From sperm donation to family creation in the UK – what you need to know

Choosing a sperm donor? Get expert insight from a leading UK bank

Sperm donor mama and TRB Founder Eloise was recently joined live by Nicole Nel, Operations & Laboratory Manager at London Sperm Bank, to break down everything you need to know about using donor sperm specifically in the UK.

From selecting a donor to understanding family limits, watch as we guide you through the entire process, step by step.

Watch as we cover:

• How donor sperm selection works in the UK

• The biggest misconceptions about sperm donation and using donor sperm

• What ID-release donors mean for future contact

• Family limits and why they exist

• The benefits of using a UK-based sperm bank vs. importing sperm

• And much more!

London Sperm Bank is the UK’s leading provider of donor sperm, dedicated to helping individuals and couples build their families safely and ethically. As the first UK sperm bank to support LGBTQIA+ patients, they ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. 

Looking to build your family and want to find out more? Visit London Sperm Bank today and browse their detailed donor profiles.

Next on your reading list: Looking for donor sperm? London Sperm Bank works with over 80% of UK clinics – here’s how to get started

Transcript

Eloise Edington:
Hello, good afternoon everyone. Thank you so much for joining us today. We are excited to be speaking with Nicole Nel from London Sperm Bank to unpack and discuss everything that you may want to know about sperm donation within the UK. So, we will be discussing process pointers, misconceptions, and we’d love for you to ask questions which we’ll be very happy to answer. Nicole is hugely experienced, and she should be joining us any second, so have your questions ready. Lovely to see those of you joining today. As I mentioned, we will be unpacking everything that you may want to know about the sperm donation process, pointers, and misconceptions within the UK. So, please have your questions ready. I’m going to invite Nicole in now, and then we can get chatting. Nice to see everyone today. Welcome, everyone. It’s going to be a very, very insightful conversation. So, make sure you watch till the end. Just getting Nicole in now, and then we can start. Okay, we should be connecting any second, and then we can start chatting today. Hello, Nicole. How are you?

Nicole Nel:
Hi Eloise. How are you? I’m well, thank you. How are you?

Eloise Edington:
I’m very well, thank you. I have just given a brief introduction to you, but I will just recap to say that you are the operations and laboratory manager at London Sperm Bank, and we’re going to be discussing family creation through sperm donation within the UK. So touching on process pointers, misconceptions, everything that I’m sure people will find useful to know. So, thank you so much for joining me today. We’re so grateful to have you here because you have a huge experience and knowledge in this area. So, welcome so much.

Nicole Nel:
Yes, lovely to be here. Always nice talking about a topic that I’m very passionate about. So, looking forward to it.

Eloise Edington:
Amazing. If you could start just by telling us a little bit about your role at London’s Sperm Bank, your favorite thing about what you do, especially working with both families and intended parents and also donors.

Nicole Nel:
So, my role is very broad. I’m involved in everything from donor recruitment, sample banking up until the point the samples get distributed to the centers. So again, I’m quite lucky. I get to see the process from start to finish. One of the things I think that I love about what we do is that we make babies. What’s not to love about that? Like we help people create and build families, which is exceptionally rewarding. And it’s an excellent industry to be in. I think it’s very meaningful and valuable the difference that we make on a day-to-day level.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely, and from having met you quite a few times now, that passion always shines through. And you know, from someone who has personally used donor sperm to create my family, it’s always wonderful having these conversations to help people kind of join the dots and get this education and insight when there are different routes to parenthood depending on different situations. So, I’d love to know, or people would love to know, a little bit more about the donor conception process, sperm donor conception process for someone using donor sperm at London Sperm Bank from the initial selection to the actual treatment. Please could you walk us through what would normally happen?

