How To Get A Sperm Donor

Treatment with donor sperm involves either donor sperm insemination – also known as IUI with donor sperm - or IVF with donor sperm.

At Manchester Fertility, we can offer you access to traceable and health-screened UK sperm donors from our own sperm donor bank.

During your treatment, you are supported by our caring and experienced team every step of the way, from choosing your sperm donor to pregnancy test.

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 infertility
There is a high risk of passing on a genetic abnormality or condition on the male side

Donor sperm insemination is a simple and quick way to try for a baby using donor sperm. Usually performed without the use of fertility medication, a typical cycle of treatment takes just four weeks.

It involves placing donor sperm into your uterus around the same time that you naturally ovulate. You can take a pregnancy test two weeks later.

For donor sperm insemination to be successful, your fallopian tubes must be clear so the sperm can reach the egg. Otherwise, IVF with donor sperm may be advised instead.

If IVF with donor sperm is the best option for you, we use tailored doses of fertility drugs to stimulate your ovaries to produce mature eggs. The eggs are then fertilised with sperm from your chosen donor using technique called ICSI, where a single, healthy sperm is injected into each egg.

The best resulting embryo will be selected for transfer. If you have more than one good embryo you can freeze the remainder to use in future treatment cycles.

We also offer a variation of IVF with donor sperm for same-sex couples. Partners or Reciprocal IVF – also known as 'Shared Motherhood' – allows both of you to be physically involved in the creation and birth of your baby.

It is the same process as IVF with donor sperm but uses the eggs of one of you to create the embryo, whilst the other partner has the embryo transfer, carries the baby and gives birth.

Pre-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 with donor sperm or donor sperm insemination.

Consultation

Your fertility consultant will explain your personal treatment process and provide you with a fully costed and transparently-priced treatment plan.

Counselling support

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 you can make an informed decision and give your consent to treatment.

Choosing your sperm donor

Our Donation Team will provide you with a choice of sperm donors that match your preferences, from our own UK-wide Semovo sperm donor bank.

Treatment begins

You will start your IVF with donor sperm or donor sperm insemination cycle, and sperm from your chosen donor will be booked for your treatment once your cycle has commenced.

Sperm donor characteristics

Think about what sperm donor characteristics are most important to you, such as hair or eye colour, hobbies or career? Our Donation Team will then use this information to find the best matches in our sperm donor bank.

Sperm donor matching

We will email you with the details of any donors that fit, providing you with the detailed profiles of donors you are interested in. Your donor's profile contains lots of personal information to help you choose, such as:

A pen picture written by the donor, describing himself and his life in his own words
Career and educational background
Hobbies and interests
His reasons and motivations for donating
A goodwill message to your child, which you can show your child in future

Sperm donor confirmation

You can then confirm your donor from the options we send you or request more donor selections.

You will be given all the time you need when choosing your sperm donor, so you can be confident in your final donor choice. We know that choosing your sperm donor can feel overwhelming, which is why we are always here to help, advise and support you.

Manchester Fertility is one of the UK's most experienced clinics for treatment with donor sperm.

Our nationwide Semovo sperm bank is one of the largest in the UK, which means the widest choice of sperm donors to suit you.

We also offer a range of funding options to make treatment with donor sperm cost-effective and affordable.

All our sperm donors:

Are young men aged under 42 years old
Have sperm of the highest quality, as confirmed by semen analysis
Are health screened according to the UK's strict regulations, including infectious diseases and common genetic and hereditary conditions
Are identifiable to your child at the age of 18, giving your child the opportunity to learn about genetic origins and contact their donor in future, if they wish to
Are available for family-slot reservation depending on sperm stock if your treatment is successful, so you can have sibling children in future

We have helped hundreds of same-sex couples, single women and couples with male infertility to become parents through treatment with donor sperm. Meet some our families here.

Our Doctify clinic rating

Donor sperm insemination

Donor sperm insemination with Manchester Fertility costs from £2,150* for a single cycle. This includes:

Your choice of donor sperm
Donor matching
Ovulating monitoring
Preparation of donor sperm
Insemination procedure
Pregnancy scan or follow-up consultation
HFEA licence fee

Or you can choose to fund treatment with donor sperm through our popular multicycle package, which gives you up to three cycles of insemination for a fixed, discounted price of £3500.

Explore our donor sperm insemination package for more details.

