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03 May 2007

The number of men registering as sperm donors rose by 6% in the year following the law removing donor anonymity, the latest figures from the HFEA have shown. Registration is up both in UK sperm donors and in the total number of donors available (which includes imported sperm).

In the 12 months to 31 March 2006 - the year following the law change – there were 265 new sperm donors registered with the HFEA (of which 208 were based in the UK.). New registrations in the 12 months to 31 March 2005 were 250 (of which 197 were based in the UK). 

In September 2005 the HFEA issued a report 'Who are the Donors?' as part of its review of the sperm, egg and embryo donation system which showed that modern sperm donors are typically family men in their 30s, rather than the old-fashioned stereotype of a medical student in their teens or early 20s.

Shirley Harrison, Chair of the HFEA, said:

"The decision by the UK Parliament to remove anonymity for those sperm and egg donors who registered after 1 April 2005 has always been controversial.

"Many commentators continue to claim that the change in the law to remove anonymity for sperm and egg donors would lead to an immediate and steep fall in the number of donors. These new figures show that the predicted drop in sperm donor numbers is a myth.

"The HFEA's role in the donor system is to keep a register of every person who becomes a donor and to provide guidelines for the donation system. We have no role in encouraging donors to come forward. However we do think it is important to inform the work of those people working in the donor system by providing information about trends in donor recruitment.

"Professionals working in the sector say that there are a complex set of reasons which led to a fall in donor numbers from 1997 onwards. The British Fertility Society, the National Gamete Donation Trust and other organisations have been looking at ways to improve the numbers of sperm donors recruited in the UK. It is acknowledged that egg donations have fallen during this period but the procedures for and issues involved in egg donation are much more complex, as are the reasons why women may or may not choose to donate.

"Alongside the sector-wide work, more and more individual clinics are increasing their efforts to recruit sperm donors. These figures show that these efforts have been paying off and the early indications are that the numbers of sperm donors are continuing to increase all the time."

Ends

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Notes to editors

Full figures for donor numbers are only available after 12 months as many clinics do not register donors with the HFEA until they have successfully completed the donor screening process. This takes at least 6 months. These figures are published on the 'facts and figures' section of the HFEA website and are updated on a monthly basis.

The National Gamete Donation Trust (www.ngdt.co.uk) is the UK organisation responsible for encouraging donors to come forward. The HFEA has no responsibility in encouraging the number of people coming forward to donate, it is only responsible for keeping a register of every egg, sperm or embryo donor who comes forward and to provide guidelines for the donation system.

Parliament changed the law to remove anonymity for donors on 14 June 2004, with the passing of the The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004 (www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2004/20041511.htm). These new regulations were formulated by the Department of Health following two years of consultation and additional work was undertaken to engage with clinics, donors and voluntary organisations to ensure that the patient experience was fully reflected in the new guidelines.  The new regulations are not retrospective. People who donated sperm before April 2005 are not identifiable under the new regulations, unless they choose to re-register.

The HFEA is the independent regulator for IVF treatment and embryo research. Our role is to protect patients and the public interest, to drive improvement in the treatment and research sectors and to provide information to the public and policymakers about treatment and research.

The HFEA was set up in August 1991 as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.  The HFEA's principal tasks are to license and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.

For further information please contact the HFEA press office.

Page last updated: 11 March 2009

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