Nicole Nel:
So, we get a lot of applications per month, around 2,000. We’re very strict. We only accept less than 4.1% in the program. So that’s really low. The reason for that is not because we don’t want people to be donors, but unfortunately, the criteria to be a donor are very tricky to ensure that we have the best quality of sperm for our recipients. So once a donor applies, they come in for a semen analysis where we assess their sperm. We do a test freeze and we see that it will be able to be cryopreserved. Once we’ve accepted them onto that, they go through quite extensive medical and genetic screening. They do STI screening, and once they’ve had all those things, including counseling and signing their consent, they then start donating. Those samples are then banked until we feel that we have sufficient to complete the number of families that they’ve consented to. And once that process is done and we’ve banked enough, the samples are then stored in quarantine, where they will stay until one round of testing is done at the end. The donor will then be published once all the results come back for recipients to purchase online.

Eloise Edington:
Okay, that’s amazing. And what about for intended parents? What does that process look like?

Nicole Nel:
For them, it’s a little bit different. So, they go to our catalog, and they then see the end product, which is them selecting a profile that they like or that they can kind of connect to. So the catalog consists of around a hundred donors. It’s a revolving door of donors because donors only consent to 10, can only consent to 10 families in the UK. As soon as they reach that limit or they’re occupying 10 slots, they are unfortunately no longer on the catalog. But it’s really important for recipients to then choose a donor, liaise with their clinic to make sure that they have the right quality type that they’re looking for depending on their treatment. And once they’ve purchased the sample, they don’t have to worry at all. We take care of the rest. We make sure that the samples end up safely at the clinic just in time for their treatment.

Eloise Edington:
And do you see people taking their time when selecting a donor and things being different, kind of, I gues,s traits being important for different people depending on their situation whether they’re coming to it as a solo parent by choice or a same-sex couple or a couple who may have male fertility issues? That selection process, I presume, looks a bit different depending on your situation.

Nicole Nel:
Definitely. I think it’s naturally a very overwhelming process, irrespective of which situation you’re in, purely based on the fact that seeing these hundreds of profiles online can be like, where do I even start? I think the best thing to do is to kind of determine what’s important to you as a person or a patient. For let’s say, same-sex couples, we would usually say if one of the patients is not contributing genetically to then focus on that partner to have that connection with the donor as well. Similarly with single women, if there are things that are important to them, like would it be physical characteristics or what type of music they like, these different things can help you to go into the process not feeling so overwhelmed with all these profiles but having an idea of what’s important to you and then makes that journey a little bit easier.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely. I think that’s great advice. Also, from having selected myself with my husband who’s infertile and having talked to people you know, at different stages of the selection process, I would say that sometimes it’s, you know, go with your gut in terms of you could keep looking for ages, and at some point, I guess you need to decide to kind of get to the next step of your treatment.

Nicole Nel:
There’s no perfect donor. One of the biggest misconceptions is that there are all these perfect men. They’re not, but they are wonderful men because they’re doing something wonderful and they have so much to give in their respective ways. So, I think it’s the same type of concept that applies: look for things that stand out to you.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely. I think that’s really, really good advice. And for anyone who might be looking into donor conception, if you’ve got any questions whilst we’re chatting, please feel free to pop them in the chat box. Or you can DM them to us, and we can go through them. We’ve also linked up with London Sperm Bank in our bio. So, please check out their website. That’s another thing that I really like about the London Sperm Bank website is how easy it is to use. And, you know, when you might be feeling a little overwhelmed and starting the process, you want that to be made easier for you. So, navigating those different options that you’ve just mentioned is really, really important.

Nicole Nel:
And on that topic, we’re actually very excited to announce we are launching our new website in April, which is going to be even more bespoke and give patients better options to choose their donors with more information on the donors. So, look out for that.

Eloise Edington:
Amazing. What kind of information will people be able to have?

Nicole Nel:
So, we’ve expanded our donor profiles a bit. We’ve tried to go a bit beyond the basic things by asking them a bit more about, you know, what are your favorite foods, what music do you like, and if you could see yourself in 10 years, where would you be? So, we’ve tried to capture the donor essence a bit more because we’re limited in the UK by, we can’t give baby pictures, we’re not legally allowed to do that according to the HFEA. We really try to give the patient as much as we can about the donors. We’ve also started voice recording, so that will be an additional some; not all donors will have it. Only the newer donors there will be in a clip where they can kind of recite why they decided to be a donor. So, patients will have more access to information than they had before.

