Ep 52-Fertility Fraud and Bringing a Gun to a Family Reunion
Fri Feb 06 2026
Send us a text
A phone buzzes, a DNA app refreshes, and a life story tilts. We follow the chain reaction from a single “close relative” match to a web of half-siblings who piece together the sordid truth. What starts as an ancestry curiosity becomes a reckoning with consent, identity, and the limits of the law.
We also zoom out to the legal and medical landscape. Why did prosecutors reach for obstruction instead of charging the underlying deception? How did advocacy push Indiana to create one of the first fertility fraud statutes, with criminal penalties and civil remedies for families and donor-conceived children? And where does healthcare go from here—toward better consent, transparent record-keeping, and an accountability culture that treats trust like the clinical vital it is?
Light banter and listener stories frame the heaviness of the topic, but the heart of this episode is clarity: consent isn’t a technicality, genetic truth matters for health and identity, and technology can pry open what institutions would rather keep closed. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review telling us what protections you think every state should adopt. Your voice helps push this story—and the laws—forward.
Sources
Our Father (Netflix, 2022)
https://www.netflix.com/title/81347338
CBS News — “Fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm avoids jail time”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-cline-fertility-doctor-who-lied-about-using-his-own-sperm-avoids-jail-time/
The Atlantic — “The Fertility Doctor Who Used His Own Sperm”
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/05/fertility-doctor-donald-cline-netflix-our-father/629778/
The New York Times — “Fertility Doctor Used Own Sperm, Prosecutors Say”
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/us/fertility-doctor-indiana-sperm.html
ABC News — “How a DNA Test Exposed a Fertility Doctor’s Secret”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/fertility-doctor-used-sperm-patients-children/story?id=41938693
Indiana Senate Bill 174 (2018)
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/senate/174
Support the show
Don't miss a (heart) beat! Check out our Instagram @doctoringthetruthpodcast and email us your Medical Mishaps at doctoringthetruth@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth, and TikTok @doctoring the truth. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can keep bringing you more exciting content each week!
Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing!
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More
Send us a text A phone buzzes, a DNA app refreshes, and a life story tilts. We follow the chain reaction from a single “close relative” match to a web of half-siblings who piece together the sordid truth. What starts as an ancestry curiosity becomes a reckoning with consent, identity, and the limits of the law. We also zoom out to the legal and medical landscape. Why did prosecutors reach for obstruction instead of charging the underlying deception? How did advocacy push Indiana to create one of the first fertility fraud statutes, with criminal penalties and civil remedies for families and donor-conceived children? And where does healthcare go from here—toward better consent, transparent record-keeping, and an accountability culture that treats trust like the clinical vital it is? Light banter and listener stories frame the heaviness of the topic, but the heart of this episode is clarity: consent isn’t a technicality, genetic truth matters for health and identity, and technology can pry open what institutions would rather keep closed. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review telling us what protections you think every state should adopt. Your voice helps push this story—and the laws—forward. Sources Our Father (Netflix, 2022) https://www.netflix.com/title/81347338 CBS News — “Fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm avoids jail time” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-cline-fertility-doctor-who-lied-about-using-his-own-sperm-avoids-jail-time/ The Atlantic — “The Fertility Doctor Who Used His Own Sperm” https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/05/fertility-doctor-donald-cline-netflix-our-father/629778/ The New York Times — “Fertility Doctor Used Own Sperm, Prosecutors Say” https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/us/fertility-doctor-indiana-sperm.html ABC News — “How a DNA Test Exposed a Fertility Doctor’s Secret” https://abcnews.go.com/US/fertility-doctor-used-sperm-patients-children/story?id=41938693 Indiana Senate Bill 174 (2018) https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/senate/174 Support the show Don't miss a (heart) beat! Check out our Instagram @doctoringthetruthpodcast and email us your Medical Mishaps at doctoringthetruth@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth, and TikTok @doctoring the truth. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can keep bringing you more exciting content each week! Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing! Don't forget to check out these fantastic discounts using promo code STAYSUSPICIOUS from our sponsors at: *thecuminclub.com for 30% off *https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/STAYSUSPICIOUS for 20% off *www.handful.com for 30% off *www.standshoes.com for 15% off *www.oldglory.com for 15% off *www.getcheeky.com for 30% off *https://mollybz.com for 10% off *www.RSRVCollective.com for 30% off *klearprotein.com for 20% off *www.torrain.org for 15% off