What is known donation?
Known sperm donation refers to the process in which a person or couple uses sperm from a donor they know personally, such as a friend, a family member, or someone they have chosen. Be aware there are restrictions on close relatives donating sperm for use in your treatment – please contact us if you need further information.
Known sperm donation is a very complex area under UK law and we would strongly recommend that you take the time to consider the social, emotional and legal implications of using a known person to donate sperm.
You can find out more about the legal aspects here: Known donation arrangements (UK law) – NGA Law, You are advised to seek legal advice before embarking on any known donation arrangement.
We understand that some women choose to self inseminate fresh semen samples from a friend, family member or someone they have met through internet sites/social media/introduction agencies. This can often appear to be easier/faster/less expensive way of getting pregnant, but it does have some risks.
Where treatments are undertaken in a licensed clinic you will have a greater level of protection for you and your future family, as this is carefully regulated by the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority). NUH Life comply with UK law to ensure that you are treated in a safe and effective manner.
Having treatment in a licensed clinic gives you assurance that the donor has been screened for sexually transmitted diseases, and common genetic conditions. It also means that your known donor is not considered to be the child’s legal parent, and so will have no legal parental rights or responsibilities for your child.
Can I use a known donor at NUH Life?
The simple answer is yes! Whatever your reason for opting to use someone you know to donate sperm for you, NUH Life can help you store sperm samples for future use in your fertility treatment.
However, many people assume known donation is a simple process that will allow them to have treatment quicker than if they need to use a non-identifiable donor. Unfortunately this is not the case – even if you know and trust the donor, as a licenced unit we have a legal obligation to thoroughly screen your donor to exactly the same standard as a non-identifiable donor, and to ensure that all parties involved are cared for in a safe, ethical and legal manner.
What does known donation involve?
Following completion of the donor screening process, several sperm samples must be frozen in liquid nitrogen and held in quarantine for a minimum of 6 months. The donor is tested again at the end of this period and these test results will prove the donor did not have any transmissible disease (such as HIV or hepatitis) at the time they provided their samples, so they are safe for you to use.
Not all sperm will survive the ultra-low temperatures used to freeze sperm. The number of sperm that survive ultimately dictates the treatment options that could be open to you in order to use the sperm successfully.
At NUH life we only recruit non-identifiable donors that are very high quality so that recipients can use them in the simplest/least invasive type of fertility treatment – intrauterine insemination (IUI).
However when you choose to use a known donor, their sample quality may not meet the same standards as a regular NUH Life donor. You may find that you need to undergo a more expensive and invasive type of treatment such as IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation) or ICSI (IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection) to be able to use the stored samples.
We will discuss the likely treatment type (IUI/IVF/ICSI) you will need to use to have the best chance of a pregnancy once the donor has undergone some initial testing.
What does our known donor need to do?
The whole process can take around 9 months from the start of screening to the samples being ready for you to use in treatment.
Once you have found someone who is willing to donate sperm for use in your treatment, the following steps need to be undertaken:
- Semen analysis and trial freeze: this is needed to ensure that the donor has normal semen parameters, and that the sperm can be successfully frozen and thawed.
- Donor Health and genetics screening questionnaire: this is reviewed by a clinician, it helps us spot any potential personal or family health conditions that could be transmitted to a child. (The donor’s GP will be contacted to confirm medical and social history).
- Consent and screening session: Donor attends NUH Life to receive information about the practicalities of donating sperm, to discuss the legal framework and potential future implications of donation, to complete the legal consent forms, and to commence blood and urine tests.
- Counselling session: this is a requirement of donation and treatment in our service for the donor to further explore the implications of donating sperm
- Sexual Health visit: to undertake a physical examination
These steps can take between 6-10 weeks to complete and for all the results to be available.
- The donor will attend NUH Life to provide 3 separate ejaculates, with usually at least 1 week between visits.
The samples are then held in quarantine for 6 months. The donor will then be recalled to undertake repeat blood and urine tests before the samples can be released for you to use in your treatment.
Does the NHS fund known donation?
The NHS will not fund the screening and sample storage of a known sperm donor, so you would need to self fund this aspect of your treatment. You can find our costs on our price list.
You may be entitled to NHS fertility treatment using the stored samples if you fit the funding criteria for treatment. Please speak to us if you wish to check your eligibility.
Where can I find out more about donor insemination?
We recommend you look at the HFEA website for impartial information:
Using donated eggs, sperm or embryos in treatment – HFEA