Using a sperm donor: what you need to know

Around 1,300 babies are born each year in the UK from donated sperm. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about starting a family with the help of a sperm donor.

Donor sperm can be used to help couples and individuals become parents, regardless of whether you are heterosexual, lesbian, gay, single, married, divorced or co-habiting.

But making the decision to use donated sperm can be difficult and there are many issues to consider.

How to find donor sperm

There are three main routes:

• You can use sperm from an anonymous donor by going to a fertility clinic. These clinics have their own stock of frozen donated sperm, or they buy it in from a sperm bank.
• You can use a donor you already know, say a friend or a donor you have met through an introduction website. You and the donor can together go to a fertility clinic, or you can have a private arrangement whereby the donor provides a fresh sperm sample directly to you, often in your home.
• You can go abroad for treatment with donor sperm.

How to use donor sperm

Donor sperm is usually used to help a woman become pregnant via donor insemination. It’s a straightforward procedure where a fine tube or syringe with the donor sperm inside is inserted into the vagina, cervix or uterus during the woman’s fertile time of the month. It can also be used as part of IVF if necessary.

Read more about artificial insemination.

Read more about IVF.

Going to a fertility clinic

There is a network of fertility clinics, both NHS and private, across the UK, which are licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Association (HFEA).

Fertility clinic sperm checks

HFEA-licensed clinics and sperm banks have to conform to strict regulations to ensure the donor sperm they supply is free from infections, such as chlamydia and HIV, and certain genetic disorders. They also have support and legal advice on hand.

If you use a licensed clinic, you won’t know the identity of the sperm donor but you will be able to find out information such as his ethnic group, personal characteristics and so on. Your child will also be able to access this non-identifying information about the donor when they reach 16.

In addition, your child will be able to get information the donor provided (name, last-known address and so on) when they reach 18 years old. This applies if the treatment took place after April 1 2005. Before then, sperm donors were anonymous.

Read the HFEA's information on how grown-up children can get information on their sperm donor.

Fertility clinics, donor sperm and your legal rights

If you use donated sperm from a licensed clinic, you can be reassured that the donor will not:

• be the legal parent of your child
• have any legal obligation to the child
• be named on the birth certificate
• have any rights over how the child will be brought up
• be required to support the child financially

You will have parental responsibility and, if you are married or in a civil partnership, your spouse will automatically be the child’s second legal parent (unless it can be shown that he or she did not consent to treatment).

If you are in a relationship, your partner will be the second legal parent if you both sign the relevant consent form available from your clinic.

Finding a fertility clinic

The waiting lists for donor sperm vary from clinic to clinic, so check waiting times with a number of them before choosing where to have your treatment.

If you're hoping to have fertility treatment on the NHS you will need a referral from your GP. To get a referral you’ll need to meet certain criteria. Ask your GP for further information about this.

Use the HFEA’s choose a fertility clinic search function to locate a fertility clinic near you.

Sperm donation by private arrangement

Using donor sperm from someone you already know, or who you have met via an introduction agency with a private arrangement, can be good for some people (for instance if you want ongoing contact with the donor during the child’s life) but it’s unregulated and potentially risky.

You won’t have the legal and medical protections that a licensed clinic can give you and you can’t be sure the donor has been screened and checked. You may, therefore, decide to go to the clinic together so that you have the necessary legal and medical protections.

If not, and you decide to go through with a private arrangement outside of a fertility clinic, you will always be the child’s mother. However, the law on who will be the child’s other parent is murkier. It’s possible that the sperm donor will be the legal father of your child, depending on:

• whether you are single, married or in a civil partnership
• whether the insemination took place through artificial insemination or sexual intercourse
• who is named on the birth certificate
• whether the donor will have established a relationship with the child

Going abroad for donor sperm

Going overseas for treatment with donated sperm may seem an attractive option if it’s cheaper or the waiting list is shorter.

Remember, though, that different safety and legal rules may apply with foreign clinics. If you go to a UK licensed fertility clinic, the donor has no legal responsibility or rights over the child. This is not necessarily the case if you have treatment abroad.

