By Canadian Press

Fertility doc used own sperm to inseminate patients: medical regulator

Jun 25, 2019 | 11:39 AM

TORONTO — Ontario’s medical regulator says a fertility doctor used his own sperm to inseminate several patients as well as the wrong sperm with several others, finding that he committed professional misconduct.

A discipline committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is now being asked to revoke Dr. Bernard Norman Barwin’s medical licence.

An uncontested statement of facts read before the committee lays out the cases of more than a dozen patients who say they suffered irreparable harm as a result of Barwin’s actions.

The 80-year-old, who did not attend the hearing, pleaded no contest to the allegations through his lawyer.

According to the statement of facts, an expert retained by the college to review Barwin’s case found it was unlikely the doctor’s use of his own sperm was accidental.

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Barwin had previously been disciplined for artificially inseminating several women with the wrong sperm, admitting to professional misconduct when he appeared before committee in 2013.

At the time, Barwin said errors in his practice had left three patients with children whose biological fathers were not the ones they intended.

The committee then suspended him from practising medicine for two months, but Barwin gave up his licence the following year.

Barwin faced fresh allegations today of incompetence, failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession and of engaging in dishonourable or unprofessional conduct.

If the committee decides to revoke Barwin’s licence, other medical regulators would be alerted should he apply to practise medicine elsewhere.

Barwin is also facing a proposed class-action lawsuit launched by several of his patients. The lawsuit alleges more than 50 children were conceived after their mothers were inseminated with the wrong sperm, including 11 with Barwin’s.

The Canadian Press