Becoming a sperm donor – what we offer
For many seeking fertility treatments, sperm donation may be required for them to build a family. Donating your sperm is an amazing act of altruism. However, there are several things to be considered.
Current donor guidelines state that sperm should not be taken from sperm donors aged 46 or over. We are required to observe the age limit unless there are exceptional reasons not to do so. An example of an exceptional circumstance might be where the donor sperm required by a person seeking treatment is donated by someone they know personally and is specifically for their treatment only. This can be a friend, or a family member who would like to help create a family (as long as the person providing the egg for the treatment and the donor sperm provider are not genetically related).
Before a person can be accepted as a sperm donor, they will be required to undergo certain screening tests to ascertain that they are healthy and free from any serious medical conditions or infections, in order to reduce the risks of passing on genetic diseases or abnormalities to any resultant child. All UK sperm donors are also required to give a complete medical and family history showing that they have no personal or family history of a significant genetic disease and be willing to be tested for infections such as HIV, hepatitis and syphilis. We exclude anyone who might have an increased risk of passing on an infection or a hereditary disorder.
When you come for a consultation with us, we explain the practicalities of being a sperm donor and the nature of the information given to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) about you. It’s important for you to understand that any children born following treatment with your donated sperm have the legal right at the age of 18 to be given identifying information about you, if they do not already have this information. We also explain that if a child is born with a hereditary condition that the donor should reasonably have known about and failed to disclose, then they may be sued by the parents of the child.
All potential sperm donors are required to attend at least one counselling session to ensure that they have fully considered the implications and are aware of all that is involved in sperm donation. This includes the potential emotional effects of the donation on themselves and their family and the legal aspects of sperm donation.
Donated sperm from a single donor can be used to create up to ten families in the UK, with no limits on the number of children born within each family. However, you can choose a lower limit if you wish, for example if you are donating specifically to a known recipient and only for their treatment.
When a child born as a result of sperm donation reaches the age of 18 (if they were conceived after 1 April 2005), the HFEA is required to provide to them at their request (after appropriate counselling and notification to the donor) all the non-identifying information and in addition, the donor‘s full name (and any previous names), date of birth and town or district of birth, last known address (or address at the time of donation). We therefore recommend that you keep our clinic notified with your up to date address.
It must be noted, however, that with the rise of commercial DNA ancestry kits, donor-conceived children may identify sperm donors more easily, as these tests can reveal biological connections beyond traditional channels. The accessibility of genetic information through these kits has reshaped the landscape of donor identification for individuals seeking insights into their heritage.
All donors must be altruistic and are not allowed to be paid for their donation. However, the HFEA allow sperm donors to be compensated for reasonable expenses incurred. Sperm donors can receive up to £35 per clinic visit to cover their expenses.