Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
This booklet gives you information about sperm donation. It is intended to cover the
issues that you should consider before donating sperm:
Are you considering being a sperm donor?
Who needs donor sperm?
Who is suitable to be a sperm donor?
Will I get paid to be a donor?
What tests have to be done before I am accepted as a sperm donor?
What happens if the results of these tests reveal unexpected conditions?
Who will know that I am a sperm donor?
How many children can be born through my sperm donation?
Who is the legal father of a child born through treatment with donor sperm?
What details will I have to give about myself and why?
Where will this information be stored and will it be safe?
Can I get any information about a child created from my sperm?
Will the recipient of my sperm know who I am?
What information will the children born from my sperm be entitled to?
What if a child created from my sperm wants to get information about me?
What will happen if a child wants identifying information about me?
What consents will I be asked to complete?
What if I change my mind?
What advice and support can I get?
Who should not become a sperm donor?
Confidentiality
Where can I get further information?
Are you are still interested in becoming a sperm donor?
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
1/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
Perhaps you have seen a programme on
television, or read a magazine article about
people who are infertile and the only way they can have a family is with the aid of donor
sperm. If you are considering donating sperm to help families achieve a pregnancy we
hope this leaflet will explain why it is needed, and help to answer some of the questions
which are inevitably raised.
Are you considering being a sperm donor?
Some couples are infertile because the man is unable to
produce sperm, or because of abnormalities in his sperm.
This may occur because the testicles have never developed properly, because of testicular
failure, because of surgery or because of drug therapy. Other men may have a genetic
abnormality that can be transmitted to the children if their own sperm are used.
Donor sperm is also used to treat single and lesbian women who wish to have a child.
Who needs donor sperm?
Treatment with donor sperm is one of the methods available when such people wish to
have a family. However, the limiting factor in being able to offer these patients treatment is
often the availability of suitable donors and, therefore, we are grateful for offers from men
wishing to become sperm donors.
Sperm donors are men aged between 18 and 40
with a relatively high sperm count who have
undergone health screening. There are strict regulations in place to ensure that sperm
donors are healthy and free from infection. Only about 10% of potential donors are
accepted. We are also able to treat patients with sperm from a donor who is already
known to them.
Who is suitable to be a sperm donor?
Donors are carefully counselled and a detailed family history is taken. If they are accepted,
they are thoroughly tested for sexually transmitted infection, including HIV and hepatitis B
and C. Donors also undergo basic genetic screening, including the presence of cystic
fibrosis.
We will ask you if there is anything in your family history that may prevent you from being a
donor. If a child is born with a disability as a result of a donor failing to tell us about
defects, about which he knew or ought reasonably to have known, the child may be able to
sue the donor for damages.
In line with HFEA Directions, sperm donors are entitled to
£35 compensation per clinic visit, plus expenses (not
including loss of earnings) if they exceed £35. You are not obliged to accept this
compensation if you do not wish to do so.
Will I get paid to be a donor?
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
2/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
Sperm donors need to produce semen with sperm
counts that are higher than average, and that
contains a high proportion of healthy, swimming
(motile) sperm. This is because the samples need to be frozen, stored and thawed out
when required for treatment, and a high number of the sperm in each sample will not
survive this process. We will ask you to produce an initial semen sample to make sure that
you have a good number of healthy sperm present, and we will freeze this sample and
thaw it out to test how well your sperm survives. It is this step that rules out the majority of
men from becoming donors because, although a man may produce high quality sperm, it
is not unusual for such samples not to survive well when they are frozen.
What tests have to be done before
I am accepted as a sperm donor?
All potential sperm donors are carefully counselled and a detailed family history is taken. If
you are accepted, you will be thoroughly tested for sexually transmitted infection, including
HIV and hepatitis B and C, syphilis and gonorrhoea. Some of these tests may be repeated
during your period of donation.
You will also undergo basic genetic screening to determine whether or not you are a
carrier of cystic fibrosis and to check that you have the correct number of chromosomes
(karyotype). Whilst we carry out some genetic testing, these tests are limited and therefore
you may still be a carrier of a genetic condition that we have not tested for.
These tests are carried out so that we minimise the risk of passing on a harmful condition
or infection to either the recipients of the sperm, or children born using the sperm.
If you are accepted as a sperm donor and you wish to proceed we will store all of your
samples and then ask you to be re-tested to make sure you are still free from infection. We
will repeat some of the screening every 3 months during your donation period. All samples
are collected by masturbation, in a private room, on the premises of Jessop Fertility.
It is possible that during the course of your
investigations we might find that you have poor
semen quality or that you have an infection or are
a carrier for a genetic condition of which you were not aware. If this happens we will ask
you to return to the clinic to discuss the results and we will talk to you about the
implications of what we have found. If necessary we will refer you on to the relevant
professionals.