Eloise Edington:
That’s amazing. It’s funny you said that because those kinds of personality traits were really important to my husband and me. Because my husband’s infertile, he really wanted us to pick a donor who had a sense of humor like he has, who, you know, by chance, his favorite animal is an elephant, as is our donor’s, and, you know, similar foods and things like that. Which may sound small, but actually when you’re kind of getting an idea of a person and what they’re about, it’s quite nice to know those little things.

Nicole Nel:
I think so. I think those are the things that make the profile stand out and make you connect with it. Because height and eye color and those things, yes, are important, but who is the person behind it? Because also, I mean, in the UK, a child does have the right to know who their donor is when they reach 18 years old. So you want to be able to say, like, this is the person that obviously we chose because we thought like it resonated with me or us or our family. So, I think it’s lovely to have these… there’s no perfect recipe for what you need to get the perfect donor for you. There are no perfect donors. But there are perfect donors for people because it’s what they connect with and what they relate to in that profile.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely. And, I’ve said this to people before, you know, a big thing for my husband was blue eyes. And we did pick a donor with blue eyes, but half our children have blue eyes, half don’t. And it really doesn’t matter to us now. Do you know what I mean? It’s kind of, those things that you might be looking for when that process has, you know, been successful and you’ve got the baby there, some of those things kind of don’t seem as important as they may have done before.

Nicole Nel:
No, definitely. It’s a difficult process and I think it’s so normal to feel overwhelmed, but I think just find a good place to start. Don’t try and get all the things right. It’s almost like learning, like when you want to write tests or anything like that, you don’t just go through everything at once. You need to kind of just pick it apart a little bit and think, like, okay, what do I want to get from this? What is the most important thing to me? Whether it’s education or, you know, the personality of the donor. I think that really helps narrow down and combat that overwhelming feeling.

Eloise Edington:
Yeah, 100%. I have a question about, I guess, the process for patients. How does London Sperm Bank and the team ensure a seamless cooperation with a fertility clinic to join the dots at every step of the journey?

Nicole Nel:
So, it’s very stressful. We want to take a big chunk of that out and make sure that patients feel like this is the least thing they have to worry about. We have a very unique clinic portal, which is fantastic. It allows clinics, when a patient purchases from us and they’ve selected their center, to start communicating with the center directly. We communicate regarding all the tests that we perform, all the consent forms, everything. We arrange shipping dates with them, and we know when the treatment date is, so we make sure the sample gets there safely. Once the patient technically has placed their order and chosen their donor, their work is essentially done, and it’s then up to our team and the receiving center to make sure that it’s ready for the treatment.

Eloise Edington:
That’s really good to hear because, like you said, when you’re going through treatment, you want that stress taken away from you. So, these logistical things, knowing that you’re in safe hands, is a great place to be in, in terms of going into that process with confidence that you’re with a fantastic sperm bank that is doing this all for you.

Nicole Nel:
Yes. And if they at any point are concerned about anything, they’re more than welcome to reach out to us. But luckily for us now with our new website, they will be able to see what the status of their order is anyway. This is another feature that we’re launching. It’s quite simply going to show them at what step of the process it is.

Eloise Edington:
Brilliant. Brilliant. And what would you say are some key factors that patients should know or think about when choosing a donor? We just touched on some of them now, but if people are thinking, well, is it education? Is it the sort of health history? Are they personality traits? How would you advise people to jump between those different things of importance?

Nicole Nel:
I think it’s important to remember that all donors who end up on our catalog, or any sperm bank catalog, are healthy enough to donate. They have to be signed off by a clinician. So, health is, I would say, probably very low on that list purely based on the fact that it’s a basic requirement to be a sperm donor. But then you think about what you’re looking for because some donors are very matter-of-fact, you know, they’re very much like, this is what I am and why I decided to become a donor, I want to help people, whereas others have the most beautiful stories about why they did this. They have their own and they want to share that with other people. They have friends who have gone through infertility, and we’ve had same-sex men who knew they were going to need an egg donor, so they decided to become sperm donors. It is about how you connect with those people because I think sometimes people go into it thinking, okay, I want blonde hair, I want blue eyes. 

