Sperm Donation
Why is donor sperm needed?
- a male partner may have sperm abnormalities, poor sperm production or no sperm at all.
- some men carry inherited genetic diseases and are thus seeking donated sperm so as not to transmit the disease to their children.
- A man may have undergone surgery or chemotherapy to treat cancer, and may have become infertile.
- A woman is single or in a same sex relationship.
Who can have treatment using donor sperm ?
Hull & East Riding Fertility operates a non-discriminatory policy for people accessing our services. Our Policy means we are able to offer treatment to help heterosexual couples as well as single ladies and women involved in same sex relationships. By law, we must ensure, to the best of our abilities, that any existing children and child born as a result of treatment at our Unit will not be likely to face medical, physical or psychological harm. This is required before a patient can be offered treatment whether they are heterosexual, a single lady or involved in a same sex relationship. It is referred to as a “Welfare of the Child” assessment.
As a donor you can also say who you want to receive your sperm and how many families you would like to help (the maximum number of families you can help is 10).
Who can become a sperm donor ?
Donors are people from all walks of life – there is no such thing as a “standard donor”. What they have in common is a desire to help people to achieve the pregnancy they otherwise couldn’t have.
Donors must be aged between 18 and 45 years old and generally fit and healthy. Information will also be required from you about your family and medical history. You will need to undergo medical screening for STD’s and genetic testing and commit to producing at least 10 semen samples over a period of 10 weeks.
With your permission, we will need to contact your GP in order to obtain a more detailed medical history. The process of sperm donation is much more involved than other types of donation and a certain level of commitment is required as the process can sometimes take approximately a year to complete.
What does the law say about donation ?
You have no legal, financial or social obligations to any child created from your donation either now or in eighteen years’ time.
The person/people who receive your donation will be the child’s legal and social parent(s) – you will NOT be named on the birth certificate.
Over the past few years, attitudes towards donation and people’s right to know about their genetic origins have changed. As a result, on the 1st April 2005 a new law came into effect which allows people conceived through donation to find out who the donor was, once they have reached 18. A further information leaflet regarding this law can be requested from Hull & East Riding Fertility.
Do donors get paid ?
The HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) does not allow payments to be made to sperm donors. However, Hull & East Riding Fertility is allowed to reimburse donors for expenses incurred.
If you would like to discuss becoming a sperm donor, or would like more information, please Contact Us.
Please also see the HFEA website link for more information: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/donation/donors/donating-your-sperm/
Page Last Modified: 29th October 2024