NLIS 4
April 3, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Dr. Faith Stratton, Director of Disease Control and Epidemiology, and Chief Medical Officer for Newfoundland and Labrador, wishes to notify women who may have been artificially inseminated of a notification campaign announced in Nova Scotia today with respect to a possible (extremely low) risk of exposure to infection in donated sperm. In particular, women who have received donor sperm from the fertility clinic at the IWK Grace Health Centre in Halifax are encouraged to call a toll-free line set up by the hospital (1-877-537-8818), to receive confidential counseling and testing if necessary.

As a precautionary measure, the IWK Grace Health Centre announced a notification campaign today for women who received their sperm donor services. The notification follows a Health Canada advisory last July that showed some inconsistencies during semen donation testing.

About 25 of the approximately 6,000 patients who have received insemination services at the IWK Grace Health Centre in Halifax are known to be from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Any other women who have received artificial insemination in Newfoundland or from other fertility clinics throughout Atlantic Canada, and are concerned by the public notification, should contact their own fertility clinic directly.

Media contact: Dr. Faith Stratton, Health and Community Services, ( 709) 729-3157.

2000 04 03                                                         2:40 p.m.