A Bay Area woman is part of a civil lawsuit alleging that a doctor used his own sperm — not that of an anonymous donor — to impregnate her.
“Katherine Richards, who has a daughter and a son, spoke out Wednesday about her case centered around how her now-adult children were conceived. Her case is one of two similar cases that have been filed against two different doctors.
Richards and her partner had been unable to conceive and were referred to a doctor for help.
“Ultimately presented us with a decision of using artificial insemination,” Richards said. “He assured us that the donor would be anonymous.”
Attorney Adam Wolf is pushing for tougher regulations, saying the families were victims of fertility fraud.
“These women trusted their doctors to do their job and be honest with them to follow the clear directions they gave their doctors and to use the sperm of an anonymous donor to achieve the pregnancy,” Wolf said.
Richards received her treatment in Alamo several years ago. The doctor moved on and was licensed in Virgina since 1998.
NBC Bay Area is not using the doctor’s name since we have not been able to reach him or any representative for comment.
Richards said her family learned the doctor is her daughter’s biological father after using home DNA test kits that search nationwide databases for a match.
The family said the doctor “likely” fathered Richards’ son, too.
“He secretly used his own sperm,” Richards said. “Now I have to know that he violated me.”
Richards said she also found out her daughter is a carrier for a genetic condition that she’ll have to deal with for the rest of her life.”
NBC Bay Area | Christie Smith | September 16, 2020
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