IVF scandal as UK children conceived with ‘WRONG sperm or egg’ – DNA tests show shock ‘Turkish heritage’

More than 30 children are thought to have been conceived through IVF using the wrong sperm or egg donors, an investigation has found.

Dozens of parents, most of whom are British, fear fertility clinics in northern Cyprus did not use the donors they had carefully selected.

British families said they selected anonymous sperm or egg donors after considering their medical history, looks, personality and education, with many choosing donors with similar heritage. 

However DNA tests are said to have subsequently revealed genetic ancestry from Turkey and nearby countries, despite families being told the donors were from Western Europe. 

IVF – medically known as in vitro fertilisation – is a treatment used by individuals struggling to conceive. 

The treatment sees eggs fertilised with sperm in a lab before the resulting embryo is transferred to the womb – either of the biological mother, or of a surrogate.

Around one in every 32 births in the UK now results from IVF. 

The latest catastrophic mistakes are said to be made by staff at IVF clinics in northern Cyprus, according to a BBC report.

The broadcaster first exposed concerns about clinics in the region in March, when parents of at least seven children raised doubts about the DNA of their offspring. 

Eleven of the 30 children have since undergone DNA tests, which are said to have found ancestry that differed from the choice made by parents.

Half of the 30 children were conceived following treatment at Dogus IVF Centre in Nicosia, northern Cyprus. 

The majority of the children who took the DNA tests revealing the unexpected ancestry were also said to have been conceived at Dogus. 

One mother treated at the clinic, who discovered her selected sperm donor was not the biological father of her son, described the situation as ‘absolutely scandalous’.

The woman, named only as Rachel by the BBC, said she’d worried for years after being treated at Dogus in 2012 because her son Jonah looked different to the man she selected.

Rachel also claims staff refused to send her proof of a medical report confirming the sperm she requested had been used.

After reading about the parents coming forward with concerns in March, she and Jonah, now 13, took DNA tests.

The results revealed that Jonah was Rachel’s biological son but that the sperm donor she had selected was not the father.

‘I used to think the clinic had made a one-off mistake,’ Rachel said, but added that ‘it feels like this is something much bigger and more deceitful’.

Three members of staff at Dogus are said to have been involved in many of the patients’ care: Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, Dr Sevket Alpturk and patient co-ordinator Julie Hodson.

Dr Firdevs was also said to be linked to another nine further cases at two other clinics, including Miracle IVF, which she currently runs.

After being contacted by the BBC, Dr Firdevs denied any wrongdoing and said she had been cleared of breaching any laws. 

Dr Alpturk and Dr Hodson had not yet responded, it was reported.

The Daily Mail has today contacted Dogus for comment. 

It has also been revealed that the world’s largest sperm bank, Cryos International, blacklisted the clinic in 2016.

Cryos told the BBC it had no record of ever delivering sperm to Dogus, despite the clinic having advertised its relationship with the sperm bank.

It has also stopped working with Miracle IVF. 

Northern Cyprus is a popular location for IVF treatment because clinics advertise cheap treatments and a wide range of donors.

Studies show that as many as one in three UK fertility patients seek treatment abroad, mostly due to eye-watering costs at home.

In 2012, Rachel paid around £3,200 for her treatment.  Today, IVF costs at least £5,000 in the UK, but can be thousands more.

However, northern Cyprus is only internationally recognised as a territory by Turkey and European Union laws do not apply there.

This means fertility clinics there may be more loosely regulated than those elsewhere.

The area’s Ministry of Health confirmed that it had launched an official investigation after the allegations in March but has not provided any further updates.

Laura Bridgens, founder of the charity Donor Conceived UK, said: ‘These reports are deeply troubling. It’s a fundamental human right for a donor-conceived person to know the truth about their origins.’ 

Other experts told the BBC that the scandal suggests ‘negligence’ or ‘deception’ may have been at play.

The British Fertility Society said it shows a ‘systemic problem which transcends one rogue doctor and one rogue clinic’.