BioHacked tells startling true stories of the people caught between two multi-trillion-dollar industries — medicine and technology — and chronicles how their lives are transformed. In season 1, the children of anonymous sperm and egg donors — some with dozens or hundreds of half-siblings — take on the fertility industry. As they uncover the identities of their donors and gather vital medical information, unexpected ethical, scientific, and political challenges arise that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the baby business.
The BioHacked: Family Secrets podcast is a thought-provoking and well-produced show that delves into the often overlooked and complex world of donor conception. The podcast takes great care in presenting the subject matter, providing a fascinating and informative dive into the industry and its impact on individuals and families. It offers a unique perspective by featuring interviews with people directly impacted by donor conception, especially those who were conceived through sperm donation in its early stages. This podcast handles the difficult topic with sensitivity and offers valuable insights for anyone interested in or affected by fertility care.
One of the best aspects of The BioHacked: Family Secrets podcast is its ability to shed light on an underdiscussed topic. While there are many shows that focus on infertility struggles and fertility treatments, this podcast goes beyond that to explore the experiences of individuals who were conceived through donor methods. It provides a platform for their stories to be heard, offering a glimpse into their unique perspectives and struggles. Additionally, the podcast examines the ethical issues surrounding the fertility industry as a whole, encouraging listeners to consider the future implications of using donor conception methods. The show's production quality is top-notch, making for an engaging listening experience.
While there are few negative aspects to mention about this podcast, some may argue that it doesn't give enough attention to the struggles faced by parents dealing with infertility. However, it's important to note that this podcast does not dismiss or downplay the importance of fertility care. Instead, it seeks to broaden the conversation by exploring ethical concerns within the industry from both sides; those seeking fertility treatment and those who were born through donor conception methods. It encourages listeners to consider how improvements can be made to provide ethical care for all parties involved.
In conclusion, The BioHacked: Family Secrets podcast is an incredibly valuable show that tackles an important but often overlooked topic within reproductive medicine. By giving voice to individuals who were donor-conceived and examining ethical concerns within the fertility industry, it provides a well-rounded perspective that is both informative and thought-provoking. Listeners are able to gain insights into the experiences of donor-conceived individuals while also considering the impact of their own choices in the realm of fertility. Overall, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in reproductive medicine or those directly affected by donor conception.
infrequent
infrequent
infrequent
infrequent
infrequent
infrequent
In the small town of Montrose, Colorado - Megan Hess ran the Sunset Mesa funeral home. Known for her kindness and warmth, Megan was beloved by her customers. But behind this sweet demeanor, Megan was hiding a dark, twisted and shocking secret operation. What was going on in the back room of Sunset Mesa funeral home? Find out on this season of Cover Up: Body Brokers, listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: Body Brokers right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Cover Up: Body Brokers every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
BioHacked host T. J. Raphael is back with a new podcast — Cover Up: The Pill Plot. Back in the ‘90s, a ragtag group plotted an international drug smuggling scheme and set up a secretive lab to cook up tablets. But they weren't trafficking narcotics—they were fighting to bring the abortion pill to America. The new season of Cover Up: The Pill Plot will take you inside the epic struggle facing activists who battled presidents, the Supreme Court, militant anti-abortionists, would-be assassins, and murders. Listen to the full season now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You may have heard of the abortion pill, especially in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. But the story of how the pill became legal in America is closer to an action film than to a courtroom drama — with covert operations, heists, and even murder. On the new season of Cover Up: The Pill Plot, travel back to the ‘90s and join the ragtag group that plotted an international drug smuggling scheme and set up a secret lab to get the abortion pill to America. Get a front row seat to the epic struggle facing activists who battled presidents, the Supreme Court, militant anti-abortionists and so much more. Subscribers to The Binge can listen to all episodes of Cover Up: The Pill Plot right now, completely ad-free. Catch new episodes of Cover Up: The Pill Plot every week wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to The Binge and unlock all episodes ad-free today. Just click ‘Subscribe' on the top of the Cover Up show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you listen. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find out more about The Binge and other podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Smoke Screen: Deadly Cure is a podcast about a family on the fringe who convinced tens of thousands of people across the globe to buy a miracle liquid made of poison, the international conspiracy they ignited, and the people who fought to take them down. Smoke Screen: Deadly Cure is a Neon Hum Media, Bloomberg & Sony Music Entertainment production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aa Tiko' travels to a meet up of Guatemalan adoptees in Washington D.C., though he's a little unsure of what he'll find there. He talks to three different adoptees from two different continents about their lives, and how they manage to live in two worlds. While hesitant at first, Aa Tiko' begins to see himself as part of the larger adoptee community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Xicay takes us on a journey through Guatemalan history — from the Spanish invasion to the rise of the banana industry and eventually the Guatemalan Civil War — to understand how indigenous communities have resisted oppression again and again. And we see Dolores not as translator but as storyteller, sharing her own family's history and her hopes for Xicay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A birth family reunion in 2022 helps Diego piece together more parts of his identity, but it also sparks new questions that he struggles to process — especially as he and Laurie grapple with what it means to take a baby from one culture and raise him in another. