Marjorie Mendes, born of medically assisted procreation (PMA), believes from her research that her mother’s gynecologist could be her biological father.
- Artificial insemination involves depositing sperm directly into the uterus.
- This medical act can be performed in the office of a gynecologist, because it does not require hospitalization.
- Since September 2021, PMA has been accessible to all women.
Marjorie Mendes wanted to know more about her origins, she thinks she discovered a scandal. Two years ago, the thirties obtained a DNA test via an online site, because these kits are prohibited in France. The results show that she has genetic links to her mother’s gynecologist, who could be her biological father. To France Infoshe tells how she made this discovery.
A previously less supervised practice
Born in 1986, Marjorie Mendes was conceived by medically assisted procreation, carried out in the office of her mother’s gynecologist. The latter explains that she thought that the sperm used had been donated previously. “During the insemination, the gynecologist did not say anything, he just asked me for a little something to pay the personshe told France Info. I asked if there were any guarantees for certain illnesses, and he told me not to worry..” Before the end of the 1990s, it was possible to receive an unfrozen sperm donation (this is now prohibited by the Public Health Code).
Two years ago, when Marjorie Mendes takes the DNA test, she notices that she shares the same ethnic background as her mother’s gynecologist. “It’s an origin that is not very common, so it immediately clicked, she explains to BFM TV. Except that we don’t believe it, we think of something else, a coincidence.” Then the results allow her to find people with whom she has DNA similarities. First she finds that she shares 4.6% DNA with someone, then several other people match. As the names of these individuals are visible on the database associated with the test, Marjorie Mendes decides to contact them on social networks and begins to create a family tree.
Other women concerned?
“Quickly, the name of my mother’s gynecologist came up during these conversations”, she says. The 30-year-old has seven people with whom she shares genetic matches. She then discovers an individual with whom the match is 20%, the equivalent of a link between half-brother and half-sister. France Info managed to reach his mother: “she confirms having been a patient of the same gynecologist as Marjorie’s mother”, specifies the information site. The health professional in question, contacted by the journalists, denies having used his own sperm to carry out these inseminations.
Marjorie Mendes and her mother would not be the only victims of such practices. L’association PMAnonymous sent a document to the Order of Physicians to report possible “serious ethical and deontological faults” committed during the 1970s and 1980s. A total of three gynecologists are suspected of having used their own sperm when inseminating their patients.
.
