Ever thought about donating sperm to help infertile people? The Fertility Centre at Whittington Health is seeking unselfish local men to join its new sperm donation programme.
There is a shortage of donor sperm in the UK, which results in many patients importing sperm from foreign donor banks. This comes at extra cost to the patient, and circumvents the overall ‘10 family limit’ which applies to donors recruited in the UK.
Erica Foster, Laboratory Manager, explains: “The selfless act of sperm donation is one that genuinely transforms lives. The donation process itself is relatively simple, and can be completed in under two months. We offer evening and weekend appointments, designed to fit around the donor’s schedule.”
In doing so, men who choose to donate can give an extraordinary gift to infertile people, while supporting their local NHS hospital.
Gidon Lieberman, Consultant Gynaecologist, says: “Fertility patients need easy access to UK-originated sperm within a not-for-profit framework. In order to offer this service we are looking for suitable sperm donors. Whether a man donates to a private clinic or to ours, the financial remuneration is the same, and is set by the regulating authority (the HFEA). I would hope that men would prefer to donate their sperm to a not-for-profit organisation, where all proceeds are used to support local services.”
Payment for sperm donation is prohibited in the UK, but donors can receive £35 in compensation for each clinic visit. While some potential donors may be put off by the fact that donor-conceived children are legally entitled to learn the identity of their genetic parent when they reach the age of 18, Erica explains: “It is important that those interested in donation understand that the process is entirely anonymous for the first 18 years of a child’s life. Thereafter, children have a legal right to know the identity of both their biological parents, but donors have no legal responsibilities towards these children at any point.”
Men who are interested in sperm donation, and are aged between 18 and 40, should visit whittington.nhs.uk, email [email protected] or call 07979 548 183 for more information.
The Whittington Hospital, Magdala Avenue, Archway, London, N19 5NF.
