Latest news with #fertilityclinic
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Retrievals
Credit - The Retrievals is a stunning piece of investigative journalism from the Serial and New York Times team that demands your attention. Host Susan Burton lays out the story of a Yale University fertility clinic nurse who siphoned off fentanyl from patients undergoing egg-retrieval surgery, leaving them in unspeakable pain. When the women complained, they were dismissed by their doctors and the university. (The nurse eventually pleaded guilty and Yale settled with the patients who sued.) It's a horror story about the ways our health system fails women, told from the perspective of a group of victims whose desperation to have children led them to justify their own suffering, rationalizing that motherhood is inextricably tied to hardship. The interviews with the victims are emotional and delve into complex issues. Some, who happen to study addiction or medicine for a living, actually empathize with the nurse who was hooked on painkillers, while others tie their righteous indignation to larger societal problems surrounding habitual gaslighting in women's medicine. It's a disturbing but eye-opening commentary on the quest to become pregnant, a common journey we do not discuss often enough. A second harrowing season on complications with C-sections, one of the most frequently performed surgeries in the world, released in the summer of 2025. Write to Eliana Dockterman at
ABC News
23-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Genea IVF confirms sensitive patient health information on dark web
Patients of Australia's third-largest IVF provider, Genea, have been informed that their sensitive information — including medical history — has been posted on the dark web. The update comes more than five months after the ABC revealed cyber criminals had targeted the fertility clinic, which is used by tens of thousands of people across the country. In emails sent to affected patients over the past few days, Genea CEO Tim Yeoh confirmed the company had wrapped up its probe into the February cyber attack: "We are not notifying you about a new incident". Emails obtained by the ABC state the data includes patients' full names, addresses, dates of birth, and "clinical information related to the services that you received from Genea or other health service providers and/or medical treatment". A former Genea patient told ABC News the communications appeared to downplay the significance of the data leak. The email claimed information was found on "a part of the dark web, which is a hidden part of the Internet" and "not readily searchable or accessible on the Internet". "We understand that this news may be concerning for you, and we unreservedly apologise for any distress that this may cause you,' the email stated. The patient, who did not want to be named, had spent tens of thousands of dollars undergoing multiple unsuccessful rounds of IVF with the clinic between 2022 and 2024. She told the ABC Genea had obtained her full medical history as part of the onboarding process. "There is genetic information which really affects my family. There is information about mental health. It's your whole history. "That information could be used against you. And it could really change the course of your life." On Tuesday, Genea informed the patient her full name, phone number, address, date of birth, Medicare number, medical diagnosis and clinical information had been posted on the dark web, in an email she said was another example of the company minimising the breach. She said companies like Genea should be held accountable for allowing customer data to be stolen and she intended to seek compensation. "A lot of people chose Genea because they present themselves as personal, but except when something goes wrong, they just go quiet and close the doors and don't talk," she said. "You have got no rights. The big corporation is just going to steamroll everyone." Do you know more? Confidentially email rhianawhitson297@ Genea would not confirm how many patients were affected by the breach, the name of the cybercriminal group claiming responsibility, or whether a ransom was paid — in full or in part. Nor would the company provide a copy of the investigators' report into the breach. In a statement, a Genea spokesperson said the company had "concluded its investigation into the cyber incident which impacted our organisation in February". "This included a comprehensive analysis of the data published on the dark web to identify impacted individuals and the personal information relating to them." "We are now starting to communicate with individuals about the findings from our investigation that are relevant to them, and the steps and support measures in place to help them protect their personal information. The company said the AFP was still investigating the cyber attack and it was working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the National Office of Cyber Security, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and relevant state departments. The spokesperson said: "Genea has partnered with IDCARE, Australia's national identity and cyber support service, to provide counselling and other services to patients at no cost if they wish to seek further support." The data breach at Genea is one of a string of incidents affecting Australian companies in recent years including Optus, Medibank, Latitude, and, most recently, Qantas. Like Qantas, Genea obtained a court-ordered injunction to prevent anyone from publishing or sharing the stolen data. However, cryptography expert Vanessa Teague criticised the use of such injunctions, saying they were ineffective at stopping cyber criminals. "It's really effective for preventing law-abiding journalists from publishing," she said. Dr Teague said the publication of sensitive medical records online highlighted the urgent need for stronger privacy protections in Australia. "It's important to recognise that if the data has been accessed, it could have financial value — to insurance companies, to advertising companies — both of those clusters of companies. "We need much stronger privacy laws that hold the source of the data breach accountable." Dr Teague said Australian companies handling personal data should face the same legal obligations as those in the European Union. "If you hold sensitive data from other people, you should have high obligations to keep it secure — like in Europe. And if you fail in that responsibility, you should be held accountable," she said. She also warned that Australia's current approach prioritised corporations over victims. "There's a continuing attitude that the companies are the victims. As long as we hold that view, we'll never hold them to account."
