Sperm Donor Tips & Advice from Sperm Bank Consultant Joanne Adams

18th June 2019 in Advice

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

Manchester Fertility Sperm bank Joanne Adams

Meet Joanne Adams – she is Manchester Fertility’s very own ‘sperm donor expert’.

As Senior Andrologist and Consultant of the sperm bank of our sister company Semovo, she makes sure our patients find the best donor for them and our sperm donors have the very best donation journey.

Passionate about the importance of donor care and support, Joanne has helped to set the standard for sperm donation in the UK, leading our successful nationwide sperm bank and donor recruitment programme despite a national shortage of sperm donors.

Joanne explains a little bit more about what she does and why you can choose your sperm donor with confidence at Manchester Fertility:

What does your typical day involve?

I work in the laboratory with the team so that means assessing sperm samples for diagnosis, treatment procedures or freezing. I oversee the running of our Semovo sperm bank and recruitment programme, so it’s all seamless for our donors and recipient patients. And I also run our donor sperm insemination Open Evenings, where I get to chat to potential patients about our donors and how it works.

Why has the sperm donor programme at Manchester Fertility been so successful?

We have no waiting list for donor sperm and I think that is down to the fact that we are very active in sperm donor recruitment and put a lot of effort into looking after the donors that we do have. It’s our focus on donor care, support and counselling that sets us apart. That, and our completely transparent approach, so donors know exactly what they’re agreeing to.

Where do Manchester Fertility sperm donors come from?

Manchester Fertility sperm donors come from right across the country, which gives our patients the very widest choice of health-screened UK-based donors. Our sperm donors donate at their nearest Semovo clinic, with six clinics to choose from here at Manchester Fertility, in Manchester city centre, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Glasgow.

What makes a Manchester Fertility sperm donor so special?

All our sperm donors are obviously altruistic but it’s the extra mile they go to, to help someone have a family.

They readily put as much information as they can into their donor profiles to help you choose. Things about their daily life, existing family, all the little details you might want to know. There’s even a goodwill message to your child.

And of course, we get to know them personally as we see them every time they donate, which really helps with donor selection as we can give you a bit of guidance. It’s so much more personal and people really value it as choosing a donor is such a huge decision.

What advice would you give to someone looking a sperm donor?

Start with a basic list of ‘must-haves’ but be a bit open-minded! We have a lot of donor choice and what we often find is that people change their mind about priorities as they go through donor selection. Personality of your donor and the whole ‘feel’ you get when reading a profile becomes much more important than the hair or eye colour you originally had in mind.

Any advice for anyone thinking of getting sperm from abroad or going abroad?

Do your research very carefully. UK sperm donor regulations are very strict for good reason to protect donors, patients and babies, and other countries may not be as thorough. The biggest advantage however is that your donor is easily traceable for your child here.

All UK sperm donors are identifiable to children at the age of 18, and can be contacted if your child wishes to as well. They can even trace donor siblings. With our donors you will have a copy of the donor’s profile to show your child, along with that important goodwill message. It’s all very reassuring when the time comes to explain to your child how they came to be born.

Start treatment with donor sperm now

If you would like treatment with donor sperm, book an initial consultation or a free 1-2-1 online, to discuss donor insemination or IVF with donor sperm with a Patient Advisor.

Or come along to our next free donor insemination information evening, on Tuesday 18 June at our clinic. Book your place here.

You can also learn more about your treatment options in our Guides for Single Women and Same-Sex Couples.

Last updated: 17th June 2019