Improving Understanding, Safety and Support in Online Sperm Donation
Briefing for Policymakers, Regulators, Media, Platform Owners, Clinicians, Third-Sector Organisations, Academics and Research Funders
Online sperm donation (OSD) is a widely used route to family formation, particularly for LGBTQ+ people, solo parents, and people who face barriers to fertility clinics or prefer a non-clinical route to conception. Despite its increasing use and visibility, OSD remains poorly understood, with public and professional discussion often focused on risk, rather than people’s diverse experiences and needs.
Drawing on four years of multidisciplinary research with recipients, donors, partners, co-parents, platform owners and site users, the Online Sperm Donation Project identified challenges relating to stigma, platform design, interpersonal safety, health information, access to NHS-funded fertility treatment, monitoring of sperm donations and legal parenthood. At the same time, the findings showed that OSD is a necessary and valued route to family formation for many people.
The evidence from the Online Sperm Donation Project suggests that many of these challenges stem from limited information, support and infrastructure. Addressing these challenges therefore requires co-ordinated action across policy, media, online platforms, healthcare, research and third-sector organisations. Accordingly, this briefing provides 10 evidence-based recommendations, grounded in the project’s research findings, to support that collective response.