Seven Families, One Doctor, the Wrong Sperm

The families of seven children conceived through IVF at clinics in Northern Cyprus have discovered that the wrong sperm or egg donors were used. Most have completed commercial DNA tests that appear to confirm it.

Beth and Laura spent nearly a decade wondering. Their son James had brown eyes, dark hair, and olive skin — nothing like the Danish donor they selected, a man called “Finn” whose profile described light eyes and a motivation to “bring life and happiness to others.” When they finally tested both children, the results showed neither was conceived with Finn’s sperm — and the siblings were not biologically related.

“We went from having this nice profile of donor Finn and feeling like we knew the family history and the health history, to just nothing,” Beth told the BBC.

The couple was treated at Dogus IVF Centre by Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip, who told the BBC she was not responsible for ordering sperm at that time and questioned the reliability of commercial DNA tests. Court-admissible DNA tests later confirmed the findings. A leading forensic genetics expert concluded it was unlikely either child was biologically related to donor Finn.

Two additional British families treated by Firdevs at Miracle IVF Centre, which she founded in 2019, reported similar outcomes involving egg donors they believed they had selected.

Northern Cyprus — a territory outside EU law, recognized only by Turkey — has become a popular destination for Britons seeking fertility treatment. It has no independent fertility regulator. “Clinics who abide by the law do it because the owners have a good conscience,” said lawyer and activist Mine Atli. “It’s not something that they are forced to do by the state.”

Dr Ippokratis Sarris of the British Fertility Society called it “the biggest fear of any IVF unit.” European specialists told the BBC that multiple donor errors involving the same team could suggest “negligence” or even “deception.”

Northern Cyprus’s Ministry of Health has not responded to the findings. Dogus IVF Centre did not comment.

Sources

‘I knew something wasn’t right’: Wrong sperm given to families by IVF clinics — BBC News
Vulnerable would-be parents being sold ‘false hope’ by overseas IVF clinics, regulator warns — The Independent

Discussion (6)

MarcusW_82

Seven families and the doctor still says she's not responsible? If your name is on every single case maybe it's time to look in the mirror.

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jenbirkin

she said she wasnt responsible for ordering sperm at that time, read the article. not saying shes innocent but at least get the facts right smh

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vkrishnan

The absence of an independent fertility regulator in Northern Cyprus is the core issue here. In the UK, the HFEA maintains strict protocols for sample identification — double-witnessing at every stage, electronic chain-of-custody tracking, barcode verification. What Mine Atli describes is essentially a system relying entirely on self-regulation, which, as any governance researcher will tell you, is no regulation at all when financial incentives are involved. The BBC's 2023 investigation into IVF tourism in the region touched on similar concerns regarding oversight gaps.

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DonnaPeters1957

This is exactly why I would NEVER do IVF outside the US or UK. People want to save a few thousand pounds and end up with someone else's baby. You get what you pay for. My cousin went to Cyprus for dental work and came back with an infection that took 8 months to clear up. These countries do NOT have the same standards full stop.

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Linda M. Rojas

There are excellent clinics in many countries. The issue here isn't geography — it's governance. Northern Cyprus specifically lacks the regulatory framework that protects patients. Even within the EU, standards vary significantly. The important takeaway is that patients should verify that their clinic is subject to independent oversight, regardless of location. Blaming an entire region misses the point that this was a preventable failure of accountability structures.

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0xnull

no independent regulator and the ministry of health just ghosted the bbc. cool, very reassuring for the people whose entire genetic lineage is now a surprise.

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