Number of UK births from sperm donation triples in last 13 years

Nov 30, 2022

The number of UK births from sperm donation tripled in the last 13 years, figures show.

Some 2,800 children were born from sperm donation in 2019 – up from 900 in 2006, according to a report from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Women in same-sex relationships and single parents have driven the increase, according to the regulator.

The reports shows:

• More than 4,100 UK births in 2019 were from donated eggs, sperm or embryos (representing 1 in 170 of all births and nearly 1 in 6 births using IVF)

• More than 70,000 donor-conceived children have been born since 1991

• 52% of new sperm donors registered in the UK were from “donor imports” in 2020 (including 27% from the USA and 21% from Denmark)

• 2% of sperm donors were black (compared to 4% of the population aged 20 to 39) and 7% were Asian (compared to 10% of the population aged 20 to 39) between 2016 and 2020

Lack of diversity among donors

In response to the regulator’s survey, four in five patients who had used donor eggs, sperm or embryos (82%) said it was important that the donor’s ethnicity matched their own.

However, some ethnic minority patients said they found it difficult finding donors matching their ethnicity because Asian and black donors were underrepresented compared to the UK population.

The report highlighted one example of a couple who faced a two-year search to find a black donor which met UK guidelines, and they were based in America.

The regulator said in its report: “While we are not involved in donor recruitment, we must be conscious of the difficulties some patients face in finding a donor with a shared ethnic background and raise awareness of this where we can.”

Rise in imported donations

The reports shows more than half of donated sperm used in UK fertility clinics comes from abroad.

The number of newly-registered sperm donors from donor imports more than doubled from 22% in 2010 to 52% in 2020.

The regulator said this was because of a rise in sperm imports, instead of a decline in UK donors.

The number of new UK sperm donors has remained consistent at around 400 a year since 2012, while new imported donors have more than doubled from almost 200 in 2013 to 400 in 2020.

Meanwhile, from late 2023 onwards, most donor-conceived people in the UK turning 18 will be able to apply to access identifying information about their donors.

However, the HFEA admits there could be problems contacting a biological parent if they live abroad.

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