​WHO’S THE DADDY? DON’T DONATE SPERM PRIVATELY – CHOOSE A LICENSED CLINIC

Have you been asked by someone you know to donate your sperm to help them have a baby? Or are you considering offering your sperm online to strangers so they can try to conceive?

Some men think sperm donation ‘at home’ by private arrangement is the easiest way to donate sperm.

But sperm donation outside of a licensed clinic is fraught with complications, particularly for you as the sperm donor.

It can have huge legal implications - in some instances, you may even find yourself the legal father of any child born, and all the financial responsibility this entails. Even if you donate with no intention of being involved in the care and upbringing of the child.

The UK fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) recommends that you should only ever donate sperm through a licensed clinic like Semovo.

If sperm donation and treatment takes place through an official HFEA-licensed clinic like Semovo, then the parentage is set by law – as the sperm donor you have no legal, financial or moral responsibility for any subsequent children. You are not legally the child’s parent and have no parental rights.

But the law is complex in cases of donation outside of this setting with regard to legal parenthood. The recipient’s marital and relationship status, and how the child was conceived, all come into play. So it’s vital to get specialist legal advice if you’re at all considering providing your sperm privately.

If you’re planning to donate sperm to someone you know (‘known donation’), we always advise that you all visit a HFEA-licensed fertility clinic, such as our sister-clinic Manchester Fertility, to discuss your options.

And if you want to donate sperm just to help someone else to have a baby, whether you know them or not, then become a registered sperm donor with Semovo and do it properly.

It’s not as ‘quick’ as private sperm donation, but it takes time for a reason. It’s the safest way to protect yourself, the recipients of your sperm and any children born.

Find out why so many men choose to donate sperm with Semovo, we’re the UK’s second-biggest donor sperm bank with over 30 years of sperm donor recruitment expertise. Read about the sperm donation process, sperm donor FAQs and complete our simple online sperm donor application form when you’re ready, with no obligation.

Questions? Give our friendly team a call on 0345 266 1272 or email donate@semovo.co.uk