Several British parents have revealed they experienced errors in IVF samples at overseas clinics, resulting in children who are not biologically related to the donors they had carefully selected.
According to reports published by the Daily Mail, Laura and her partner Beth underwent treatment at the Dogus Fertility Clinic in Northern Cyprus, where they had two children through assisted reproduction. However, suspicions arose after noticing differences in the second child’s appearance, prompting DNA tests that revealed neither child was biologically related to each other or to the chosen donor.
The couple reportedly spent around £16,000 on travel, accommodation, medication, and treatment procedures, in addition to approximately £2,000 for sperm samples, before discovering the error. They expressed feelings of anger and distress due to the loss of donor information and medical history.
Investigative reports also indicated similar cases, with BBC reporting seven additional instances in the same region where parents believe they received incorrect donor samples.
Northern Cyprus is known as a destination for fertility treatments due to lower costs and relatively high success rates; however, regulations there are less stringent compared to UK standards, with limited oversight and no independent regulatory authority capable of monitoring clinics or revoking licenses when necessary.
Despite complaints from affected families, no official response has been issued by the Northern Cyprus health authorities, while experts warn that the lack of effective oversight may expose patients to serious risks and procedural errors in IVF treatments outside the United Kingdom.
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