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One of the questions we are commonly asked is what the options are if you want to donate your sperm or eggs to someone you know.

Firstly, it’s not unusual for people to want to do this. Perhaps you have friends who can’t have children without using a donor egg. Or maybe you have single female friends, who want you to donate sperm to help them get pregnant.

Obviously donating sperm is a lot easier than eggs, but with both there’s a minefield of legal issues if you don’t donate through the proper channels, even if your donation is for someone you know.

As a first step, you should make an appointment for both you and prospective parents at your nearest fertility clinic, like Manchester Fertility Services.

We’re a licensed clinic, which means that all of our sperm and egg donors are fully protected by law – they have no legal, financial or moral responsibility for any children born from their donation.

It also means that recipients of our donor sperm and donor eggsgo can be assured that the sperm and eggs they will use are completely guaranteed safe. By that, we mean that all the necessary screening has taken place to check both the sperm and eggs for any diseases or conditions that could have implications for the mother and any resulting children.

If you want to donate sperm, it may seem easier just to make your own private arrangement, but if you do this then you will legally be the father of any child born, no matter what verbal arrangement you may have come to with the recipient.

Even if you know the person you’re donating to, you will also still need to undergo the necessary screening checks to make sure your eggs and sperm are safe to be used, and of good enough quality.

Our team of counsellors will speak with you about the implications of your donation, to make sure you fully understand what being a sperm and egg donor means, particularly as donor-conceived children now have the right to find out about their donors when they turn 18.

It may not matter much to you now, but it’s important to consider how this could affect you and any family you have, in years to come.

And we’ll discuss with you exactly what happens when you donate your sperm or eggs, and the timings for donation to help ensure successful pregnancy for the recipient.

It’s also important to note that if you only want your sperm or eggs to be used by the person you know, then they will pay the costs associated with all the screening tests and procedures needed as the recipient – you don’t pay for this.

However, if you’re happy for your sperm or eggs to be used to help other couples in need, then Manchester Fertility Services pay for all associated costs. And if you share your eggs through our egg-sharing programme, as a donor you can benefit from reduced rate IVF treatment for yourself, if you need it. If you’re donating sperm to be used by others as well, you’ll need to provide more samples on a regular basis to the clinic.

So if you’re thinking of donating to help someone you know, please get in touch with us today for a confidential chat on 0161 227 0010.