Looking for a Sperm Donor

Looking for a Sperm Donor? – whether for free or in exchange for money – helps couples and individuals to conceive every day in the UK. Those in need for a donation have different profiles. They can be couples experiencing fertility issues, lesbian couples or singles who wish to have a baby on their own.

Looking for a Sperm Donor in UK?

If you are looking for a sperm donor, you have different options. You can, for instance, select a UK paid sperm donor from a fertility clinic. One of the advantages of choosing this channel is that their donors undergo all sorts of tests to ensure that they are free of any infectious or sexually transmitted diseases, that they won’t pass on any genetic disorders and that their sperm is healthy.

Additionally, certain sperm banks are particularly up-to-date and will allow you to find your donor using a dedicated smartphone application. Its purpose is to send you alerts as soon as new donors are available, directly to your phone.

If you prefer, you can also opt for someone you know to be your donor, for example, a friend. One of the pros of choosing a known donor is that you already know their personality and physical appearance. You may also know their family, which can give you a clearer view on their medical history and the common inherited traits amongst their family members

Another idea is to look for a sperm donor online, using a dedicated website. What you need to do is to register and briefly explain your search. You can then browse profiles and look for UK sperm donors that match your criteria. Many women prefer to have a child via a known donor, so that they can make their choice based on their own specifications and find out more about their donor’s personality or their medical history.

Some couples and single women purchase sperm online via a website, such as Cryos, based in Denmark. This online sperm bank delivers all over Europe, UK included. Once they’ve ordered it, the recipients have the frozen sperm delivered to clinics. They can then use the donor sperm to perform an at-home insemination.

What are the required and recommended screenings?

A sperm donor should undergo all sorts of tests before the recipients make use of the donated sperm. If you’re choosing a known donor, make sure that they carry out all the necessary screenings. It’s essential to ensure that you and your future baby stay safe, as well as to improve your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy. Here are the tests your sperm donor should undergo:

Sperm Count and Quality

To increase your odds of conceiving, make sure that your donor tests his sperm count and quality. Sperm count is considered low when under 15 million sperm per millilitre. Sperm motility, velocity, size, shape and total volume should also be screened during the analysis.

Genetic Diseases

Genetic disorders are the consequence of anomalies in the DNA. Genetic testing should check for Thalassemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anaemia and Tay Sachs disease.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If you’re selecting a sperm donor online, you should ensure that they are not suffering from any STDs, including Gonorrhoea, Syphilis and Chlamydia. Be careful and stay safe, as sexually transmitted diseases can be passed on to the pregnant woman and her baby.

Infectious Diseases

A man suffering from infectious diseases should not donate his sperm. It is highly recommended that every donor should have themselves tested for infectious diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV before the donation.

Are Sperm Donors from UK Fertility Clinics Anonymous?

Those who donate sperm in sperm banks or fertility clinics don’t stay anonymous forever in the UK. People conceived after April 2005 are entitled to ask for non-identifying information about their donor. They are also entitled to know about any donor-conceived genetic siblings they might have once they turn 16.
16-year-old children conceived after April 2005 are able to obtain certain information about their donors, such as:

• Donor’s birth country and year of birth;
• Donor’s physical traits (eye and hair colour, weight, height);
• Ethnicity;
• Whether they are married or not;
• Medical History;
• Whether the donor has other children (gender and quantity);
• Goodwill message (if there is one);
• Whether the donor-conceived children have any genetic siblings and how many, their genders and dates of birth.Information available at 18 includes:
• Donor’s name, birth date and address when the donation was made.

When they reach the age of 18 those conceived via sperm donation are able to request identifying information about their donor, for instance, his name and last known address, as well as information about any potential siblings that he may also have helped to conceive. However, this doesn’t mean that the donors can be considered responsible financially for the children who are the result of their donation.

Can Private UK Donors Be Anonymous?

If you choose a private donor, you and your donor can decide whether they will remain anonymous or not. If anonymity is what you agree on, the sperm donor won’t be involved in your child’s life and won’t help you financially. However, it’s important to bear in mind that in the UK the recipient of a sperm donation can take their known donor to court and have them declared the child’s legal father, thus obliging them to pay child maintenance. This doesn’t apply however to lesbian couples involved in a civil partnership or marriage who have made use of sperm donation in order to have a child.

Make sure that you agree on this issue before you start the donation process. Some women prefer their donor to be anonymous while some donors want to be part of the future child’s life. If both parties want the donor to have a role in the child’s upbringing or share the parental responsibilities, they could choose to become co-parents of the child.

I’d Like to Find Out More About Sperm Donation: Where Can I Get Information?

You can find many free donor websites online. Sperm donation forums, guides and blogs can help you obtain more information related to how to donate sperm, how to find a donor and the donation process in general.