But I promise you, sometimes the physical, for us… I’m quite lucky, I’m involved in the publishing of the donors. That falls away when you get to know the profile behind it, like the reason, the altruistic basic reason that they’re doing this is genuinely to help people. So, that reassurance can give you almost like free reign to dip into the more emotional things about the profile and not worry so much about the screening and the medical history because those things, like I said, have a standard that they have to comply with to be able to be donors in the first place.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely. It does make complete sense, and you’re right. As someone who’s used a sperm donor, knowing a little bit about why they have donated and especially if there’s a tie or some sort of emotional connection to knowing someone who may have, as you said, been through fertility issues or whatever it may be, makes them real and gives a real reason. Not a real reason, but it paints a picture of who they might be as a person and takes away that mystery a little bit, which is really nice and really reassuring.

I mean, I don’t know what you think about this, but I would say when looking for a donor, don’t dismiss people too quickly. Cast the net so that you’re looking at lots of options rather than narrowing it down so much very quickly because, like you said, different things might sway your decision that you may not have thought would the week before.

Nicole Nel:
Exactly. Like I said, I’m quite lucky. I see the profiles that go on our website, and sometimes I would go… we start with the physical characteristics when we publish the donors. We look at the basic demographic details and then towards the end, we start looking at the pen sketch, the goodwill message. My team has made fun of me so many times because we would be sitting there publishing, and I would be getting teary, like, he’s written such a beautiful message, like I want to use him, you know, like he’s just so nice. I genuinely mean this—I’ve been doing this for so many years, I still sometimes look at it thinking, I’ve not heard this message before, I’ve not read it this way or seen this type of message. These people are so unique. They don’t get paid much—really, they get paid enough to cover their train ticket to the clinic. They do it for altruistic reasons. There’s a deeper motivation behind it compared to some other countries where they get paid a fortune. In the UK, it’s not like that.

Eloise Edington:
Yeah. Which is a huge plus, isn’t it, for using a sperm donor within the UK?

Nicole Nel:
Definitely. I think because it’s so highly regulated. The people here, and also with the anonymity—like, that doesn’t exist. By 18, the children can reach out to them if they wish to do so. Some of them, when they write their messages, say, “Come meet me anytime you want. I’m always here for a coffee, or I would love to get to know you.” I think that’s just so amazing—being open to that. I think giving that to a child, saying to them, yes, when you reach 18, you’ll get this donor’s information, but also, this is what he’s written to you even before you existed. It’s wonderful.

Eloise Edington:
I know that for potential children to see that as well, to get a picture of what he might be like.

Nicole Nel:
So that’s really something quite phenomenal.

Eloise Edington:
Yeah, I’d love to hear a little bit more about how London Sperm Bank helps people starting on this emotional journey. You mentioned how your role has been instrumental on both the intended parents’ and the donor’s side, but for people who are coming into this as solo parents by choice or LGBTQ+ couples, what kind of support is available through London Sperm Bank?

Nicole Nel:
So we’re not a treatment center; that is one thing that is a fact. We are a sperm bank. But based on that, we expect that clinics should be providing counseling, which is essential for their patients. But from our side, we know there is still a need for support. Our customer service team sometimes takes a long time helping patients find the right donors for them and answering their questions. At times, they’ve come to see us or spoken to me because they’ve had particular questions. We’ve also partnered with some amazing people like yourselves and like the Parent Hub, where we provide additional support for patients going through this journey. Interestingly enough, the majority of our patients are single women and same-sex couples. So, we really try to be supportive in that way and support things like the Donor Conception Network. We attend events and engage with the community as much as we can within our limited scope. I do think our team is always available for any questions or help that any intended parent might need.

Eloise Edington:
Amazing. And do you find that you get questions from intended parents a lot?

Nicole Nel:
We do. I think they sometimes confuse us with a clinic because, like you said, we’re not a treatment center. We are a licensed sperm bank, but we do not perform any treatments with patients. Sometimes we have to refer them back to their treatment physician or clinic, purely because they are the ones responsible for their treatment. But when it comes to understanding the process of what it means to use a donor, like how could I find the right donor for me, or how would it work if I wanted siblings—these are the types of things where we are the primary support mechanism.