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Cause of death revealed for fertility clinic bombing suspect
The man who supplied the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber with the ammunition used in the attack reportedly died after jumping from an upper level of the prison. Daniel Park, 32, was found unresponsive inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles about 7.30am Tuesday morning. According to TMZ, he stepped up onto a table on an upper tier of the detention center and jumped off the balcony, plummeting to the ground floor. It is unclear how many stories he fell. Prison authorities attempted to save his life and he was rushed to hospital, where he was later declared dead. Park (pictured), of Seattle, Washington, was accused of supplying 180lbs of explosives to Guy Edward Bartkus, the bomber who died in the May 17 explosion at the American Reproductive Centers. Park was taken into custody at New York's JFK Airport by the FBI and Port Authority Police on June 3 following the explosion. He had been deported back to the US from Warsaw, Poland. He was a US citizen, though it is unclear if he has any connections to Poland, US District Attorney Bilal A Essayli said. Bartkus (pictured), the primary suspect and man accused of setting off the bomb , was killed in the explosion after a silver Ford Fusion sedan erupted. Earlier this month, FBI director Akil Davis said the agency discovered that Park shipped six packages of ammonium nitrate - a chemical compound found in bombs - from Washington State to Bartkus in California. Park was also 'in possession of a similar recipe' that was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Davis said. Davis described both Park and Bartkus as members of the anti-natalist movement, a group that 'don't believe people should exist' and people should not continue to procreate. The FBI believes the two were conducting experiments in a garage in Twentynine Palms - a large US Marine Corps base that Bartkus lived in. At least five others were injured in the incident, which authorities called an 'intentional act of terrorism.' The bomb recipe that Park was in possession of was similar to that of the Oklahoma City bombing - where Timothy McVeigh, a former Army soldier and security guard, set off a powerful bomb inside a rented truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. A total of 168 people were killed, including 19 children. Several hundred more injured. In his writings, IVF clinic bomber Bartkus allegedly said he was 'pro-mortalist', something he described as someone who intends to bring on their own death as soon as possible 'to prevent your future suffering, and, more importantly, the suffering your existence will cause to all the other sentient beings.' He also recorded a 30-minute-long audio clip explaining why he 'decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic.' 'I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I've decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic. Basically, it just comes down to I'm angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here,' he said. Bartkus also said he was 'angry' that IVF clinics exist, adding: 'These are people who are having kids after they've sat there and thought about it. How much more stupid can it get?' He is suspected of setting off a large vehicle-borne improvised explosive device outside of the clinic, which performs IVF treatments, egg collections and other procedures, according to his website. Authorities found an AK-47 and an AR-Style rifle, as well as ammunition next to the burnt vehicle, the LA Times reported. He allegedly tried to film the terror attack by setting up a tripod with a camera beforehand, but the file failed to upload to his website, according to BNO News. On the day of the attack, FBI officials raided his home and evacuated the neighborhood over fears it was a 'blast zone.' At the time, Davis said the agency was running the investigation, but did not specify if the raid was connected to the fatal explosion. Following the powerful explosion, Davis confirmed it was a terror attack. 'Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,' Davis said during an evening news conference. Multiple witnesses reported hearing a loud boom, and dramatic videos shared on social media show the explosion shattered windows of a nearby liquor store. Dr. Maher Abdallah, who operates the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, confirmed to The Associated Press that his facility was among the properties damaged in the blast. He said all staff members were safe and accounted for. The explosion impacted the office area used for patient consultations but did not harm the IVF laboratory or any of the stored embryos.
