A Florida couple have sued Brown Fertility Associates in Jacksonville, its founder and unnamed staff, in Duval County Circuit Court. Natalie and Joshua Strong allege that sperm from another man was used to create their embryos. The suit over the alleged IVF sperm mix-up claims medical negligence, conversion of genetic material, negligent hiring and supervision, and loss of consortium. News4JAX

Brown Fertility has denied the allegations and said the matter is being evaluated and litigated, BioNews reports. None of the allegations has been tested in court. BioNews

According to the lawsuit, as reported by News4JAX, Mr Strong's sperm was surgically retrieved and frozen in four vials. The couple say they were told that seven embryos created in March 2024 were genetically theirs. Their daughter was born in June 2025. The suit says the clinic has not disclosed whether the four vials remain in storage, were discarded, or were used for another patient. News4JAX

According to the couple, as reported by BioNews, routine newborn screening showed a blood type incompatible with both parents' blood types. DNA testing then showed that Mr Strong was not the child's genetic father. The couple are seeking damages above US$50,000 and a jury trial. BioNews

Nobody knows how often mix-ups happen, because they are not consistently reported in public. What the field does have is guidance on prevention. Updated recommendations on good practice in the IVF laboratory from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) were published online in Human Reproduction in July 2026. They set out recommendations on the unique identification and traceability of patients and their reproductive cells and tissues. ESHRE

For laboratories, every transfer of gametes or embryos between containers or people is a point of risk. Double witnessing, manual or electronic, at each of those points is the core defence. In any lab, surgically retrieved sperm needs particular care, because small, irreplaceable samples are often stored for months before use. Whatever the outcome of this case, which the clinic disputes, it is a reminder for all labs to audit witnessing at sperm thaw and preparation. Labs should also reconcile the cryostorage inventory for frozen sperm vials and embryos against patient records.

Patient identification and traceability are the subject of a talk by Mª José De los Santos Molina at the next International IVF Initiative session, Beyond the Bench, on 13 October.

Sources

17 September 2026. News4JAX

• Florida couple's lawsuit against Jacksonville fertility clinic claims DNA test revealed wrong sperm used in IVF

28 September 2026. BioNews

• Following birth of baby, parents allege that a Florida IVF clinic used the wrong sperm

6 July 2026. Human Reproduction

• ESHRE recommendations on Good Practice in the IVF laboratory

IVF.net Newsdesk articles are written from the original sources listed above. If you spot an error, please contact IVF.net and we will correct it.

Reproduced from BioNews with permission, a web- and email-based source of news, information and comment on assisted reproduction and human genetics, published by Progress Educational Trust.