John’s experience

John has donated to clinics and via online connection sites for over a decade. Here discusses the benefits and drawbacks of being a sperm donor – but also some of his reasons for providing fertility services within the unregulated sector.

He addresses what is expected of individuals providing the kind of service he offers, including frequent checks for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) when he donates via intercourse, or natural insemination (NI). He also addresses the issue of keeping a register for donor-conceived children, which is especially important if a donor has a large number of offspring.

In the UK, it is thought that the number of sperm donors donating to regulated fertility clinics has decreased in recent years, possibly due to the removal of donor anonymity, a topic we’ll return to in more depth in Week 3. However, there is evidence that growing numbers of private sperm donors are available via the online network.

In this clip, John has asked to not be identifiable. His face is therefore obscured and his words are read by an actor.

Join the discussion: What do you think of the sperm donation service John offers? Is it something you would consider yourself, either as a recipient or a donor? Whatever your personal view, please give your reasons.