FAQs for donors
On this page:
- I am considering egg sharing. Does that mean that I'm a 'donor'?
- I donated before 1st April 2005 and now would like to be identifiable to any children born as a result of my donation – how do I do this?
- Can I still donate my eggs, sperm or embryos anonymously?
- I've heard you can get £250 for sperm or eggs. How much will I get paid for my donation?
- What if I change my mind about donating?
- Do I have any rights or responsibilities towards a child created from my donation?
- Is there an age limit for egg or sperm donors?
- Where can I go for more advice about donation?
I am considering egg sharing. Does that mean that I'm a 'donor'?
Yes. Egg sharing involves donating some of your eggs to someone else for treatment. This means that the rules regarding donation apply to you. For more information see For Donors and The HFEA Guide to Infertility.
I donated before 1st April 2005 and now would like to be identifiable to any children born as a result of my donation – how do I do this?
You can contact the clinic where you donated, or the HFEA. if you wish to remove your anonymity retrospectively. Once you remove your anonymity you cannot then opt to become anonymous again. Your I.D information can subsequently be made available to you donor-conceived offspring upon request.
Can I still donate my eggs, sperm or embryos anonymously?
No, on 1 April 2005, the law changed so that anyone who registers to donate their eggs or sperm after this date must give identifying information. This information will be made available to a child born from the donation if he or she requests it after they turn 18. To find out more about how the recent changes in the law can affect you and your family, see:
I've heard you can get £250 for sperm or eggs. How much will I get paid for my donation?
You won't get paid anything as donors cannot be paid for donating sperm or eggs - you can only claim for the "reasonable expenses" and compensation for loss of earnings you incur when donating. The rules are the same for men donating sperm and women donating eggs.
You can claim for reasonable out-of pocket expenses with receipts. This can include travel costs and the costs of childcare.
You can also be compensated for loss of earnings (wherever you live) - but you will have to show that you have lost earnings in the time you spent donating.
- The amount you can claim for loss of earnings will depend on the time your donation has taken - up to a daily maximum of £63.12 but with an overall limit of £250 (or the equivalent in local currency) for each course or cycle of donation. This maximum applies to loss of earnings (not the cost of out-of-pocket expenses).
If you are donating eggs to others for treatment and also having treatment yourself, you may receive a discount in the cost of your own treatment.
- Directions for clinics (30kb)
- Explanatory notes (62kb)
What if I change my mind about donating?
When you donate, the law requires you to give your written consent to your sperm, eggs or embryos being used in treatment. You can change, or withdraw, your consent at any time up to the point at which your sperm, eggs or embryos (or any embryos created from your sperm or eggs) are transferred to the person being treated.
Do I have any rights or responsibilities towards a child created from my donation?
Not if you donate through an HFEA-licensed clinic, which must conform to strict medical, legal and ethical standards. This ensures that everyone involved in the donation process is clear about their legal position and is protected by the law.
You will have no legal obligation to any child created from your donation - you will not be their legal parent and you will not be named on the birth certificate. Neither do you have any rights over how the child will be brought up, and you will not be asked to support the child financially.
You will be asked to provide information about yourself which a child born from your donation can access when they are 18 years old. Prospective patients and parents of donor conceived people can also access anonymous information you provide.
If you plan to donate outside a licensed clinic, for example if you are considering donating fresh sperm, you may wish to consult a solicitor first. Where fresh donated sperm is used outside an HFEA licensed clinic, the donor is considered by law to be the child's legal father, with all the responsibilities and rights that involves.
Is there an age limit for egg or sperm donors?
Egg donors should be aged 35 or younger, because women's fertility begins to decline significantly after this age. Sperm donors can be aged up to, and including, 45 years old. In exceptional circumstances, a clinic may accept donors outside this age group. No one under the age of 18 can donate sperm or eggs. For more information about donating, see the National Gamete Donation Trust website.
Where can I go for more advice about donation?
