Donor Sperm
Using a sperm donor to have a baby
If you need donor sperm as part of your Essential Fertility treatment, we can offer direct access to traceable and health-screened donors from our own sperm donor bank, Semovo.
The Essential Fertility treatments we offer with donor sperm are Essential In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). So, what’s the difference?
During the IVF treatment process, eggs and donor sperm are mixed together in our state-of-the-art embryology laboratory, whereas the ICSI technique involves a single donor sperm being injected into each egg to maximise the chance of fertilisation.
Supporting you on your journey
Our highly-experienced embryologists will carry out the fertilisation part of your Essential IVF/ICSI with donor sperm treatment. In our state-of-the-art laboratory, they will use their extensive expertise to thaw donor samples and to select the best embryo for implantation, using the very latest embryo selection technology including time-lapsed imaging and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Our caring and experienced senior fertility nurses, consultants, patient teams, and counsellors will support and care for you from the time you choose your donor until your pregnancy test.
When is treatment with donor sperm recommended?
You may wish to use a sperm donor to conceive if:
- You are a same-sex female couple and want to have a family
- You are a single woman and want to try for a baby
- You cannot conceive because of male-factor infertility
- There is a high risk of passing on a genetic abnormality or condition on the male side
What is the process of using a sperm donor?
1Check Eligibility Criteria
To begin your Essential IVF/ICSI journey, you need to check your eligibility via our online checker or by calling our New Patient Coordinator team.
2Pre-treatment Investigations
We perform pre-treatment tests to assess your fertility, health and lifestyle, including viral screening. These tests help us to determine which type of treatment is best for you, either IVF, or ICSI with donor sperm insemination.
3Consultation with Senior Fertility Nurse
Your senior fertility nurse will explain the treatment process and our patient advisors will provide you with a fully costed and transparently-priced treatment plan.
4Counselling
All patients using donor sperm are required to have counselling. Our experienced and friendly counsellors will talk you through all the implications of using a sperm donor to conceive so that you can make an informed decision and consent to treatment.
5Choosing your sperm donor
Semovo will provide you with a choice of sperm donors that match your preferences from our own UK-wide sperm donor bank.
6Treatment
You will start your IVF/ICSI treatment with donor sperm from your chosen donor and will be booked for your treatment once your cycle has commenced.
How do I choose a sperm donor?
Sperm donor characteristics
When choosing a sperm donor many recipients think about characteristics they would like their child to have, such as skin, hair or eye colour, or height. For some the donor’s culture, education or profession is important. Others are more than happy to see the range of donor profiles we have at that particular time.
As this is your chance at your dream, we will work with you to find a donor to suit you and secure your donor sperm for now and the future.
Sperm donor matching
You will have access to all of the donors that are currently available for your treatment type, so you can make your choices based on the characteristics that are important to you. As well as their physical appearance, our donor profiles will contain lots of other personal information to help you choose, such as:
- A pen picture written by the donor, describing themselves and their life in their own words
- Career and educational background
- Hobbies and interests
- Their reasons and motivations for donating
- A goodwill message to your child, which you can show your child in future
If you have a strong preference for a donor, it is best to express your interest straight away. Also, if you have a desire for siblings we can also look into securing your donor stock for the future.
Sperm donor confirmation
Remember, our friendly team is here to answer any questions you may have so that you are confident in your donor choice. When you (or you and your partner) have a chosen donor (or perhaps donors) you can let our team know so we can secure your donor sperm for treatment.
Why choose us for treatment with donor sperm?
We are one of the UK’s most experienced clinics for treatment with donor sperm. Our national Semovo sperm bank is one of the largest in the UK, which means the widest choice of sperm donors are available to suit you. All our donors live in the UK and our teams knows and personally manages each and every sperm donor from our network of UK sperm bank locations.
We have helped thousands of same sex couples, single women and couples with male-factor infertility to become parents through treatment with donor sperm and we are excited to help thousands more with Essential Fertility treatments.
About our donors
- Are men aged under 46 years old
- Have high-quality sperm (confirmed by semen analysis)
- Are health screened according to the UK’s strict regulation (including infectious diseases and common hereditary conditions)
- Can be identifiable to your child at the age of 18, giving your child the opportunity to learn about their genetic origins and contact their donor in future, if they wish to
- Are available for family-slot reservation for future siblings if sperm stock is available and your treatment is successful*
*Due to the demand of UK sperm donors, we recommend that you express your interest straight away if you have a strong preference for a donor. This way we can advise on availability for future siblings.
Useful Links
Here are some useful external websites for more information about using a sperm donor to conceive:
