Wrong Sperm Used at Fertility Clinics in Northern Cyprus, Families Fear

At fertility clinics in Northern Cyprus, the wrong sperm or egg donors were used in at least seven confirmed cases. Parents of another thirty children - most of them British - fear the same happened to them, according to an investigation by the BBC.

The parents had carefully selected anonymous donors based on their medical history, appearance, personality, education, and hobbies. Several now suspect the chosen donors were never actually used in their treatment. Most say the clinics had promised them screened, healthy donors from Western Europe. Their doubts began only after their children were born.

One clinic stands out in the investigation: half of the thirty children were born following treatment at the Dogus IVF Centre. Eleven of the thirty children have taken commercial DNA tests, which show genetic ancestry from Turkey or neighboring countries - a sign that a different donor was used than the one the parents had picked.

The UK health ministry promised an inquiry, but the BBC has not heard where that investigation stands despite repeated questions. The investigation also revealed that Cryos International, the world's largest sperm bank, has had the Dogus clinic on a blacklist since 2016.

The families are left with huge questions: who is the biological donor of their child, and what is that person's medical history? "These reports are deeply disturbing," says Laura Bridgens, founder of Donor Conceived UK. "It is a fundamental human right for someone conceived through a donor to know the truth about their origins."

Rachel is one of the mothers who recently discovered she did not get the sperm donor she had chosen. Her 13-year-old son was conceived with Turkish rather than Danish sperm. "I first thought the clinic had made a one-off mistake," she says. After learning more families had come forward, she changed her mind: "It is frankly scandalous."

In Northern Cyprus, where EU law does not apply and which is internationally recognized only by Turkey, fertility clinics are barely regulated. They attract patients with low prices, high success rates, and a wide choice of donors, making the region a popular destination for Britons seeking treatment abroad.