Become a sperm donor

We’re grateful to anyone who wants to donate sperm.

To donate sperm at CARE, you must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 45
• Live or work within commuting distance of a CARE clinic in the UK (see clinic locations under the "Our Clinics" tab
• Be registered at a UK GP practice
• Be committed. You must be prepared to attend our sperm donation centre regularly for several weeks, and commit to returning for final screening three months later.
• Have no known serious medical disability or family history of hereditary disorders
• Know (or can find out) your immediate family medical history - children, siblings, parents and grandparents
• Be willing to be screened for medical conditions and transmissible viruses
• Not put yourself at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Not knowingly omit any relevant information which could affect the health of any children born as a result of your donation
• Agree to be registered with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority as a donor

Contact us at our sperm donation centres

You can use our link to leave your contact details. A member of our team will contact you to explain the process and help answer any questions you may have. If you are interested, we will invite you to use our secure CARE Portal to view and complete a CARE registration and medical questionnaire.

How Does Sperm Donation Work?

We're always thrilled when someone decides to become a sperm donor. Below is the process for becoming a sperm donor and donating your sperm. Our process of sperm donation is to ensure the quality of the semen and ensure your mental and physical health throughout.

First Visit – Implications Appointment and Semen Analysis

Once your application to be a sperm donor has been accepted, you’ll be invited to come and visit us at your chosen sperm donation centre. You will have the opportunity to discuss the donation process in more detail with a member of the donation team. You’ll also provide your first semen sample which allows us to check your sperm count and quality, and if the sample freezes well.

It is not uncommon for a sample not to meet the strict criteria for donation, if this is the case this doesn’t always reflect your own fertility. Please remember that we’re very selective to give the best chances of success for those who want to use a CARE donor.

Second Visit – Counselling, Sperm Screening, and Consultation

Choosing to donate your sperm is a personal, and important decision. So, we’ll invite you to speak to one of our experienced counsellors. They’ll talk to you about the legal and ethical implications of sperm donation. We encourage you to include your partner in the counselling session. These sessions can be carried out online if that’s more convenient for you.

In clinic we’ll ask for a urine sample and take some blood for screening which we’ll test for HIV, Hepatitis and various genetic conditions. You’ll also talk to one of our consultants about your medical history, your family’s medical history, and what it is expected of you as a sperm donor.

We will confirm your consent to donation and establish what you’d like us to do with your sperm in a number of different scenarios. You’ll hear back from us in around three or four weeks.

Sperm Donation begins

You’ll be expected to donate your sperm around once a week for 3 months. This allows us to build up a good supply of your sperm to ensure we have enough to help all the patients who choose you as their donor. We will always try to arrange convenient dates and times for your donation visits.

We do everything we can to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. The donation rooms are furnished to ensure you feel at ease. Our clinics are dedicated to overcoming fertility and this is routine for us, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed. Not that you should be - you’re doing an amazing thing!

Final Visit

Your sperm samples will be frozen and quarantined for at least three months, so that we know they are safe to use during treatment. With your sperm being frozen, it means your samples can’t be used by patients - not just yet.

After the quarantine period, we’ll ask you to visit for the final time to carry out a few more quick tests to check you’re still free from any infectious diseases.

Finding Out About Your Sperm Donation

Later on, you’ll be entitled to find out if any babies are born as a result of your donation, the year they’re born in, and whether they’re a boy or girl. Your sperm can be used for a maximum of 10 UK families, but is not restricted to one child per family.

You can write a brief goodwill message, which can be given to those children when they turn 18; you might like to tell them about how it felt to help their parents, your hobbies, or just how your friends would describe you. If a child is born from your donation, they might choose to request information about who you are when they turn 18. Your counsellor can talk to you all about this during your session.

Sperm Donor Pay - Expense Payments

Your donation will mean so much to those that need it, yet we are limited by law to what we can give you to compensate for your time and any inconvenience. We will reimburse you £35 for every visit to the clinic. If you are going through IVF yourself and wish to donate sperm in addition to having your own treatment, then you will receive a substantial reduction in the cost of your treatment.