IVF/ICSI with donor sperm

IVF with donor sperm costs from £6,800 for a single cycle*. This includes:

IVF consultation & planning
Injection teaching
Blood tests & monitoring scans
Ultrasound-guided egg collection & sedation
Donor sperm from our donor bank
Donor sperm preparation & fertilisation via ICSI
Embryo culture to advanced Blastocyst stage
Embryo transfer using EmbryoGlue
Pregnancy scan or follow-up consultation

You can also try out our Cost Calculator for an indicative price of the treatment you are interested in.

*You will be given a full breakdown of your treatment and any medication costs at your consultation.

Why should I have donor sperm treatment at a clinic?

UK fertility regulator the HFEA advises that it is always safer to have treatment with donor sperm at a licensed clinic. Using sperm from an unregulated source - such as private online sperm advertisements – for DIY home insemination carries significant risks including:

Risks to your health and that of your baby: A private sperm donor is unlikely to have had any medical checks, disease screening or a sperm analysis.
Potential parental rights: Your sperm donor could be the legal father of your child, giving him parental rights and all that this entails, depending on how insemination was carried out and whether you're married or in a relationship at the time.
Pregnancy chances: Identifying the right time for insemination yourself can be very hit-and-miss, especially if you have irregular cycles. There is also the risk of infection from trying to perform home insemination yourself.

By having donor sperm treatment at a clinic, you can be sure that your sperm donor has been health screened and that his sperm is safe for your use. Treatment at a clinic is also optimised for your best chance of pregnancy, and your sperm donor is just that – he has no legal parental rights over your child. For more information, visit https://www.hfea.gov.uk/donation/donors/home-insemination-with-donor-sperm/

If you are considering home insemination because of the cost of treatment at a clinic, take a look at our discounted IUI with donor sperm package. It gives you up to three cycles of insemination at a significant saving, compared to paying for treatment as you go along.

What are Manchester Fertility sperm donors screened for?

All our sperm donors have undergone rigorous health screening in accordance to strict HFEA regulations, which includes tests for:

Cystic Fibrosis
Karyotype for chromosome abnormalities
Blood-related hereditary conditions such as Sickle Cell Anaemia and Tay Sachs
HIV 1 and 2
Hepatitis B and C
HTLV I and II
Syphilis
Gonorrhoea
Chlamydia
Cytomegalovirus

Sperm donors are re-screened every six months and again before samples are released for use.

Where do Manchester Fertility's sperm donors come from?

All our sperm donors are recruited through our own nationwide sperm donor programme, Semovo. Semovo has sperm banks across the country in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow and London, giving you the most extensive choice of sperm donors for your treatment, from right across the UK.

What if donor sperm insemination does not work for me?

Some women may need multiple cycles of donor sperm insemination to conceive. If donor sperm IUI is unsuccessful for you after a number of cycles, your treatment will be reviewed by your consultant with further investigations performed if necessary. You may be advised to move onto IVF/ICSI with donor sperm.

What if I have found my own sperm donor?

If you have a friend who is willing to donate his sperm to help you conceive, it's called 'known donation' and it's typically a longer process than using a sperm donor from our Semovo sperm bank.

Your sperm donor will be required to have health screening, a semen analysis and counselling too. Even though you know your sperm donor, it's still important that his donation and your treatment happens through a licensed clinic.

The law is complex in this instance so it's essential that everyone involved understands the legalities and implications. We advise that you and your potential donor come in and talk to us in the first instance – book a free 1-2-1 or call us on 0161 300 2730.

What can I find out about my sperm donor?

Although sperm donors and recipient patients are anonymous to each other, you will be given lots of detailed information about your donor.

Because we get to know our donors well, we can give you some personal insight as well as the information in your sperm donor's profile, which includes:

Physical details: Such as height, weight, hair, eye colour, ethnicity
Hobbies & career: What your donor likes to do and the job he has
Pen picture: A personal 'about me' written by the donor. This is where your donor will go into detail about his outlook on life, personality, family background, current family life, the type of person he is and why he decided to donate sperm.
Goodwill message: Your sperm donor also writes a goodwill message to the child you may have, which you can show them someday.

If your treatment is successful you can also find out if your donor has helped anyone else to have a family and if your child has any donor siblings, via the HFEA.

Can I reserve sperm for sibling use?

Yes. If your treatment is successful, you can opt for family-slot reservation, subject to sperm availability. Sperm from your donor will be reserved for you to use in future, so that your children are related.