What happens if the results of these
tests reveal unexpected conditions?
Under the terms of the Human Fertilisation
and Embryology Act 1990 (HFE Act), the
HFEA licences and regulates all clinics that
perform treatments with donor sperm and eggs. All sperm donors will be registered with
the HFEA and details regarding all treatment cycles using each donor’s sperm, and their
outcomes, will be stored on a confidential register.
Who will know that I am a sperm donor?
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
3/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
Each donor may be used for the treatment of a
number of patients. Legally, sperm from an individual
donor should not be used to produce children for
more than 10 families as a result of licensed assisted conception services. As a donor you
would have some input into the number of families to be treated with your sperm.
How many children can be born
through my sperm donation?
Any child born as a result of treatment with
donor sperm will be legally the child of the
husband or civil partner of the patient unless
he/she did not consent to the treatment. He/she
can be recognised as the legal parent of children conceived through the use of donated
sperm.
The sperm donor is not the child’s legal father and has no legal responsibilities for the
child.
Who is the legal father of a child born
from treatment with donor sperm?
People conceived as a result of
sperm donation are often
curious about their origins. They may want to know whether they look like you or have a
similar personality. They may also wonder why you decided to donate and whether you
have children of your own. The details you will be asked for include:
 Your name
 The name you were born with if this is different to your current name
 Your date and place of birth
 Your NHS or passport number
 Your address at the time of donation
 Whether you have children of your own and, if so, how many and whether they are
girls or boys
 Your appearance – height and weight, and colour of eyes, hair and skin
 Your ethnic group and your biological mother and father’s ethnic group
 Your medical history, any physical or mental health problems or disabilities you
have
 Your job, religion and your skills and interests
 Your reasons for donating
What details will I have to give about myself and why?
You will be asked whether there are any medical conditions that you know of in your own
biological family that could potentially be passed on. If a child conceived using your donor
sperm is disabled as a result of an inherited condition that you knew (or should have
known) about then the child may be able to sue you for damages. We will also ask you to
inform us of any medical conditions that comes to light in the future that might have
implications for the patients we have treated with your sperm or their children
Finally, yet importantly, you will be invited to write a description of yourself and a goodwill
message to any child or children. You will be encouraged to include information about your
education, achievements, views, values and life experiences.
This all-important information enables the child’s parents to talk to them about their origins
as they grow up and helps them build a mental picture of you.
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
4/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
All of this information is held on the HFEA register.
All the details you give will be
kept in our clinic and on the
HFEA Register. The information is coded and is not available to the general public. Only
those with a right to this information by law – in other words donor-conceived people aged
18 or over – will have access to it.
Where will this information be stored and will it be safe?
You can ask at any time and we can tell you
whether a baby or babies were born. We can tell
you how many, whether they are boys or girls,
and the year they were born. We cannot tell you names. As one of our donors, our
counselling service will always be available for you to use, both now and at any time in the
future. When finding out about children born from your sperm you may find counselling
helpful.
Can I get any information about a
child created from my sperm?
In some cases of sperm donation the
donor is a friend or family member of
the recipient(s). Obviously in such
cases the “known donor” will be aware of the identity of the recipient(s), and vice versa.
If you are not a “known donor” then the recipient of your sperm will not be able to find out
who you are. The prospective recipients of your sperm and the parents of children born
with your sperm will be able to find out all of the non-identifying information on your HFEA
registration form.
Will the recipient of my sperm know who I am?
Our centre
encourages
openness to children born with donor sperm, but it is possible that such a child might go
through life and not know that they were conceived using donor sperm. However, any
children born as a result of your sperm donations will be able to contact the HFEA in the
future to find out about you.
What information will the children born from my sperm be entitled to?
Any child born as a result of your donations,
from the age of 16, will have access to the
following non-identifying information:
Physical description of you: height, weight, eye, hair and skin colours
Your year and country of birth
Your ethnic group
The number and sex of your own children when you registered as a donor
Your occupation, religion, skills and interests
Your parents’ ethnic group(s)
Whether you were adopted or donor conceived (if you are aware of this)
Your marital status at the time you donated
Details of any screening tests and your medical history
Your reasons for donating
Your goodwill message and pen portrait
What if a child created from my sperm
wants to get information about me?
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Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
5/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
A child born from your donated sperm can also apply to the HFEA for identifying
information about you when they reach the age of 18:
 Your full names (and any previous names)
 Date and town/district that you were born
 Your last known postal address, or your address at the time you were a donor
The HFEA or Jessop Fertility will do our best to contact you to let you know that an
application has been made for your details (the HFEA will only be able to contact you if
you have kept them or us up-to-date with your current address).
The HFEA will not tell you the name of the person, or any of their identifying details.
