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PRESS RELEASE

Care Fertility comments on the risks of sperm donation via social media

11th February 2025

 

 

Dr Victoria Sephton, Chief Medical Officer at Care Fertility, comments on the risks of sperm donation via social media:  

  

“The rise of sperm donation through social media highlights the demand for alternative family-building options, but this unregulated space carries significant risks. Without the safeguards provided by a clinic licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) recipients face potential medical, legal, and ethical issues.   

  

Informal donors are often not screened for infectious diseases like HIV or genetic conditions. The protection of the law ensures that donors registered with the HFEA won’t have parental rights. There also are restrictions on the number of families a HFEA registered donor may create but these restrictions do not apply in informal donation.    

  

There is no guarantee of an informal donor’s own fertility which may lead to exploitation or misrepresentation. When treatment is with the sperm of a HFEA registered donor, a donor-conceived child can access health or genetic information that may be important to them later in life. They can also access information about the identity of their donor when they reach age 18 and information about any genetically related siblings. None of this information may be available in informal donations.  

  

So, to ensure safety and peace of mind, we would always recommend individuals use a HFEA licensed fertility clinic like Care Fertility to access treatment with donor sperm.   

  

There is sometimes a misconception that it’s very complicated to get a sperm donor and people don’t want to have to jump through lots of hoops. In reality, it’s actually straightforward and licensed clinics are there to provide safe treatment and offer support to those trying to conceive. “ 

 


NOTES TO EDITORS 

About Care Fertility  

Care Fertility is the the UK’s leading fertility treatment provider, with an international network of clinics across UK, Ireland, Spain and the US.  

Care Fertility is the UK’s leading fertility treatment provider, dedicated to making family possible for everyone. With over 25 years of experience, Care Fertility has helped create thousands of families through its compassionate, patient-centered approach and world-class expertise in reproductive medicine. 

Care Fertility operates a national network of clinics across the UK, as well as internationally in Ireland, Spain, and the United States, offering a comprehensive range of fertility treatments, including IVF, egg and sperm donation, fertility preservation, and genetic testing. Guided by its core values of compassion, collaboration, and expertise, Care Fertility is committed to advancing fertility care and supporting patients every step of the way on their journey to parenthood. 

To learn more, visit www.carefertility.com. 

 

Media Contact: 

To speak to our press team: press@carefertility.com 

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