Wanting to become a donor

[ToBeADonor]

Hello,

First of all I should say that I’m male. I thought this would be a good place to post this as it’s a popular website and it’s centred around motherhood/parenthood.

I’ve been a blood donor for a few years now, and was wondering what are the rules and implications of helping a couple conceive a child through AI. I’d like to be a donor, however, sperm clinics as I understand them are a very expensive avenue for some couples with no guarantee of success. Therefore, I thought about helping a couple directly. I should note, this is not some sort of seedy fantasy or whatever, I just want to help a couple experience the joy of having children because I won’t be having my own. I’m young, healthy, fertile and have little in family history of disease besides gilberts syndrome.

Are there any good organisations that I should contact or check out? Is there any legal protection via this route or would it be considered unwise?

thank you for reading

Very kind of you but it really is safer for both you and the recipient couples/ mothers to go through a sperm bank or fertility clinic.

Firstly you get legal protections so the recipient parents can’t try to get child support at a later date (and you can’t try to get any parental rights either), there is mandatory donor counselling for both you and the recipients so everyone knows what their rights and responsibilities are before they go ahead (such as in your case that the “child” will have the right to apply for your full name and contact details at 18) and obviously full health checks are done on your donations (including things like sperm count and motility, STI screening and some genetic testing).

It might be worth contacting your nearest NHS fertility clinic/hospital asking if they are looking for donors if you don’t want to go via the big sperm banks? I know many throughout the country are desperate for donors (just google!) They often charge even private patients less for donor sperm than the bigger commercial banks, but you’ll still get all the legal and health protections plus your £35 a visit compensation for expenses.

Thank you again for considering donating, it’s an amazing gift and I am so grateful to my donor for my son xx

Thank you so much for both your kind words and advice!

yeah that was my big uncertainty and concern- the legal protections or lack thereof going down the route of independent. I think I would be more comfortable via the NHS, and whilst the money is not a motivator by any means it is a bonus I suppose. I’ll check out the local ones to me and see if they are in need.

Thank you and congratulations on your son :)