IVF with donor sperm or donor sperm insemination: Which is best?

10th December 2024 in IVF

Read Time: 4 mins

This information was correct at the time of publishing. It may not reflect our current practices, prices or regulations.

Our Head of Nursing Sister Sam Potts with patients

If you need donor sperm to have a baby, our team may recommend you have either IVF with donor sperm, or donor sperm insemination.

But what are the differences, and which gives you the highest chance of having a baby? Here we explain what each treatment entails, and the benefits of each, so you can learn more about these different types of treatment with donor sperm:

IUI with donor sperm (donor sperm insemination)

What is donor sperm insemination?

Donor sperm insemination is also known as artificial insemination or Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). During this treatment, fertilisation takes place within the uterus, meaning the donor sperm is inserted inside the body with a fine catheter in a quick and painless procedure.

Donor sperm insemination is usually carried out as a natural cycle, where insemination is timed for when you naturally ovulate.

We will ask you to track your ovulation to pinpoint the ideal time for insemination. Once ovulation is confirmed, you'll come to our clinic, where the insemination procedure with donor sperm takes place in our theatre. You’ll be able to take a pregnancy test approximately two weeks later.

Why you may have this treatment:

Many patients who need to use donor sperm – such as single women and same-sex couples – like to opt for donor sperm insemination, as it is a more natural approach with limited use of fertility drugs, and is a quicker treatment procedure than an IVF cycle.

At Manchester Fertility, we offer a Donor Sperm IUI package which gives you up to three cycles of donor sperm insemination at a fixed discounted rate, including your choice of sperm donor.

IVF with donor sperm

What is IVF with donor sperm?

IVF with donor sperm follows the same protocol as standard IVF. It involves the use of fertility drugs to stimulate your ovaries to produce mature eggs. Following egg retrieval, your eggs will be fertilised in our laboratory with sperm from the sperm donor you have chosen from our donor recruitment programme.

The best resulting embryo with the highest potential for pregnancy is selected for transfer, if you have more than one good embryo you can decide to freeze the remainder to use in future treatment cycles. This gives you the opportunity to grow your family in future, using the same sperm donor. We have excellent success rates for women undergoing Frozen Embryo Transfer, in 2019 49% of women under 35 achieved pregnancy, thanks to our techniques including ‘fast-freezing’ vitrification of embryos.

Why you may have this treatment:

You may be recommended to have IVF with donor sperm if you need more help achieving pregnancy using donor sperm. Having IVF involves us testing your ovarian reserve (the number of eggs you have remaining) and gives us valuable information about the likely quality of resulting embryos.

Donor sperm IVF and Insemination success rates

IVF with donor sperm typically has a higher success rate, but when comparing one cycle of IVF with a course of donor sperm inseminations, the results are often similar. You can find more information on success rates our Manchester Fertility Profile on the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) website.

How do I know which is right for me?

When planning treatment with donor sperm, an individualised approach is vital. IVF with donor sperm may be the best option for some women, whilst for others it may be donor sperm insemination.

To help us to identify which type of treatment is best for you, we will perform comprehensive fertility tests at the start of your journey, which will assess key things such as your ovarian reserve and hormone levels. Your consultant will also take into account factors such as your medical history, age and response to any previous cycles of treatment you may have had before to give you the highest chance of success.

Consultation with Dr Peter

All treatment decisions will be made in consultation with you, so you’re fully aware of what treatment involves and your likely outcome, along with transparent costs.

When you decide to proceed with either IVF with donor sperm or donor sperm insemination at Manchester Fertility our team can help you find the right donor for you. We have an extensive selection of UK-based sperm donors for you to choose from, all with detailed profiles, and you’ll be supported every step of the way by our dedicated sperm Donation Team.

If you’d like to get started, speak to our Donation Team directly on 0161 958 6137 or make an appointment with our friendly New Patient team to discuss your treatment options in more detail.

Last updated: 17th December 2024

Rihannah Leech-Ratchford - Patient Services Manager
About the author

Rihannah Leech-Ratchford

Patient Services Manager

Rihannah has many years of experience in managing teams and is dedicated to providing outstanding patient satisfaction. Previously, she worked …

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