Eloise Edington:
That’s a very good point you raised for people coming into this, maybe wanting more than one child. Do you have advice when it comes to selecting a donor?

Nicole Nel:
It really does depend on their own family planning. I personally, if you want more than one child and depending on your treatment, I would always advise patients to purchase more vials. Unfortunately, donor vials sell out very quickly. As you can imagine, there is a limit in the UK. Luckily, if you already have a family slot with a child, you continue to count as the same family, but that doesn’t mean that there will be samples left for that donor. Each donor bank is unique—some might bank a lot of vials, others might not bank as many. So, what we always say is if you are planning on having more than one child, it is always advisable to purchase more samples and keep them in storage, so you don’t have to worry about that in the future.

Eloise Edington:
Absolutely. I think that’s really good advice because you never know what your situation may be or what you might want down the line.

Nicole Nel:
No, and I recently had a couple that literally wanted their fifth child from the same donor, and luckily we did have some samples left, but the probability of that happening is so low. So, that’s why I’m saying it’s better to be safe than sorry, personally.

Eloise Edington:
Are there any big misconceptions about sperm donation that you often hear, and if so, what is the reality behind them?

Nicole Nel:
I think what I’ve read a lot about and seen online is that people think donors have rights to the children, and they don’t. As soon as they sign the consent forms and donate at a legally licensed bank like us or a treatment center, they relinquish all parental rights to those samples and any children born from them. If you do not use a licensed clinic, then the same rules do not apply. So, I think that is a big misconception. I’ve read a lot about that recently. I think there are different markets and people with different prerogatives, but the nice thing, and one of the things I find reassuring about buying from a licensed clinic or having treatment at a licensed center, is that those types of things you don’t have to worry about. So, that would be one misconception: the donors do not have any legal right to the children.

Eloise Edington:
Mhm. Could you tell us a little bit more about the legalities of known donors in the UK and what happens when the child reaches 18?

Nicole Nel:
When the child is 16, they’re allowed to access all the non-identifying information—everything apart from their name, date of birth, address, and things like that. When they’re 18, they can contact the HFEA. If they were conceived after 2005 using donor sperm from the UK, that will be on the register, which they can request access to. The HFEA will then provide it. We are not legally allowed to directly provide that information to donor-conceived children, but the HFEA does. They also check it with us before they release the information, so should the donor have updated any details with us, which we highly encourage them to do, we have it on record.

On the donor side, donors are allowed to know how many children have been born from their donations, the year the children were born, and the sex. Surprisingly, we have donors who annually, almost religiously, email us asking how they’ve done, how the kids are. While we can’t share much, we can only provide those three pieces of information, but it’s nice to see their level of engagement and concern for these families.

Eloise Edington:
Yeah, I’m sure. Absolutely. And then in terms of being anonymous in the UK for donation, are there strict regulations around this, and what do people need to know about ID release donors? You mentioned future contact, but would you say that parents fully understand what that means from the beginning? Are they taken through everything you’ve just mentioned? And I presume the donor consents to all of this when they go through the rigorous process of becoming a donor.

Nicole Nel:
In the UK, unfortunately, you’re no longer allowed to donate anonymously. You can only be an ID release donor. This means if you’re not comfortable with releasing your identity to the child at the age of 18, then unfortunately you can’t proceed as a donor. This does not apply in other countries, as there are still certain countries where anonymous donations are allowed. However, in the UK, I think traceability is one of the most unique aspects. If you want that information when your child reaches 18, legally, the clinics in the UK have the obligation to keep track of all that data, log it, and report it to the HFEA.

Eloise Edington:
Okay, that’s really good to know. Someone just sent a private question asking about how you screen donors. What’s the process that donors go through to become donors?

Nicole Nel:
They get screened for various things. First, we go through their medical history extensively with the doctor. They have to undergo a physical exam with the doctor as well. Then we test them for certain genetic conditions such as T-AX, alpha and beta thalassemia, spinal muscular atrophy, and cystic fibrosis. We also test them for a number of STIs, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, HTLV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomonas. It’s quite a long list of things we need to screen for, and we have to screen them every 3 months during the donation process to ensure the samples remain safe. That’s also why the samples go into quarantine. 

