Become a Sperm Donor

Without the generosity of sperm donors, many people are not able to have the family they dream of. Could you be the one to help families in need of a sperm donor?
Become a sperm donor

Request an Info Pack

Take the first step to becoming a sperm donor today.

Fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch with information about:

  • Sperm donation in Australia – important things you need to know
  • The steps involved with becoming a sperm donor a Monash IVF
  • The rights and responsibilities of sperm donors

Who uses donor sperm?

There are many different people who need the help of a sperm donor to start or grow their family.

They may include:

  • Solo mums to be
  • People in same-sex relationships
  • People experiencing infertility
  • Transgender or gender diverse people

Your donation could help many people experience the joy of family.

Types of sperm donation

There are two types of sperm donors:

  • Clinic-recruited sperm donors – A donor recruited by Monash IVF who remains de-identified / unknown to the recipient at the time of treatment, but who must consent to providing identifying information which can be shared upon request by a child born from their donation.
  • Recipient Recruited (Known) sperm donors – A donor who has an existing relationship with the recipient/s, and personal details such as name, and contact details have been shared between them. A donor may be a friend or family member, or an acquaintance who becomes known to the recipient. The process for recipient-recruited sperm donors is similar to that of clinic recruited donors, with a few variations in processes.

Who can become a sperm donor?

All sperm donor candidates will need to go through a screening process to see if they can donate. To be eligible to donate sperm as a clinic-recruited donor for Monash IVF you will need to:

  • Be aged between 21 and 45 years of age
  • Donate sperm for altruistic reasons. This means you must be donating your sperm to help others, and not for monetary compensation. Note: Reasonable and verifiable expenses associated with donating will be reimbursed.
  • Meet clinical criteria.
  • Provide a genetic family medical history. If you are unable to do this because you have been adopted, or for other reasons, you will not be able to donate sperm as a clinic-recruited donor.
  • Be a non-smoker or have ceased smoking for three months prior to sperm donations.
  • Live a healthy lifestyle. This means exercising regularly, eating well, and drinking minimal amounts of alcohol.
  • Consent to the release of identifying information to any donor-conceived children once they turn 18 years old, or younger in some states.
  • Agree to the release of non-identifying general and medical information about you to recipients.
  • Provide information relating to any previous donations and consent to us contacting any clinic/s you have previously donated at to confirm details of families created.

Are sperm donors paid for their donation?

It is illegal in Australia for someone to be paid for their sperm donation. However, sperm donors are entitled to be reimbursed for any reasonable and verifiable expenses accumulated through the donor process and we can guide you on what this includes and excludes. For clinic-recruited sperm donors, all of the costs associated with the donation, including testing for infectious and genetic conditions will be covered by Monash IVF. For known sperm donors, these costs are covered by the recipient of your sperm donation.

What are the benefits of being a sperm donor?

The altruistic motivations for becoming a sperm donor vary for everyone who chooses to donate sperm. Whether you become a recipient recruited sperm donor or clinic-recruited sperm donor, there are many benefits in joining our donor program including:

  • Helping people who can’t have a baby without donor sperm experience the joy of family.
  • Making a positive difference in someone else's life.
  • Receiving information about your own fertility and health, including the results of a semen analysis, genetic carrier screening, and other tests.

What information is shared about sperm donors?

For each sperm donor, a donor profile is created to share information about the donor with people seeking a sperm donor (potential recipients). These donor profiles are non-identifying, and include information about a donors’:

  • Medical history
  • Nationality
  • Height and build
  • Skin colour, eye colour and hair colour
  • Occupation
  • Education
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Reason for donating

Under Australian laws, a person born from sperm donation has the right to obtain identifying information about their donor once they are 18 years old, or younger in some states. This information may include the donor's name, date of birth and contact information.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

General Information

In order to become a sperm donor at Monash IVF, you would be required to complete the following steps. Our Donor Coordinators are very experienced in supporting new donors through these processes. They will ensure the donation process is as simple as possible.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Clinic Appointment

You'll meet one of our doctors who will review your personal and family medical history. It is important that you provide a detailed medical history so that any donor-conceived children can have this information for later in life.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Testing

A semen analysis is carried out as part of our assessment of your suitability for donation. We request that you abstain from ejaculating for 2-3 days prior to this appointment to ensure the most accurate results. One of our doctors will review your semen analysis results and determine if you are able to donate.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Screening

It is important we check for any infectious diseases you may be unaware of, and any genetic conditions you may be a carrier for before you become a sperm donor. You will be required to undergo some screening tests which involves a simple blood test.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Counselling

An essential step in the process, counselling is mandatory for all donors and ensures you are well informed before choosing to become a sperm donor. During the counselling sessions, the counsellor will explain your rights and responsibilities as a sperm donor and explore the potential future implications of your donation. If you have a partner, they will need to attend the sessions with you, so that they're also informed about the implications of your sperm donation for them and their current/future family. The counsellor can also answer any questions you may have about donating, and the decisions you will need to make about how your donation can be used.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Donating

In the private facilities of our clinics, you will be required to produce a semen sample by masturbation. It is likely we will require between 5 and 10 separate donations, over a period of 2-3 months in order to achieve the volume of sperm needed for donation. We’ll ask you to refrain from ejaculating for three days before each donation.

Sperm donation

The Sperm Donation Process

Sperm Quarantine

Each donation must be frozen and quarantined for three months before you'll be asked to undergo a final blood test. Usually, this will be completed 3 months after your final donation. Once cleared for use, your donation will be available for use, and will go on to help someone achieve their dream of having a family.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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