FAQs

• Who can use London Sperm Bank services?

  Anyone can order donor sperm from London Sperm Bank. You must be a patient at a UK licensed clinic and have a treatment plan in place before purchasing donor sperm from the catalogue.

• How much donor sperm can I order?

  You are only permitted to order one donor at a time, although you can order as many vials from that donor, and on as many occasions as necessary. Often people will purchase multiple vials of the same donor as it may take more than one attempt to achieve a pregnancy, and many women wish to have sperm reserved for sibling treatments. We may be able to procure additional sperm from a particular donor once our supplies have run out of stock but this depends on the donor's availability at the time. Ask your clinic for their recommendations.  

  According to UK law, sperm procured from UK based donors may be used to create up to 10 families within the UK. As an HFEA-licensed sperm bank, we must ensure that this limit is not infringed. 

   

• When should I order donor sperm?

  Your order should be placed at least two weeks before the intended treatment date. We cannot guarantee the completion and delivery of orders placed later than this. 

• I have placed my order but I have not received a reply?

  You should receive an automated email after placing your order. If you do not receive this, please check your junk mailbox first, then contact 020 3826 3217 for further assistance. 

• Can my partner use the same donor for her treatment?

  Yes, it is possible for you to reserve the same donor for future siblings once you have an ongoing pregnancy with a confirmed fetal heartbeat. 

  You and/or your partner can use the reserved donor after the relevant HFEA consent forms are completed at your treating centre.

• If I get pregnant, can I reserve the same sperm donor for a future sibling?

  You can reserve samples provided we have stock available of the same donor. Please contact customer care for further information.

• If I am not successful in my treatment, can I have the same donor again in the future?

  Yes, you can reorder for the same donor if the stock is available online. We strongly suggest that you reorder as soon as you get an unsuccessful outcome if you wish to continue using the same donor on the allocated pregnancy slot, failure to do so may result in you losing your hold on the pregnancy slot for that donor. 

• Why is the donor I ordered last time no longer there?

  For the following reasons the donor could be off the catalogue:

  1) No more available stock

  2) All pregnancy slots allocated

  3) Donor has withdrawn from the programme

  4) Under further investigation

• What screening do the donors undergo?

  Screening of the donors is performed as per the recommended guidelines by the British Andrology Society (BAS), the British Fertility Society (BFS), the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the EU Tissue Directive (EUTD). 

  All donors are screened for infectious and genetic diseases and must provide a detailed family medical history. They will then undertake a physical examination with a specialist consultant as well as be recommended for implications and genetic counselling.

  Samples will only be released onto the catalogue after a quarantine period of 180 days.

• Are the donor's details available to my child?

  Non-identifying information of the donor and information about half-siblings can be requested from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) once the child has reached the age of 16.

  Identifying information of the donor can be obtained from the HFEA once the child has reached the age of 18 and above.

• What is a pen sketch and when can I see it?

  A pen sketch is an essay written by a donor to best describe himself and his attributes. You can access this information directly from the donors page to enable you to make an informed decision before placing the order.

• What is a staff impression?

  After several months of getting acquainted with the donor, staff at LSB compile a short written description of their impression of him. This could contain discussion about his nature, the way he presented himself, and his mannerisms. 

• What is an extended profile?

  Some of our donors have completed an additional supporting document, which gives further information about their lifestyle, personality test, extensive family characteristics and their medical history.