Only once those samples have exited quarantine can they be released for patient use. Additionally, at every donation appointment, we conduct a mini health assessment, asking them if they’ve changed any behaviors or if they think they might be at risk. Our donors are very honest and understand the risks. That’s why counseling with our donors is mandatory, so they fully understand the implications of being a donor and the impact of being untruthful. I think we have a very robust screening system.

Eloise Edington:
That’s reassuring as an intended parent, knowing that they’ve gone through that process. It shows they are committed to being a donor. It’s not a quick decision; it’s something they’ve thought about and discussed all the implications. As a parent of sperm donor-conceived children, that’s something really useful to know to put your mind at ease.

Nicole Nel:
I think people often think that if you’re a donor, you simply show up at the clinic, produce a sample, and leave, but that’s not the case. There may be countries where it works like that, but in the UK, being a sperm donor is a 6 to 12-month commitment. It’s a big commitment. And, as I mentioned, they can only receive up to £45 per visit, which just covers their train ticket. We’re not allowed to give them anything else, so they genuinely do it for altruistic reasons. It takes a very special person to commit to that in their own free time to help others.

Eloise Edington:
I would say definitely. I completely agree with you. You’ve touched on this already, but could you please clarify the family limits in the UK? I think you said 10 family units. Is that correct? And just a little more about why they exist, because, again, I think this is a huge reason to use a donor within the UK through London Sperm Bank. It provides reassurance that there is a limit and ensures that the children you’re potentially creating are from a donor who isn’t donating to an unlimited number of families.

Nicole Nel:
I think it’s a tricky one because when people go on the internet and search for donor sperm, what often happens is they see what looks the best in terms of the nicest profile, one with baby pictures or more information. But it depends on what’s important to you as a parent and what you want for your child. If you’re looking for your child to have a manageable number of siblings they might one day connect with, then the UK is probably your best option because donors recruited here have a 10-family limit. Yes, there could be donors who are sold abroad, but this should be transparent from the start. Some patients have no objection to their child having multiple siblings all over the world, and that’s fine too. 

But I believe it’s important to do the necessary research to understand the differences between banks and what that means for your child down the line. At the beginning, the profile might look great, but you might not feel comfortable with the fact that your child could have hundreds of siblings if some banks have no limits. Again, this is not meant to scare you, but it’s about making an informed decision, which is important here. For some people, it won’t be an issue, but it’s crucial to be aware of this before proceeding because once it’s done, it’s done. I’ve been lucky to attend various talks from donor-conceived children about their experiences, and for them, the concept of having so many siblings can be very odd. Some are okay with it, but others are not. It’s important to think about the process not just as wanting a baby now, but considering the long-term implications for you, your family, and your child.

Eloise Edington:
You’ve hit the nail on the head as a parent of donor-conceived children. In that moment, it felt like our fertility story. But as soon as you have a baby through donor conception, the focus shifts, and you realize this is about their story and their future. The process is just the moment to get there. Making informed decisions that will affect their future and shape who they are is where we wanted to focus. Having spoken to other families who’ve used donor conception, it was really interesting to hear those different perspectives. Like you said, the work you do and the voices you listen to from donor-conceived children or adults you’ve met provide really useful insight in advising people on what to look for. 

Nicole Nel:
I think it’s a very good point that you make. I don’t think people are necessarily being selfish when they choose a donor. I just think that sometimes, when you’re in that situation, that’s what’s important to you. But the thing with donor conception or the donor-conceived family is that it’s a very multi-layered process.

What we hope to achieve, not just at London Sperm Bank, is making sure that patients are aware of what comes after that. It’s not just about the present, but thinking about what the future might hold. I’ve had people say, “If I knew this, I would have made a different decision.” And I think that’s something we don’t want anybody to ever feel. We hope, with our new website, that it will be much more informative and provide as much information as possible to help people make informed decisions.

Eloise Edington:
Definitely. Even conversations like this, where people can gain insight into the questions others ask, your experience speaking to families building their families through donor conception, and hearing voices from people who have used donors themselves, are really helpful. It can help steer your direction in terms of what you might be looking for and what you should think about.

