Sperm Donation

Undoubtedly donor insemination as a means of alleviating childlessness is a well accepted practice, that will keep its place in human reproduction.

Even in today’s day and age where far more sophisticated assisted reproduction techniques to treat male infertility are on offer, donor sperm may still be required as it is the only hope of a baby for men who are completely sterile.

It is not easy finding a donor, and some couples, single women or women in same sex relationships may wish to consider asking a close friend or non-genetic family member to help them achieve a pregnancy.

In order to enable this to happen in a regulated manner to protect donors, recipients and any potential children, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that regulate fertility treatment in the UK have issued strict regulations that must be adhered to.

If someone you know would like to act as a sperm donor for you, we can organise a full assessment package for them as known donors. From time to time, we may also recruit sperm donors. For more information, please click here or contact us directly.

Information about Sperm Donation

Anonymity for sperm donors has been removed and by law, all donations in the UK must now be from men willing to provide identifying information about themselves. By donating through an HFEA registered clinic, sperm donors have no legal rights to any child created from his donation. If you are a married couple or a couple in a civil partnership and are undergoing treatment using sperm from a known donor, the husband or the partner will automatically be the legal parent of any child conceived.

Who can access information about the donor?

1. Any children born as a result of sperm donation have a legal right to find out about their genetic origins. When they are 16 years old, they may receive the non-identifying information that he provided and at 18 years, they may apply for the donor’s name, date of birth and last-known address.

2. The donor has no legal rights to contact the donor-conceived child; the decision to initiate contact is solely that of the donor-conceived child. However, donors are entitled to request information from the HFEA about the number, sex and year of birth of any people born as a result of their donation.

3. Patients using donor sperm and parents of children conceived with donor sperm will only be able to access anonymous information about the donor

Age limits – sperm donors should be aged between 18 and 45 years.
Medical history – Donors need to complete a detailed medical, social and family history questionnaire and undergo a physical examination by a Doctor.
Semen Analysis – Only donors with normal semen parameters should be accepted
Screening tests – In order to protect the recipient and any child that may result, all prospective sperm donors have to participate in a stringent screening process for hereditary and infectious disease before they are accepted as a sperm donor.

Once the initial screening tests have been carried out, in accordance with the HFEA regulations, sperm samples should be quarantined for a minimum of 180 days. This quarantine period is essential as some infections such as HIV can have an incubation period of up to six months. After this time the sperm donor will need to undergo repeat screening to ensure the sperm samples are free from infection and safe for recipient use.

The number of donor conceived children using any donor sperm is restricted in order to limit the risk of consanguinity and is currently limited to 10 families in the UK. The donor may choose to limit that number further.

Blood tests for donor recipients are not mandatory, however, to ensure your general health and well being and the welfare of the unborn child, your doctor may recommend screening for infections and immune status. Your hormone profile may be assessed and it is a good idea to make sure your tubes are not blocked before embarking on treatment.

Sperm donation can be very rewarding for everyone involved but all the medical, ethical, moral and legal issues need to be carefully considered. Sperm donation requires a great deal of thought and discussion. Donors, recipients and their partners all need to be fully counselled about the implications of the procedure, which have far reaching ramifications, especially with regard to the welfare of the unborn child

Fertility Treatment

Intrauterine Insemination IUI
Sperm Donation

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Sperm Donation

Information about Sperm Donation

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