More UK families have reported that the wrong donor sperm or eggs were used in fertility treatment at clinics in Northern Cyprus.
Following a BBC investigation earlier this year (see BioNews 1334 and 1342), more parents have come forward. At least 30 children are now believed to have been conceived using the wrong donor gametes, with these suspicions confirmed for 11 of them using commercial DNA tests. One mother, Rachel, had selected a Western European donor codenamed 'Ditto', but had long thought she had been given the wrong donor sperm. Her son's DNA test suggested he has Turkish ancestry.
She told the BBC: 'I wanted any child of mine to have the choice of being able to contact the donor,' and had specifically selected Ditto with this in mind. Now, as she explained on Woman's Hour, her son 'is unable to ever find out more information or make contact with the donor should he choose to in the future'.
The clinic where Rachel was treated, Dogus IVF Centre, is responsible for half of the 30 cases. Rachel said she chose this clinic because they advertised that they worked with Cryos, the largest sperm bank in Europe, and would order sperm from a donor of her choice. However, Cryos has told the BBC that it has no records of ever supplying sperm to Dogus.
'These reports are not at all surprising but deeply troubling because they strike at the heart of one of the most fundamental issues in donor conception: the right of donor-conceived people to know the truth about their origins,' said a statement from Donor Conceived UK, which supports and advocates for people born through donor conception.
Northern Cyprus is popular with British people seeking IVF treatment due to long NHS waiting lists, cheaper services, and the availability of treatments not permitted in the UK, such as sex selection. However, Northern Cyprus is not subject to EU law and does not have an independent fertility regulator similar to the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
The UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has now updated its advice, warning that 'fertility treatment in the north of Cyprus carries risks as clinics are not regulated in the same way as in the UK.'
Sources and References
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IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus
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Woman's Hour
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Foreign Office 'risky' warning for people heading to Cyprus
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Foreign travel advice Cyprus: Safety and Security
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A statement from Donor Conceived UK about the BBC article: 'IVF staff accused of misleading UK parents about sperm and egg donors in northern Cyprus'
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Miracle IVF Centre: BBC report does not fully, accurately or fairly reflect the facts
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