UK Donor Sperm ‘Shortage': Why are Sperm Donors in Demand?

With donor sperm stocks reportedly running dry at fertility clinics up and down the country, there appears to be a donor sperm drought in the UK right now.

Some clinics are even resorting to using foreign sperm donors to help their patients, importing sperm from sperm banks in Europe or the United States. Or putting those who need a sperm donor onto a lengthy waiting list. But why is donor sperm suddenly in such demand?

Sperm donors have always been needed. Using a sperm donor to have a baby is not a new trend or phenomenon in the UK, the difference now is it’s much more widely talked about.

Although Semovo is a new nationwide sperm bank – we’re the second largest in the UK - our Manchester-based flagship sperm donor programme was established 30 years ago at Manchester Fertility.

Since it opened its doors in 1986, the Cheadle-based clinic was welcoming increasing numbers of people who needed donor sperm to have a baby, including same-sex couples and single women who chose Manchester Fertility where they’d be supported by a caring team and treated with dignity and respect.

The solution to meet this rising demand for donor sperm was to invest in its own donor sperm programme. Becoming so successful over the years, it evolved into Semovo, enabling us to provide donor sperm to patients not just in Cheshire and Manchester, but to clinics all around the country.

It’s a fact that donor sperm is needed now more than ever. Same-sex couples, single women, couples with male factor fertility issues from all over the country are all seeking sperm donors to give them the chance of a family, through private fertility clinics and NHS units.

And at Semovo we want to ensure that no one has to join a waiting list, or rely on imported foreign sperm, to have that chance.

It’s why we’re making sperm donation as easy and convenient as we can through our regional donation clinics. It’s why we place such emphasis on sperm donor care, and why we’re so dedicated to promoting sperm donation and its priceless benefits to eligible UK men.

Join Semovo today. Explore our FAQs about sperm donation, learn more about the sperm donation process and if you’re ready, apply online to become a Semovo sperm donor. Talk to our team on 0345 266 1272 if you’ve got any questions at all. We’re happy to help.