Fertility Doctor Sued for Inseminating Two- Women with Wrong Sperm Speaks to a Much Bigger Problem!

Two Ottawa families are suing a well-known fertility doctor over allegations his clinic used the wrong sperm during their fertility treatments. from CTV.ca News Staff (September 14th, 2010) The above headline struck home with me on a number of levels as it brought back the unpleasant reminders of my previous marriage, in that the issue of infertility created a black hole of desperation that consumed time, emotions, money and eventually the marriage itself. The fact that a physician has been sued for “using the wrong sperm” to inseminate two different women also speaks to the the snake oil tactics employed by a burgeoning industry which seeks to capitalize on the desperation of couples looking to experience the gift and joys of parenting. Like lawyers, who get paid whether they win the case or not, fertility doctors also get paid – in 1992 the cost was $5,000 per insemination which also included the expensive mind and mood altering drugs my then wife had to take – regardless of whether or not they are successful. Suffice to say, and after a string of emotional roller-coaster hopes and failures, all that remained was the empty feeling of a life and family that was never to be. In this thought-provoking, controversial and perhaps even heart-rending segment, I am joined by our resident health expert Jeff Knott to talk about the world of fertility (or infertility clinics as the case may be for many), and whether they do as much harm as they do good. Jeff Knott is the acclaimed author of the book Navigating The Healthcare Maze, as well as a regular on television shows on networks such as Fox.