Your decision to donate sperm, eggs or embryos is an important one, with life-long implications. There are many issues to consider, and some of them are complicated. There are a number of organisations which can provide further information about the issues involved.
You may also wish to discuss donating with the counsellor at the clinic where you are donating, as they will have experience in helping you explore the implications of decision, now and in the future.
Other helpful organisations include:
I am considering egg sharing. Does that mean that I'm a 'donor'?
Yes. Egg sharing involves donating some of your eggs to someone else for treatment. This means that the rules regarding donation apply to you. For more information see For Donors and The HFEA Guide to Infertility.
I donated before 1st April 2005 and now would like to be identifiable to any children born as a result of my donation – how do I do this?
You can contact the clinic where you donated, or the HFEA. if you wish to remove your anonymity retrospectively. Once you remove your anonymity you cannot then opt to become anonymous again. Your I.D information can subsequently be made available to you donor-conceived offspring upon request.
Can I still donate my eggs, sperm or embryos anonymously?
No, on 1 April 2005, the law changed so that anyone who registers to donate their eggs or sperm after this date must give identifying information. This information will be made available to a child born from the donation if he or she requests it after they turn 18. To find out more about how the recent changes in the law can affect you and your family, see:
I've heard you can get £250 for sperm or eggs. How much will I get paid for my donation?
You won't get paid anything as donors cannot be paid for donating sperm or eggs - you can only claim for the "reasonable expenses" and compensation for loss of earnings you incur when donating. The rules are the same for men donating sperm and women donating eggs.
You can claim for reasonable out-of pocket expenses with receipts. This can include travel costs and the costs of childcare.
You can also be compensated for loss of earnings (wherever you live) - but you will have to show that you have lost earnings in the time you spent donating.
- The amount you can claim for loss of earnings will depend on the time your donation has taken - up to a daily maximum of £63.12 but with an overall limit of £250 (or the equivalent in local currency) for each course or cycle of donation. This maximum applies to loss of earnings (not the cost of out-of-pocket expenses).
If you are donating eggs to others for treatment and also having treatment yourself, you may receive a discount in the cost of your own treatment.
- Directions for clinics (30kb)
- Explanatory notes (62kb)
What if I change my mind about donating?
When you donate, the law requires you to give your written consent to your sperm, eggs or embryos being used in treatment. You can change, or withdraw, your consent at any time up to the point at which your sperm, eggs or embryos (or any embryos created from your sperm or eggs) are transferred to the person being treated.
Do I have any rights or responsibilities towards a child created from my donation?
Not if you donate through an HFEA-licensed clinic, which must conform to strict medical, legal and ethical standards. This ensures that everyone involved in the donation process is clear about their legal position and is protected by the law.
You will have no legal obligation to any child created from your donation - you will not be their legal parent and you will not be named on the birth certificate. Neither do you have any rights over how the child will be brought up, and you will not be asked to support the child financially.
You will be asked to provide information about yourself which a child born from your donation can access when they are 18 years old. Prospective patients and parents of donor conceived people can also access anonymous information you provide.
If you plan to donate outside a licensed clinic, for example if you are considering donating fresh sperm, you may wish to consult a solicitor first. Where fresh donated sperm is used outside an HFEA licensed clinic, the donor is considered by law to be the child's legal father, with all the responsibilities and rights that involves.
Is there an age limit for egg or sperm donors?
Egg donors should be aged 35 or younger, because women's fertility begins to decline significantly after this age. Sperm donors can be aged up to, and including, 45 years old. In exceptional circumstances, a clinic may accept donors outside this age group. No one under the age of 18 can donate sperm or eggs. For more information about donating, see the National Gamete Donation Trust website.
Where can I go for more advice about donation?
Your decision to donate sperm, eggs or embryos is an important one, with life-long implications. There are many issues to consider, and some of them are complicated. There are a number of organisations which can provide further information about the issues involved.
You may also wish to discuss donating with the counsellor at the clinic where you are donating, as they will have experience in helping you explore the implications of decision, now and in the future.
Other helpful organisations include:
Page last updated: 21 October 2011