Sperm donation stories – why become a donor? Quotes, experiences, motivations & more

If you’re trying to conceive (TTC) with male factor infertility involved, the idea of whether to use a sperm donor may have come up. Or, perhaps you’ve already chosen one to help build your family. Either way, it’s natural to have many, many questions.

3 sperm donation stories

No matter where you are in the journey, you might be curious about:

• What motivates men to become sperm donors?
• Why do they choose to donate?
• What goes through their minds when helping a woman or a couple have a baby?

To answer these questions, we turned to the trusted sperm and egg bank, Cryos International, who interviewed three of their donors to give us more insight.

Read on to hear their stories.

Editor’s note: The men pictured are not sperm donors and do not resemble any of the donors interviewed.

Why did you become a sperm donor?

Jacob is a 26-year-old medical student from Denmark. When he decided to become a donor at Cryos International, his motivation was rooted in helping single people and couples make their dreams of parenthood come true:

“I chose to become a sperm donor because I like the idea that I can help people to achieve their dream. It’s a brilliant and beautiful thought, to think that I can provide the basis for a new life.”

25-year-old Henrik shared similar motivations when he became a donor:

“I’m a donor because there are many people who can’t have children. I feel privileged that I’m healthy and well enough to help them. It’s a big deal for me, and I know it means a lot to those people that I can help.”

Thomas is 42, and a father of four. His decision to donate was driven by a desire to help others experience the same joy he has found in parenthood:

“I have children and have experienced the great joy you get from having children in your life. I thought that it was a small thing for me to do if I could help people who couldn’t have children to have the same experiences. That was my motivation.”

For Thomas, the idea of becoming a sperm donor came after a conversation with his grandfather.

“It came about originally because of a long chat I had with my grandfather about being a decent person. I didn’t think I was a bad person, but I started to speculate that I could do more. I realised this was one of the things where I could actually make a difference. I could help childless couples, so they could experience having children.”

Alongside this, student Jacob also notes that receiving a small compensation for his donations is simply an added bonus:

“Naturally, there’s a financial aspect to it and, as a student, it’s nice to get a little extra with my student grant allowance.”

(The compensation donors receive is not a payment, but reimbursement for their time, effort and transportation.)

And the children you’ve helped to create?

All three donors have reflected on the children who may be born as a result of their donation. Jacob elaborates:

“I understand the concerns people may have, when bringing their children into the world. But the way I see it, children are part of the families and environments that they grow up in.

We have shown that we can certainly foster children and give them a really good life, even though they are not genetically related to their parents, and from that perspective it’s easy to be a donor.”

What misconceptions have you navigated?

Henrik recognises that some people hold prejudices towards men who choose to become sperm donors. Reflecting on this, he says:

“I’ve thought a lot about the fact that many people will hold prejudice, thinking I’m going to have a lot of kids running around the city in a couple of years. But, it’s just not like that. I think more about the fact that there are children who come into the world, to parents desperately want them.”

For many people who turn to a sperm donor to help them conceive, the journey has already involved significant challenges. As Thomas explains:

“I think that must be the best starting point – they’ve been through so much already, before coming to this point, and their resilience is incredible.”

While Thomas has gone on to have the four children he wished for, Henrik also reflects on the possibility of becoming a parent himself in the future:

“I’ve thought about having kids in a few years. So, I understand the feeling people have of wanting to have children. Bringing a child into the world must be an amazing thing, especially for those who have been trying to conceive but couldn’t without support. And being able to help has to be one of the best feelings there is.”

Sperm donor motivations, unpacked

A big thank you to Cryos and these amazing donors, for sharing their thoughts motivations.

Want to learn more? Head over to their website, where you’ll find an updated sperm donor search. This makes it easy to explore donors’ childhood photos, handwritten messages, Q&As, voice recordings and much more.

Together, Cryos International and team TRB hope this will make the process of selecting your donor a little easier.