Using Donor Sperm

Queensland Fertility Group’s sperm donation program helps heterosexual couples, same sex couples or single women to create their families. We have been helping couples and single women access donor sperm for over 30 years, and have a wide range of donor sperm available, with no waiting list.

If you are interested in donating sperm to help women and couples achieve their dream of a family, visit our Donating Sperm page.

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Who uses donor sperm?

Donor sperm can provide many women and couples with their only chance of having a healthy baby, including:

  • single women
  • same sex couples
  • heterosexual couples who have experienced repeated IVF failure
  • heterosexual couples where the male partner is azoospermic (no sperm produced)
  • heterosexual couples who have a high likelihood of passing on a genetic condition

What support do we offer sperm donor recipients?

At Queensland Fertility Group, we have an experienced team of donor coordinators, dedicated to assisting you throughout your fertility treatment. Our donor coordinators can help you choose your sperm donor, navigate Queensland and Australian legislation, and decide how to communicate to your child about their conception.

We also have registered counsellors on staff who specialise in the area of fertility. Prior to beginning treatment using donor sperm you must attend a counselling session to address the social and psychological considerations associated with the use of donor sperm. This support is readily accessible throughout your treatment and is also available after the birth of your baby.

How do I choose a sperm donor?

Following consultations with your Fertility Specialist, our donor coordinators, and attending a counselling session, the next step is to choose a suitable donor.

Our donor coordinators will give you access to our secure sperm donor website. This site holds a database of all the sperm donors that are currently available to choose from.

At Queensland Fertility Group, we select donors very carefully. They must be fit and healthy, have no chromosomal abnormalities, specific infectious diseases, or any identified history of hereditary diseases. Of course, they must also be fertile, so we check every specimen of semen before and after freezing to make sure it is of an acceptable standard. We freeze all donor semen in liquid nitrogen, and thaw it shortly before use in fertility treatment.

Through our secure donor website, you will be able to search for a donor using criteria including nationality, eye colour, hair colour and height. You can view each donor’s individual profile, which includes information about their occupation, weight, blood type, and availability of donor sperm. In some instances you can also view baby photos of the donor, to give you a better idea of their physical characteristics as a child. See an example profile below:

donor profile

What types of donated sperm can I access?

Semen for Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) treatment only

Some of the semen donated to Queensland Fertility Group, although normal and healthy in every other respect, is not suitable for Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), so it’s used only for ICSI treatment programs.

Semen for Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

We import donor semen from a commercial sperm bank in the USA. It meets all international and Australian accrediting bodies’ requirements, including consent for the donor’s identity to be released to any resulting children upon them turning 18 years old.

What happens after I choose my sperm donor?

Once you have selected a donor, you will then need to pay to reserve and store your chosen donor semen for use in your upcoming treatment cycle. This sperm is then stored for you, until it is thawed for use in an IVF/ICSI or IUI cycle.

How much does donor sperm cost?

Please contact us to discuss the costs associated with your individual circumstance. 

Visit our costs page to read more about the standard costs for an IVF cycle.

Donor sperm laws and guidelines

Children conceived using donor sperm are legally considered the children parents who register the birth. Donors have no legal or financial obligation to – or legal rights to – children born through the use of their semen. Queensland Fertility Group follows a policy allowing sperm from any one donor to be used by no more than ten different women.

Will my child receive information about their donor?

We maintain full confidentiality of donor records and your personal files. However, we operate in accordance with guidelines that specify that any children conceived using donor sperm have the right to know the donor’s identity once they turn 18 years old. After the child turns 18, we will make donor information available to them upon request.

Is there a risk of infection from a sperm donor?

All donors are carefully screened and receive blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B and C, HTLV I and II both before they donate, and three months after they have donated. Sperm is quarantined until all analysis is complete and results are known.

Can I use my international sperm donor in Australia?

QFG does not arrange direct imports. If your donor is for a family extension, this can organised it as long as the donor fits all of Queensland's requirements. Please contact us directly to find out whether or not your donor qualifies as we can assess on a case by case basis. 

To find out more about using donor sperm, or to book an appointment with a Queensland Fertility Group Fertility Specialist, call 1800 111 483 to speak with an experienced Fertility Consultant or complete the form below.

Find out more about accessing donor sperm as a same-sex couple...
Find out how single women can conceive using donor sperm...
Learn more about ICSI...

So you need a sperm donor, what are your options?