Many of you will already know from previous posts that our family has had problems with fertility. Luckily for us we were able to overcome the issues naturally, however for some people the story is a little different.

One out of seven couples (around 3.5 million people in the UK) experiences fertility problems. After a year or so of trying without any success, it’s best to seek help. Treatments are numerous and varied. If the couple’s lack of success is due to male infertility issues, one of the options is to turn to a sperm donor. Around 1,300 babies are born each year thanks to sperm donation in the UK.

Sperm banks, known donors or donors online: which is best? 

There is no one solution that is better than the rest. It is down to the couple to decide which suits them the most.

Couples, as well as single women, can find their donor in various different ways. The first solution that we might think of is to go to a sperm bank or a fertility clinic. The majority of these facilities will have a stock of frozen samples and a list of profiles. Personal information such as hair and eye colour, ethnicity origin, weight and height will be made available to the mum-and-dad-to-be. They can read through this information and choose the candidate that best fits their criteria. Moreover, one of the biggest advantages of using a sperm bank is that the process is strictly regulated. Sperm banks are very thorough when it comes to their donors’ applications and each sample is carefully screened to ensure its quality.

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A more personal option is to choose a donor that you know, for instance, a relative or a friend. Some find this method practical and easy, and knowing the person privately can be reassuring. Nonetheless, others might feel more comfortable with the anonymity of a sperm bank.

Another solution that is growing in popularity is to search for a donor online. Those who wish to become parents via this method can make use of a website that facilitates the selection process. Not only does this cut the costs incurred by using a sperm bank, it also gives the parents-to-be the choice of getting to know their donor and asking him any questions they might have.

Actually, some go even further and prefer to choose someone willing to play a bigger role: co-parenting with them. Many men want to do more than just produce the required semen, they also want to become a dad.

If the donation successfully results in a child 

What comes after the donation is dependent on everyone’s wishes. If the donor prefers to remain anonymous, this is his choice. However, today in the UK, children born via sperm that was donated to a licensed fertility clinic have the right to request non-identifying information about their donor once they reach the age of 16. When they turn 18, they can apply for identifying information. This means that they will be entitled to know their donor’s last-known address, as well as his name and date of birth.

It is entirely possible for a known donor to continue to play a part in the child’s life. However, it is important that this is agreed upon by everybody involved beforehand. More and more couples, as well as many single women, are making the decision to share with their donor the responsibilities of raising a child and the joy of watching him or her grow up.

Thanks for reading, i hope you have found this useful.