Always do your research before going ahead with treatment abroad, specifically to find out about:

• the clinic’s standards and safety issues
• legal issues surrounding sperm donors and parental responsibility
• the process the foreign clinic uses to recruit and screen sperm donors
• whether there are any limits on the number of families that can be created per donor (in the UK, it is 10 families)
• what information you can access about the sperm donor and what information your child will be able to access

The Birmingham Sperm Bank

The Birmingham Sperm Bank has opened to tackle the shortage of donor sperm in the UK. It is a central store of sperm for use by both private and NHS fertility clinics.

Is treatment abroad right for you?

Before you book your treatment abroad, use this checklist to help you feel confident that you’re making the right decision.

Warning signs

Think carefully before booking any treatment abroad if there is:

• a hard sell
• a lack of information
• pressure to make a quick decision
• no discussion of possible complications
• no mention of aftercare

Things to consider before seeking treatment abroad

Your reasons for seeking treatment abroad

Have you carefully thought about your reasons for going abroad? Make sure your decision is based on the quality of the medical care you would like to receive and not on how appealing the destination seems for a holiday.

Getting a second opinion in the UK

Have you spoken to your GP or dentist? There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to involve your GP or dentist in your decision. They can give you a valuable second opinion as well as advice about treatment options and whether they think the treatment is needed. As they could be involved in your aftercare, discuss with them how to transfer medical notes between them and the overseas team.

Researching your options for treatment abroad

Have you done your research? Have you checked the qualifications of the medical team treating you? Have you been able to ask them questions about your treatment? Are you satisfied with the facilities and standards at the clinic or hospital where you will be treated?

Find out why treatment isn't available in the UK

If the treatment you are seeking abroad is not available in the UK, you may want to think about why it is not available here. For reassurance, you may want to consider:

• whether the treatment is licensed in the UK by MHRA
• whether the treatment is approved in the UK by NICE
• whether the treatment is being offered as part of medical research listed within the international clinical trials database
• information from sources other than the organisation offering the treatment. This could help you to verify what you are being told by whoever is offering the treatment and provide questions to ask of your chosen treatment provider

The effects of treatment

Do you understand the possible complications and side effects that could arise from your treatment?

'Aftercare' following treatment abroad

Are you clear about how your aftercare will be co-ordinated?

How will you finance your treatment abroad?

Have you done the maths? If your main reason for going abroad is to save money, make sure you've factored in fluctuating exchange rates, the possibility of extending your stay if necessary and the cost of possible return trips. Find out more about your funding options for treatment abroad.

Insurance to cover you while abroad

Do you have appropriate travel insurance? Have you informed your insurer of your plans to have treatment abroad?

Trust in the treatment offered abroad

Do you trust the people you are dealing with?

Answers about treatment abroad

Have all your concerns and questions been answered? Read more about your entitlements and the rules about treatment abroad.

To find out more about the risks of going abroad for treatment and how to avoid them, see The risks of treatment abroad.

Questions to ask the surgeon or dentist

Important questions to ask the surgeon or dentist if you are thinking of having treatment abroad.

Having all the information you need can help you make an informed choice about having treatment abroad.

Questions you can ask include:

1. What are your qualifications and where can I verify them?
2. Do you have a specialism and where can I verify this information?
3. What treatment options do I have?
4. How many times have you carried out this procedure?
5. What are your rates of success, complication and infection?
6. Are there any side effects or risks associated with the procedure?
7. What are the post-operative infection rates at this clinic?
8. How would the clinic deal with an emergency if serious complications were to arise during the procedure?
9. What should I expect immediately after the procedure? For example, will I experience pain, swelling or bruising?
10. At what stage will I be able to judge the results of the treatment?
11. What type of care will I need after the treatment? Who will provide check-ups in the UK?
12. How long will I need to stay abroad before I’m well enough to travel back to the UK?
13. What happens if I’m unhappy with the treatment or there are complications after the procedure?
14. Who would pay for remedial treatment (corrective treatment) and associated costs?
15. Can you put me in touch with anyone else you have treated?
16. How will I communicate with the doctors, dentists, nurses and other health workers involved in my care?
17. What language will my medical notes be in?
18. Who can I contact for advice once I’m back in the UK?
19. Does the doctor, clinic or hospital have insurance that covers my procedure?
20. What happens if I change my mind at the last minute?

This list is just a start. Once you begin doing your research, you may have many more questions.

If you can't get satisfactory answers to all your questions, ask yourself if it’s wise to go ahead with the treatment.