UK families treated with wrong donor sperm in Northern Cyprus

Sperm and eggs from the wrong donors were used in IVF treatment for British families at clinics in Northern Cyprus.

A BBC investigation on the 'Scams and Scandals' programme featured the parents of seven children conceived through treatment at clinics including Dogus IVF Centre and Miracle IVF Centre, who suspected their chosen donors had not been used. Most of the families have taken DNA tests, which have confirmed their suspicions.

'I don't want people to think that I need to have a baby that looks like me, that's not what this is about,' said one woman whose chosen egg donor was not used. 'I don't want to lie to [my children] about where they come from.'

Northern Cyprus has become a popular destination for UK patients seeking cheaper treatment, shorter waiting times and options not available in the UK, including non-medical sex selection and donor anonymity. The Turkish-governed territory does have laws regulating its fertility sector, but no independent regulator to enforce them.

One case involved Laura and Beth, a same-sex couple from England, who underwent treatment at the Dogus IVF Centre. Each woman gave birth to one child, and they specifically requested that the clinic use the same sperm donor for both pregnancies so their children would be genetically related to each other.

Following the birth of their second child, however, the couple became concerned and arranged DNA testing. The results, analysed by forensic geneticist Professor Denise Syndercombe Court of King's College London, UK, indicated that neither of their children was related to the selected donor, and that each had a different donor.

'It's an absolutely appalling position for patients to be in,' Dr Ippokratis Sarris of the British Fertility Society told the BBC. 'I've never heard of an incident like this in the UK. It is the biggest fear of any IVF unit to mix up an egg or sperm or embryo.'

Following the BBC report, Turkish Cypriot health minister Hakan Dinçyürek released a statement saying: 'The necessary legal review and investigation process has been promptly initiated ... Our ministry remains fully committed to exercising the highest level of diligence throughout all stages of this process and to taking all necessary legal steps accordingly.'