Doctor sued for using his own sperm to impregnate multiple patients

A Connecticut doctor has been sued for using his own sperm to artificially inseminate many infertile patients without their knowledge.

Janine Pierson and her mother decided to sue Dr. Burton Caldwell, who worked at a fertility clinic in New Haven. Pierson, 36, said her parents had undergone artificial insemination in 1980 because of infertility. Since then, the whole family believed she was conceived using her father's sperm. In 2022, curious about her father's family tree, she decided to take a DNA test through 23andme and was shocked to discover that she had 19 half-siblings.

Pierson initially didn't believe the results, but further research and validation showed that the 23andme results were accurate. Her oldest sister's father is 50 years old, and her youngest is 35.

A week later, one of them contacted Pierson. Through the call, she discovered that the woman’s mother had been going to the same fertility clinic in New Haven run by Dr. Burton Caldwell. They discovered that the doctor had used her sperm to artificially inseminate multiple couples without telling them the truth.

“It was the most difficult conversation of my life,” she said.

Illustration of the in vitro fertilization process. Photo: Freepik

She and her mother have filed a lawsuit against Dr. Caldwell, alleging that he used his own sperm without the consent of his patients. Angela Mattie, a professor at Quinnipiac University’s School of Business and Medicine, called the practice dangerous and unethical. However, there are currently no federal or Connecticut laws against it.

Pierson said the consequences of reproductive fraud are devastating for families. Recently, two of her half-siblings accidentally dated.

"My siblings had no idea, they couldn't accept that they had ever had a relationship with their own blood relative," she said.

Pierson said she went to Dr. Caldwell's home to confront him. He admitted to using his sperm to artificially inseminate multiple women.

Caldwell is now in his 80s, having retired from practice in 2004.

Thuc Linh (According to The Hill )

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