• Egg donation & egg sharing
• Sperm donation
• Embryo donation
• Donating for research

Sperm, eggs and embryos can be donated for research purposes.

Research on human embryos requires a licence from the HFEA and must be deemed ‘necessary and desirable’. The use of sperm, eggs in research is only licensed by the HFEA if they are used to create embryos for research.

In order to donate for research purposes you will need to fulfill certain criteria to establish your suitability:

Consent - when donating for research, both the sperm and egg providers will be asked to provide written consent; each will be asked to sign two separate consent forms.

The statutory consent form (provided by the HFEA) requires centres to obtain general consent for the use of embryos in research. This form allows donors to specify conditions subject to which the embryos may be used.

Donors should also be asked to complete a consent form provided by the centre following full discussion about the study involved. 

Payment - the payment of donors is prohibited. You can however claim ‘reasonable expenses’ for travel and loss of earnings. The amount you can claim will depend on the time your donation takes.

Donors can claim up to £61.28 for each full day and up to a maximum of £250 per course of sperm donation. This maximum applies to loss of earnings – not the cost of the out-of-pocket expenses. This decision was a result of a consultation on sperm, eggs and embryo donation – the SEED review.

• The SEED review

Further information

• What is donation? 
• Research we have approved

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Page last updated: 10 February 2010

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