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's 2022, and Diego has a mission: to reclaim his Guatemalan citizenship. But on the ground in Guatemala City, he finds that his identity as an adoptee is still complicated, even 23 years later. Diego asks his birth mother if he can meet his birth father, Cristobal — but it's unclear if that will actually happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We hear from a family whose adoption was in-progress when the Guatemalan government shut everything down. A few years after his fateful diagnosis, Diego is a surly teenager. The family's figuring out a way forward. Laurie takes Diego back to Guatemala, where he learns about the meanings behind his birth names — Xicay and Petzey. Diego asks Isabel more questions about his birth father, Cristobal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Diego turns 12, he's diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, and his entire world turns inside out. The family goes into survival mode. Sick and angry Diego acts out — and Laurie and Dan struggle with how to parent him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The international adoption racket is surging — and it's gotten way out of control. All over the world, ugly stories begin to surface: of stolen children, shady adoption lawyers, and birth mothers pressured to give up their children. So in 2008, under increasing pressure from human rights activists, the Guatemalan government shuts the whole thing down. And on a trip to Guatemala, Diego's curiosity is sparked by seeing a photograph of his birth father for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adoption has become a booming industry — the price is soaring, and Guatemala has become a top exporter of babies for adoption, second only to China. But when making families becomes secondary to making money, the cost to Guatemalan birth mothers is incalculable — and babies are treated more like products than people. Meanwhile, on a trip back to his birth village, six-year-old Diego receives tragic news — and Laurie and her husband Dan face a tough decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Laurie takes three-year-old Diego back to Guatemala for the first time since his adoption. While Diego bonds with his birth mother Isabel, Laurie starts talking with birth mothers all over the country. Many are young, live in poverty, or are survivors of the Guatemalan civil war. Despite how much adoption costs for families in the U.S., Laurie begins to realize how little birth mothers receive in exchange. Meanwhile, Diego is growing up as an indigenous Mayan kid in St. Paul, Minnesota — loving hockey, hating Spanish lessons, and navigating what it means to have family in two places. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's 1999, and reporter Laurie Stern wants to adopt a child with her husband. At the time, international adoption seems pretty straightforward — Laurie wants a baby, and there are babies who need parents. But once she arrives in Guatemala City to meet a five-month old boy named Diego, she realizes that nothing about adopting a baby from Guatemala is that simple. 23 years later, Diego's an adult, and he has questions of his own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Defining Diego is the story of one Guatemalan adoptee and his mother, a reporter who documented their journey from his earliest steps, as they try to understand how international adoption boomed and busted — and what it all means for families like theirs, with feet in two worlds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Families are complex, and so are the ways they come together. TJ Raphael, host of BioHacked, speaks with the host of our upcoming season — All Relative: Defining Diego, coming to this feed on October 3rd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Once called “the miracle on the beach,” Synanon began in the 1960s as an experimental rehab facility in Santa Monica, California with a radical claim: It could cure heroin addiction. Before long, it would make an even bolder claim: It could cure any of your problems. All you had to do was move in. What started in a house on the beach, soon spread to compounds across the country. The man who made the miracle happen, Charles E. Dederich, aka “Chuck,” would be the one to destroy it all, along with the lives of many of his followers and millions of dollars in assets. The Sunshine Place tells the mind-blowing, true-story of Synanon - one of America's most cutting edge social experiments, turned into one of its most dangerous and violent cults - as it's never been told before: by the people who lived it. Executive Produced by Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, and Emily Barclay Ford for Team Downey and C13Originals, together with Josh McLaughlin for Wink Pictures and written, produced, and directed by Peabody-nominated C13Originals, a Cadence13 Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Publicly, the government once called UFOs a “waste of time”, but new evidence and uncovered documents prove that the U.S. government is, and for decades has been, very interested in the UFO phenomenon. Who are these people coming forward with these government secrets? Fringe Network: Alien State is part of The Binge, a new podcast channel from Sony Music Entertainment. The Binge: All Episodes, All at Once. Out Now. From Somethin' Else and Sony Music Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The baby business has used shame and secrecy as tools for decades. But a new generation of parents are removing stigma by leaning into a model that centers love, science, and determination. How can the lessons of the past shape the way forward for the fertility industry? Have feedback about the show? Email us at biohacked@threeuncannyfour.com. Follow our host on Twitter @TJRaphael. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Facebook groups to Tinder-like apps, a new generation of parents are using unregulated tech to form families outside the baby business. Get to know the women and couples seeking out sperm online – and the donors stepping up to the plate to help them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fertility industry experts have a warning for donor conceived activists: new rules in the baby business could have some big, unintended consequences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donor conceived activists want lasting change, but they'll have to go big with their plans to overhaul the baby business. They've organized and strategized — and now, they're ready to take on the multi-billion dollar industry that created them. Even if it is an uphill battle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thousands of women donate eggs for cash or freeze them for personal use. Could this life-altering treatment be a lot more dangerous than we think? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A grandmother, a granddaughter, and one anonymous donor's fight to maintain his privacy. What happens when a genetic test creates a family rift? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The David and Goliath battle between an industry powerhouse and a family with a sick child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A look at a family built by Robert Graham's infamous Repository for Germinal Choice reveals the dark side of this genius sperm bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
An improbable tale to transform the human race, one genius at a time. Find out how a plan so seemingly out there wound up revolutionizing the baby business.
Frozen semen, a media circus, and the father of sperm banking. The man and the moment that gave life to millions — and catapulted the fertility industry into a global business.
A Christmas present turns Amber's life upside down. Shaken, she questions the very foundation of her identity — and struggles to learn the truth.
Kurt donated his sperm hundreds of times. He thought his identity could stay hidden forever, but Amber and Kaitlin are on his trail. Will he connect with them, or forever remain a mystery?
In the age of DNA, not many things can stay buried forever. BioHacked S1: Family Secrets, explores how at-home genetic testing is upending the baby business, and putting the children of anonymous sperm and egg donors into direct conflict with the industry that created them. Coming March 9th.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
