Frequently asked questions
Below you can find answers to our most frequently asked questions – our FAQs.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to call us on 020 3630 0147 or email us at donor.uk@europeanspermbank.com
Anonymity
According to UK-law, you cannot donate sperm anonymously. However, only children conceived as a result of your sperm will be allowed to contact you when they reach the legal age of 18. European Sperm Bank will also know your identity.
A donor child of an ID release donor (previously known as an open donor) is entitled to receive non-identifying information about their donor when they reach age 16 and identifying information about their donor from the age of 18.
No, your identity is protected with us. Nor does your regular medical record state that you are a donor. All contact takes place directly between you and us.
Becoming a sperm donor
Fill in our online application form to book your first appointment.
You can donate at our Holborn clinic, a 5 minute walk from Chancery Lane underground station.
You can donate every 48 hours from your last ejaculation.
We ask you to donate at least four times per month.
We expect you to donate for at least 1 year. There is no maximum period, but most donors are active for about 2 years.
To be a sperm donor you must be between 18 and 45 years old.
The last possible day for donation is the day before turning 46. We expect you to donate for at least 1 year and with application time in mind, we do not accept applications if there is less than 18 months before turning 46. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Yes, if you live in England for at least 1½ years from the time of application.
We oversee the number of pregnancies to comply with applicable legislation in various countries. For example, a donor may provide children to no more than 10 families in the UK.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept you on our donor program, if you do not know your biological family’s medical history.
No, you must reside in England for at least 1½ year from the time of application.
Payment
A donor can be compensated up to £490 per month. Following our initial screening tests, you will be compensated £35 for each clinic visit, in line with HFEA regulations. You will be compensated in two parts; £20 upfront when you produce your sample, and the remaining £15 following routine 3 monthly STI screening. Read more about being a sperm donor.
Yes. The money will be transferred to your bank account, and you must report your income yourself.
Health
We test blood and urine for STIs and carry out comprehensive genetic screening.
Yes, if you are treated and cured.
Yes. We continuously test for STIs, e.g. hepatitis.
Besides good health, no. Our donors represent all kinds of men with different backgrounds.
Yes, you can become a sperm donor at European Sperm Bank if you have had sex with men.
Other
There are many reasons why you may not qualify as a sperm donor. Most commonly, the reason is that your sperm count does not meet our criteria. If you do not have an above-average sperm count, you cannot be a sperm donor. But there are also several other factors that may disqualify you from being accepted as a sperm donor. You cannot be a sperm donor, if:
- Your sperm count is too low
- You or someone in your family suffers from serious hereditary diseases
- You are abusing anabolic steroids or drugs
- You have a bleeding disorder or clotting disorder
- You provide sexual services for money or drugs
- You are infected with HIV or hepatitis B or C
- You are or previously have been admitted as a donor at another sperm bank
- You or your parents are adopted and thus do not have full knowledge of your biological origin.
Clinics in the UK are regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which ensures transparency about everyone’s legal position. Sperm donors have neither paternal nor legal obligations to any children that are the result of their donations. In other words, as a sperm donor, you will not pay child support to children conceived with your sperm. The same applies to the donor children, who have no legal claims to the donor.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority:
“… provided you donate through a licensed UK fertility clinic, you will have no legal rights or responsibilities to children conceived from your donation […] A sperm donor, therefore, has no rights to children born with the help of his sperm, and neither the child nor its mother has any claims towards the donor.”
You can read more about the HFEA’s rules for sperm donors here.
No. As a sperm donor at European Sperm Bank, you will not be liable for paying child support to children conceived with the sperm you donate.
You are always welcome to email, or phone us if you have any questions.
Phone us on 020 3630 0147 or email donor.uk@europeanspermbank.com