time the donors were really just performing a community service, like blood donation. Most of them aren't really interested in further contact.

The doner, who is the critical component to the whole process, needs privacy too.

not a problem in Tasmania

Yea I can see why the need for people to know where they came from in terms of say not marrying into their own family, but I do agree that donors definitely need their privacy too seeing as they're generally not donating so that they can meet the child down the track

no it doesn't. It makes a good point for having some identifier on the birth certificate but not the name. Instead of a name you could have a doner number or some such. Then people can check if they have the same doner if they are both IVF kids.

Fair point, clearly I misread the article.

the picture in wetwired's post... is the joke that the kid and the lady are twins, or that her tits are seperated twins?

"So baby, whats your fathers donor number?"

wouldn't alarm bells ring when you discovered you shared a birthday, and knew you were both adopted?

They should count themselves lucky.

Separating twins is a difficult procedure that often results in the death of one or both infants.

Unless it's done via runaway makeshift donut shop anchor...

I don't think they were actually physically separated Siamese twins, Veg...

haha i'm guessing thats a joke.

i'm pretty sure if identical twins tried to get married someone would stand up and say something, haha

Bring on the genetic database and forced matches!

"what do you bring to this relationship? a left arm"
"oh well thats great, I only have a right arm"

also donut anchor reference +1

It's a match made in heaven!