IUI with donor sperm

Using donated sperm is a major decision and you should take your time to think about whether it is right for you. You may want to discuss your decision with family and friends before starting on this journey. All patients embarking on treatment using donor sperm should have a session with our counsellor to explore the implications of the treatment (‘Implications counselling’).

If you use donor sperm through a licensed UK fertility clinic there are very few risks. The family history of your donor will be checked to ensure they do not have any serious genetic diseases that could be passed onto any children you conceive. The sperm donors must be negative for the following: HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and syphilis. Sperm donors must also be negative for chlamydia on a urine sample tested. Sperm donors must also be screened for cystic fibrosis and chromosome analysis.

Yes, in the UK a donor’s sperm has a ten-family unit limit. This means that one donor’s sperm can be used to create babies for up to ten families as well as any children they may have themselves.

Yes, providing the donor sperm is available. As a reference, we advise patients to buy 3-4 straws at a time as this ensures the donor does get sold out during your treatment and this also saves you the shipping cost per straw. Reserving sperm may incur a charge. Please note that some sperm banks will store sperm in either ampoules/vials/straws holding between 0.5ml and 1.0ml of sperm.

Having treatment at a licensed fertility clinic like UCLH means your donor will have no legal responsibilities to any children born with their sperm. They would not be named on the birth certificate or be required to support the child financially.

UK law does not permit anonymous sperm donation. When selecting a donor please ensure that they are UK legislation compliant. Donor sperm treatment in the UK is regulated by Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

As part of your IUI donor treatment we would like for you to undertake an implications session prior to treatment. This is also a recommendation by our regulating body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). This is usually undertaken by our Fertility Counsellor. It can be invaluable in ensuring that you have fully explored the implications of having a child conceived through donor conception.

If you use a donor through the donor banks we have provided, information about a potential donor will include:

• Height, weight, eye and hair colour
• Ethnicity
• Whether they had any children at the time of donation, how many and their gender
• Marital status and medical history
• An extended profile of the donor which includes a personal description of the donor and any goodwill messages the donor may have written to any potential children (if available).

It is natural for your child conceived with the help of donor sperm to want to find out more about their donor or siblings. When your child reaches the age of 18, they will be able to ask for your donors’ name, date of birth and last known address and it is up to them if they want to try and get in touch. The HFEA also provides a donor sibling link where they can connect with any genetic siblings.

At UCLH we work closely with a few sperm banks. These sperm banks are reliable, and the donors have been screened. We will support you through the process with information and counselling, hence minimising the chance of something going wrong further down the line.

Please see below a list of donor sperm banks that you can choose your donor from:

1. London sperm Bank (londonspermbank.com)
2. European sperm Bank (europeanspermbank.com)

We work diligently with these sperm banks and patients can choose from an abundant supply of donors while meeting the requirements of the HFEA. If you are considering another sperm bank please let us know. It may be possible to source sperm from an alternative sperm bank however, please contact us to discuss this.

At the present moment in time, we do not have arrangements to accept known donor samples from patients.

Cytomegalovirus, also known as CMV, is a virus that most adults have been exposed to and are subsequently immune to. In healthy adults and children, CMV can cause flu-like symptoms, which usually last for about one week. If a pregnant woman who is not immune contracts CMV, there is a small risk the child may develop neurologic abnormalities.

All sperm donors are routinely tested for CMV immunity. If CMV testing indicates the donor has a current infection (positive CMV IgM antibodies), the donor is not eligible to be a sperm donor at that time. If CMV testing indicates the donor only has an old infection (positive CMV IgG but negative CMV IgM antibodies), he will be accepted into the program and his donor profile will indicate CMV positive.

Based on published studies, the risk of exposure from a donor who tests positive for CMV IgG antibodies but has had no current infection is very low. It is believed that the risk is further reduced through semen processing methods that are currently used. These methods remove white blood cells and seminal fluid from the semen before the sperm is ready to be used. However, if you are CMV negative, i.e. you have never been exposed to CMV, we would advise you to restrict your selection to CMV negative donors.

Superovulation and IUI will be the initial treatment option using your donor sperm

If you are considering having super ovulation and intrauterine insemination, it is important to know

• what it will be
• how it will affect you
• what risks are involved
• any alternatives.

These options will be discussed with you further during your consultation with a doctor or fertility nurse specialist. You will be given an information leaflet about the treatment offered to you.

A member of the lab team will contact you to discuss the next steps. In the meantime, please contact the donor banks to inform yourself about their processes and prices. Please note that we will only commence your treatment cycle once we have the sperm on site.