​WHO CAN BE A SPERM DONOR? AND WHO CAN’T

Did you know that if you’ve recently had a tattoo, it can prevent you from donating sperm?

Although sperm donors are more in demand than ever, there are restrictions on who can donate sperm - and who can’t:

Who can be a sperm donor?

As long as you meet set age and health criteria, any man can apply to be a sperm donor with Semovo. Our typical sperm donor applicants are men who:

Are already fathers: If you’re already a Dad, there’s nothing stopping you helping others to have children as well through sperm donation.

Are gay or bisexual: You can donate sperm regardless of your sexuality. All sperm donors have the same screening regardless of sexuality, as long as your screening is clear you could be a sperm donor with Semovo.

Are students: Many of our sperm donors are students. You must be 18 years of age to apply to be a sperm donor.

Are single men: Lots of single men donate to us, as they wish to help someone else to have family even if they do not have one of their own yet.

Are older men: Older men are welcomed as sperm donors just as much as younger men. You can be a sperm donor up to the age of 45.

Are in a relationship or married: We see many couples at our regional sperm donation clinics. Often, the couple have completed their family and want to give this gift to others. We encourage both of you to be part of the sperm donation process, in particular pre-donation counselling, so you can be sure it’s the right decision for your relationship.

Who can’t be a sperm donor?

Many men who apply to be Semovo sperm donors don’t get accepted. The most common reasons you can’t donate sperm are:

You’re too old: Male fertility lasts a lot longer than female fertility, but there’s still an age limit for sperm donation of 45. Sperm quality does decline the older you are, and we have to ensure we only offer the best sperm for the highest chances of pregnancy for those who use it to conceive.

Your medical history: A family history of a hereditary or genetic condition means you may not be able to donate sperm because of the risk of passing a condition to any child born. If you don’t know your family medical history or can’t find out, this would also prevent you from being a sperm donor.

Failed screening tests: We regularly screen our sperm donors for the most common STIs and infectious diseases. If you test positive at any stage of the donation process, your sperm can’t be used.

Anonymity: If you’re not happy for your identity to be available to children conceived through your sperm, you can’t donate sperm. All donor-conceived children have the right to ask for information about their sperm donor from the UK fertility regulator, the HFEA, when they turn 18. To be a sperm donor, you have to agree to your information being available and keep the HFEA updated with your contact details if these change over the years.

Your lifestyle: Lifestyle choices such as excessive drinking, smoking and having a high BMI can affect your sperm quality, which means it may be too poor to use in fertility treatments. You can actively improve your sperm health however, through lifestyle and diet choices.

Recent tattoo or piercing: A donor does not need to wait if they have recently had a tattoo or piercing at a UK licensed centre. If they had the tattoo outside the UK or at an unlicensed centre, it would be a 3-month wait, and then they would need a blood test to confirm there was no infection.

Poor sperm quality: Not as many men as you would think actually have the right quality sperm to be a sperm donor. Remember donor sperm needs to be able to withstand freezing and thawing, and all the different fertility treatment processes, and still be able to successfully fertilise eggs. If your sperm isn’t good enough to be donor sperm it doesn’t mean that you can’t conceive naturally, or that you have a fertility problem.

Be a sperm donor with Semovo

Find out more about the process of sperm donation. And why our personalised care, and convenient clinic network across Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, means Semovo is the sperm bank of choice. All Semovo sperm donors receive £45 expenses compensation per clinic visit. Apply conveniently online, with no obligation, and we’ll be in touch.