The exact details of
the process of
getting identifying information are available on the HFEA website and include the
application forms which donor-conceived individuals are required to submit. The process is
as follows:
What will happen if a child wants identifying information about me?
Non-identifying information request:
1. The donor-conceived person asks the HFEA for non-identifying information
2. The HFEA send out an application pack and check their identity. At this stage, it would
also be recommended that the person see a counsellor to talk through the issues.
3. The donor-conceived person contacts the HFEA again, and is given any non-identifying
information held on the Register.
Identifying information request:
1. The donor-conceived person contacts the HFEA to say that they want identifying
information.
2. The HFEA send out an application pack and check their identity. At this stage, it would
also be recommended that the person see a counsellor to talk through the issues.
3. The HFEA and/or we will attempt to contact you to advise you that an application has
been made. It is important that you provide us with up to date contact information to
help with this. You may also want to consider exploring the issues with one of our
counsellors at this point.
4. The HFEA provides the information the donor-conceived person has asked for.
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
6/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
Before beginning your donations we must
obtain your written “informed” consent.
This means that you have been given information about being a sperm donor, had the
opportunity to receive counselling and had time to think about your decision. You may
choose to change or withdraw your consent at any time before your sperm are used in
treatment, research or training, all you need to do is contact the clinic and arrange to
attend here to amend your consents.
What consents will I be asked to complete?
If you consent that your sperm, or embryos created using your sperm, may be used for
training the embryos can only be used for the purpose of training persons in embryo
biopsy, storage or other embryological techniques and activities authorised by the HFEA.
No sperm or embryos, once used for training, can be used for treatment.
We will also ask you to provide a form of photographic ID such as a passport or photocard
driver’s licence.
You are free to decline to continue with sperm donation at
any time prior to the sperm being used in a treatment. This
includes embryos created with your sperm that are stored.
If you do change your mind then we ask that you contact us immediately so that we can
proceed with your withdrawal of consent.
What if I change my mind?
Your decision to donate sperm is an important
one, with life-long implications.
There are many issues to consider and some of them are complicated. If you are married
or in a long term relationship we will strongly advise you to seek your partner’s support of
you becoming a donor.
What advice and support can I get?
It is strongly recommended that before coming to a final decision, you have at least one
session with one of our counsellors. They have a great deal of knowledge and expertise
about donation.
These sessions can be particularly helpful in exploring how the decision will affect you and
any current or future partner, and any children you have now or in the future.
In this way, you will be much more confident that you are making an informed decision.
Occasionally donors may unknowingly carry
HIV in their body. This virus may be
transmitted by semen. Furthermore, an infected woman may transmit the infection to her
baby with serious consequences. Due to this, people considered to be in high risk groups
should not donate semen. These are:
Who should not become a sperm donor?
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Category
Title
Drug users who share injecting equipment with others
Men who have visited Africa south of the Sahara and have had sex
with people living there (men and women)
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
7/8
Sperm donation - Information for
potential donors
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Haemophiliacs who received infected Factor VIII before it was made
safe by heat treatment
The sexual partners of any of these people
Under the terms of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
(HFE Act), the HFEA licences and regulates all clinics that practise
treatment with donor sperm. Any person undergoing treatment will be registered with the
HFEA and details regarding all treatment cycles, and their outcomes, will be stored on a
confidential register.
Confidentiality
The purpose of this register is to enable people over the age of 18 (or 16 if contemplating
marriage, a civil partnership or an intimate physical relationship) to find out whether they
were born as a result of licensed fertility treatment (e.g. treatment with donor sperm and/or
IVF), and whether they are related to someone they intend to marry or with whom they
intend to have a civil partnership or intimate physical relationship.
Researchers may also have access to the register but they can only have identifying
details about you if you have consented to this. We shall discuss this with you in detail
before you make any decision.
Where can I get further information?
HFEA:
The staff of the clinic are always available should
you require any further information. There is also
information available on our website:
http://www.jessopfertility.org.uk/
The National Gamete Donation Trust:
10 Spring Gardens
London
SW1A 2BU
http://www.ngdt.co.uk/
Donor Conception Network:
Tel: 020 7291 8200
Fax: 020 7291 8201
http://www.dcnetwork.org/
http://www.hfea.gov.uk
If you are interested in being
considered as a sperm donor,
then please contact us and we will arrange an appointment for you to produce a semen
sample for us to test.
Are you are still interested in becoming a sperm donor?
Please telephone (0114) 226 8050 and ask for Helen Clarke, or e-mail
[email protected] and I will be pleased to arrange an appointment for you.
Category
Title
Information
Sperm donation – Information
for potential donors
Authorisation Date
Issue No
Ref No
18 11 15
8
77
Review Date
Author
Page
18 11 15
Helen Clarke
8/8