I wanted to ask you, if you have time, just to summarize some of the advantages of using a UK sperm bank, with donors recruited in the UK as opposed to overseas.

Nicole Nel:
I think the family limit is a big one. That would be a benefit if that’s what’s important to you. Donors recruited here will have a 10-family limit. On our website, it will show clearly that these are local donors who can only help up to 10 families. Interestingly, many donors are quite specific about that. We’ve started recruiting for international use, but they will be very distinct from the UK donors, showing who they are. It’s interesting how some donors are adamant about only being comfortable with a certain number of families. It shows their commitment, as they’re already thinking about how it would impact them and their family dynamics when these children turn 18 and potentially reach out. I think that’s a big factor.

I also think access to information is important because of the HFEA and the fact that it’s so highly regulated. I can’t think of a more regulated place than the UK for donor conception. You’re lucky because you have access to the register, which, when the child turns 18, provides them with updated information about the donor, such as where they live and their ID.

Another thing is, if you live in the UK and have a particular heritage, it’s nice to find a donor with a similar background. Of course, it depends on what you’re looking for, and some people don’t mind at all. The donors here are from the UK, and because we’re in London, we have great diversity, which is fantastic. So, in the end, the biggest thing is to make sure you know what you’re looking for when you choose a donor.

Eloise Edington:
I think that’s great advice, and also, as you mentioned, London Sperm Bank has a large pool of donors for people to select from. While there’s a rigorous selection process, being able to choose from so many donors is helpful and provides a useful place to navigate and see your options. We do have a question about the selection process. You’ve touched on it before, but is there anything else that you think would be useful for people to know about how you screen and select donors or the pool of donors available on the London Sperm Bank website?

Nicole Nel:
For us, the basics are the regulatory compliance requirements for being a donor. We ensure we meet all the legal requirements, but the nice thing about our business is our discretion. We have certain criteria that we may be more strict with, purely based on the fact that when we recruit donors, we want to give patients confidence that this donor is doing it for the right reason. For example, if a donor says they are doing this just for the money, they’re excluded. We don’t need donors like that. We have no shortage of applications. We’re not just looking for the best of the best; we’re looking for people with the best intentions. This is a very big difference because we know, like I said, one day when that child turns 18, they may reach out to that person. You want it to be somebody you can be proud of and say, “I’m proud to have recruited them and contributed to their family dynamic.” We’re very strict on these points. Medical concerns or any risky behavior are also red flags. We have a clinical genetics team, a medical team, and donor recruiters. They assess so many candidates, and if any of them see a potential risk, it’s flagged immediately and reviewed appropriately.

Eloise Edington:
Yeah, that’s really useful to know. I mean, donating sperm is one of the most amazing gifts anyone can give. Having built my family through donation, we wouldn’t have our children today without our sperm donor. So, I love having these conversations and helping people navigate this process. I really appreciate your time, Nicole. It’s been hugely insightful, and if anyone has any questions for the team at London Sperm Bank, please drop them a DM. We can put you in touch, or you can contact them directly. They’d love to help you on your journey, no matter what stage you’re at. Your inclusive approach and expert guidance are hugely valuable to our community. Thank you so much, and please get in touch with the team today if you have any questions. I’m always happy to answer them, as a parent of donor-conceived children. This is also an opportunity to gain more insight into the process if we haven’t covered something you want to hear about today. So, thank you so much, Nicole. Please head to our link in bio, and it’s been a pleasure speaking with you.

Nicole Nel:
Thank you so much, Eloise. It’s been lovely, and yes, if there’s anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help and support where we can.

Eloise Edington:
Is there any last piece of advice you would give to anyone potentially looking for a donor?

Nicole Nel:
Don’t look for the perfect guy. Don’t look for the perfect donor. Look for what’s perfect for you, which means understanding what’s important to you. That’s what I would say.

Eloise Edington:
Love that. Thank you so much, Nicole, and thanks to everyone watching and joining us today. Speak soon.

Nicole Nel:

Thanks, everyone. Bye.

Eloise Edington:
Bye.