Reports say at least 30 children conceived with wrong donors at northern Cyprus IVF clinics

Nicosia, Cyprus. At least 30 children have reportedly been conceived through in vitro fertilisation using sperm or egg donors other than those selected by their parents at clinics in northern Cyprus.

The BBC said most of the affected children are British nationals and that parents suspect the requested donors were not used in their fertility treatments.

Reported donor concerns

The parents had selected anonymous donors based on information including medical history, appearance, personality, education and hobbies, according to the BBC.

The report said they had concerns that the sperm and egg donors they requested may not have been used.

Dogus IVF Centre cases

Half of the reported cases involve children born following procedures at the Dogus IVF Centre in Neapolis, a northern Nicosia suburb.

The BBC reported that the clinic has been blacklisted by Cryos International, described as the world’s largest sperm bank, since 2016.

One mother, identified only as Rachel, told the BBC that it was “absolutely scandalous” after learning she had received sperm from the wrong donor at the clinic.

Political reaction and sex-selection report

Earlier BBC reports this year on alleged wrong-donor cases at the Dogus IVF Centre prompted a political backlash in the north.

In April, CTP representative Dogus Derya said a lack of oversight created individual grievances, undermined public trust and raised questions about the healthcare system. She also said the case raised serious suspicions of abuse concerning the physical and economic rights of young women who donate eggs.

Deutsche Welle also reported that IVF clinics in the north offered prospective parents the option to choose their baby’s sex. UBP secretary-general Ahmet Savasan said on camera that “we do not do sex selection in Cyprus for the sake of sex selection”, before being recorded telephoning someone and saying that any reference to sex selection on the website should be removed.