Free Malaysia Today
27-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Suspect in California fertility clinic bombing took own life at jail
An explosion damaged the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, killing one and injuring several. (AP pic) LOS ANGELES : The man charged with supplying explosives used to bomb a California fertility clinic in May took his own life while in pretrial custody, the Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled in autopsy results made public on Thursday. The coroner ruled the death on Tuesday of Daniel Park, 32, at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles to be a suicide caused by 'blunt traumatic injuries' but gave no further details about the circumstances of his demise. The Los Angeles Times, citing two unnamed sources, reported on Thursday that information gathered about the death shows Park climbed onto a surface and then jumped off a high balcony at the jail, fatally injuring himself. A spokesperson for the medical examiner declined to comment on the Times' story and said additional information would be contained in the final autopsy report, 'which is not yet available as the investigation is ongoing.' The federal bureau of prisons, in whose custody Park was held, declined to comment beyond a statement issued on Tuesday detailing how he was found unconscious that morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital after jail employees tried without success to resuscitate him. Park was arrested in June following the May 17 bombing at the clinic in Palm Springs, approximately 100 miles (161km) east of Los Angeles. The bombing killed one person, the primary suspect, Guy Bartkus, and injured several others. Park was accused of obtaining 270 pounds (122 kg) of ammonium nitrate for Bartkus to use in the bomb and that he had shared Bartkus' views. Park was not in California at the time of the bombing and was detained in Poland by Polish authorities afterward. US authorities took him into custody in New York. The bureau of prisons said Park arrived at the Los Angeles facility on June 13 and was awaiting trial after being indicted for malicious destruction of property.
Reuters
27-06-2025
- Reuters
Suspect in California fertility clinic bombing took own life at jail
LOS ANGELES, June 26 (Reuters) - The man charged with supplying explosives used to bomb a California fertility clinic in May took his own life while in pretrial custody, the Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled in autopsy results made public on Thursday. The coroner ruled the death on Tuesday of Daniel Park, 32, at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles to be a suicide caused by "blunt traumatic injuries" but gave no further details about the circumstances of his demise. The Los Angeles Times, citing two unnamed sources, reported on Thursday that information gathered about the death shows Park climbed onto a surface and then jumped off a high balcony at the jail, fatally injuring himself. A spokesperson for the medical examiner declined to comment on the Times' story and said additional information would be contained in the final autopsy report, "which is not yet available as the investigation is ongoing." The federal Bureau of Prisons, in whose custody Park was held, declined to comment beyond a statement issued on Tuesday detailing how he was found unconscious that morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital after jail employees tried without success to resuscitate him. Park was arrested in June following the May 17 bombing at the clinic in Palm Springs, approximately 100 miles (161 km) east of Los Angeles. The bombing killed one person, the primary suspect, Guy Bartkus, and injured several others. Park was accused of obtaining 270 pounds (122 kg) of ammonium nitrate for Bartkus to use in the bomb and that he had shared Bartkus' views. Park was not in California at the time of the bombing and was detained in Poland by Polish authorities afterward. U.S. authorities took him into custody in New York. The Bureau of Prisons said Park arrived at the Los Angeles facility on June 13 and was awaiting trial after being indicted for malicious destruction of property.
