SPERM DONATION
Sperm donation is a generous act that helps others build a family. We ensure your journey is rewarding, supportive, and designed with care.
Sperm donation
Your sperm donation can make a world of difference for people needing a donor. You could be their only chance of starting a family. If you live in the UK and are registered at a UK GP practice, you can become a donor.
Criteria for donating sperm
Sperm donation is a very personal decision based on generosity and altruism. However, the health of our donors and children born is paramount, and there are some key criteria for our prospective sperm donors. To donate at Care Fertility, you must:
- Be 18–45 years old.
- Live or work near a Care Fertility clinic (UK locations available on our website).
- Be registered with a UK GP.
- Commit to attending the donation centre regularly for several weeks, with a final screening three months later.
- Have no serious medical conditions or hereditary disorders in your family.
- Know your immediate family’s medical history.
- Agree to screenings for medical conditions and transmissible viruses.
- Avoid risk of STIs.
- Be honest about any relevant health information.
- Agree to be registered with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority as a donor.
For support, SEED and PET are available to guide donors, intended parents, and surrogates.
The process of donating your sperm
We're always thrilled when someone decides to become a sperm donor. Below is the process for donating your sperm. Our sperm donation process ensures the quality of the semen and ensures your mental and physical health are cared for throughout.Once your application to be a sperm donor has been accepted based on your medical history and your family's medical history, you will have an appointment to discuss the sperm donation process with a member of the donation team.
You can ask questions, learn about the implications of donation, and consider if it is right for you.
At the clinic, we’ll ask for a urine sample and take blood for screening. We will test the samples for HIV, Hepatitis, and various genetic conditions. You’ll also provide your first semen sample which allows us to check your sperm count and quality.
It is not unusual for a sample to fail to meet the strict criteria for donation. If this happens, it does not necessarily reflect your own fertility. Please keep in mind that we are very selective in order to provide the best chances of success for those seeking IVF with donor sperm.
Choosing to donate your sperm is a personal, and important decision. So, we’ll invite you to speak to one of our experienced counsellors. They’ll talk to you about the legal and ethical implications of sperm donation. If you have a partner, we encourage you to include them in the counselling session. These sessions are carried out online.
We will confirm your consent to donation and establish what you’d like us to do with your frozen sperm in several different scenarios.
You’ll be expected to donate your sperm around once a week for 2-3 months.
This allows us to build up a good supply of your sperm to ensure we have enough to help all the patients who choose you as their donor. We will always try to arrange convenient dates and times for your donation visits.
We do everything we can to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. The donation rooms are furnished to ensure you feel at ease. Our clinics are dedicated to overcoming infertility and this is routine for us, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed. Not that you should be - you’re doing an amazing thing!
Your sperm samples will be frozen and quarantined for at least three months so that we know they are safe to use during treatment. With your sperm being frozen, it means your samples can’t be used by patients yet.
After the quarantine period, we’ll ask you to visit for the final time to carry out a few more quick tests to check you’re still free from any infectious diseases.
Step 6. After donation you’ll be entitled to find out if any babies were born as a result of your donation, the year they were born in, and whether they’re a boy or girl. Your sperm can be used for a maximum of ten UK families but is not restricted to one child per family.
Information given to recipients
We ask all our sperm donors to write a non-identifying personal description (known as a pen portrait) for those choosing donor sperm for their fertility treatment, and you can also write a brief goodwill message.
The recipient of your donated sperm and her partner will be given the following non-identifying information about your physical characteristics:
- Hair and eye colour
- Height
- Weight
- Build
- Complexion
- Race
- Blood group
If a child is born from your donation, they might choose to request information about who you are when they turn 18. Your counsellor can talk to you all about this during your session.
Compensation
Your sperm donation will mean so much to those who need it, yet we are limited by law to what we can give you to compensate for your time and any inconvenience.
We will reimburse you £45 for every appointment or visit to the clinic relating to the donation. If you incur expenses over £45 for any visit, such as for travel to your appointment, then this can be reimbursed to ensure you are not out of pocket.
Sperm Sharing
If you’re undergoing fertility treatment and have good quality sperm, you may be able help those that need a donor by generously donating your sperm as a sperm sharer, as well as having your own treatment.
You’ll appreciate the challenges of fertility more than most and in return for such an amazing gift, we can offer significantly reduced-price treatment, alongside all the guidance and support you’ll need to become a donor.
If you would like to find out more, please speak to our dedicated Donor Support Team. They'll be happy to chat with you, answer any questions you have and help you to get started. Please email them at spermdonorsupport@carefertility.com or call on 0808 178 2860
Sperm donation is an incredibly generous and life-changing gift that helps individuals and couples fulfill their dreams of starting a family. We are endlessly grateful to those who choose to become donors—your kindness makes a profound difference!
