Flemish fertility clinics no longer use donors Danish sperm bank after scandal
Several Flemish fertility centres are no longer using sperm donors from the Danish European Sperm Bank (ESB) for new patients, according to research by VRT NWS. The Danish sperm bank came under scrutiny after it emerged that one donor, who is a carrier of a cancer-causing gene mutation, had been used for no fewer than 39 women in Belgium.
At the end of May, it was reported that 52 children in Belgium had been conceived using sperm from a Danish donor who is a carrier of a hereditary gene mutation that increases the risk of developing various types of cancer. That number was later revised to 55 children. The children were conceived by 39 different women, far exceeding the legal maximum of six women per donor.
In September, it became known that the UZ Brussel hospital would no longer be using the Danish sperm bank. Now it appears that the fertility clinics of UZ Gent, AZ Sint-Jan in Bruges, Antwerp's Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom (ZAS), Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Jessa Ziekenhuis in Hasselt, AZ Sint-Lucas in Ghent and AZ Groeninge in Kortrijk, amongst others, are also no longer relying on the Danish sperm bank. The AZ Jan Palfijn hospital in Ghent stated that it only orders donor sperm from the sperm bank in very exceptional cases.
The Brussels public prosecutor's office has already launched an investigation into the irregularities surrounding the sperm samples. In addition, there has been much criticism of the FAMHP medicines agency, which was responsible for monitoring the maximum of six families per donor. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke has therefore requested an audit of the FAMHP. This audit will be presented to the Chamber on Tuesday.
#FlandersNewsService | Fertility clinic of the UZ Brussel © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
