Clinical Takeaways

  • The Ethics: In Portugal (where Ovom treats patients), all donation is non-anonymous. This grants your child the right to access their donor's identity at age 18, protecting their future emotional well-being.
  • The Screening: Donors undergo rigorous genetic, infectious, and psychological testing.
  • The Logistics: You can select a donor from our partner banks or bring your own (known donor). We handle the complex import logistics.
  • The Cost: Sperm donor fees typically add ~€1,000–€1,500 to your cycle, depending on the bank and number of vials needed.

For many of our patients — whether same-sex female couples, single women by choice, or heterosexual couples with severe male factor infertility — building a family begins with a donor.

This is a profound decision. It is not just about "ordering biological material"; it is about inviting a third party into your family’s story.

As your doctors and fertility specialists at Ovom, our role is ensuring this process is medically safe and ethically sound. We believe transparency is the future of reproductive care.

Here is everything you need to know about navigating the donor world with confidence.

Who Uses Donor Sperm?

Donor sperm is a medical necessity for diverse groups:

  • Single Parents by Choice: Women who are ready to build a family independently.
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  • LGBTQIA* and Same-Sex Female Couples: Lesbian, trans, gender-diverse and non-binary individuals and couples, often utilizing Shared Motherhood or Reciprocal Oocyte Partner IVF (ROPA) or IUI.
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  • Heterosexual Couples: Where the male partner has azoospermia (no sperm).

The Science: How Safe is Donor Sperm?

The "Wild West" days of sperm donation are over. Today, using a donor from a licensed donor bank is safer than natural conception in many ways due to the depth of screening.

  • Infectious Disease: Donors are tested for HIV, Hepatitis B/C, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea. Samples are often quarantined for months to ensure no "window period" infections.
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  • Genetic Carrier Screening: Donors undergo expanded carrier screening to check for recessive genetic disorders (like Cystic Fibrosis or SMA). For example, you can read European Sperm Bank’s full sperm donor screening protocol here.
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  • Psychological Evaluation: Donors must pass a mental health assessment to ensure they understand the implications of their donation.

The Ethics: The "Non-Anonymous" Standard

This is one of the most critical legal distinctions in Europe.

At Ovom’s clinic in Portugal, the law mandates Non-Anonymous Donation.

What does this mean?
  • For You (The Parents): You will not know the donor's name or address during treatment. You will see their profile (height, eye color, education, childhood photos). Adult photos are forbidden by Portuguese law.
  • For The Child: Upon turning 18, your child has the legal right to request the donor's identifying information from the national registry.
Why we support non-anonymous donation

‍Research consistently shows that donor-conceived people benefit from having the option to know their origins. It removes the secrecy and shame that plagued the industry in decades past. It honors your child's right to their own story.

In Portugal, all recipients of donor sperm must by law undergo Implications Counseling to review and discuss the psychological and social aspects of raising a child who will be conceived from donor sperm.

The Logistics: Your Hybrid Journey with Donor Sperm

Using our Hybrid Care Model, you can select your donor and plan your treatment from home, only traveling to our Cascais clinic for the procedure itself.

Step 1: Selection (From Home)

After your initial Medical Consultation, your patient concierge will provide you an online questionnaire, where you will select your donor criteria — unlike in other clinics, where the doctor selects for you.

  • Ovom Partner Banks: We work with Europe’s most trusted sperm banks, including European Sperm Bank and Cryos International. You can browse extended profiles online, listening to voice recordings and reading handwritten letters.
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  • The Match: Our medical team verifies that the donor is genetically compatible with you (to prevent matching two carriers of the same rare disease).
Step 2: Import & Logistics

‍Once selected, you don’t need to worry about shipping tanks.

  • We Handle It: Our team coordinates the secure cryo-shipment of the vials to our lab in Portugal.
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  • Quantity: We typically recommend purchasing 2 vials per cycle. While we hope that you will become pregnant on the first try, please remember that you may want to have a biological sibling in future, and there is no guarantee that the donor's sample will be available when you are ready to continue your family building — so it’s best to secure at least 2 vials from the start.
Step 3: The Treatment (in Cascais, Portugal)

‍You travel to our clinic for your procedure.

  • For IVF/ROPA: The sperm is thawed on the day of your egg retrieval and used to fertilize the eggs.
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  • For IUI: The sperm is prepared and placed directly into the uterus.

The Cost of Using a Sperm Donor

It is important to budget for the "third party" costs, as these are external to the standard IVF package. See our full pricing page here: https://www.ovomcare-pricing.com/

ItemEstimated CostNotesDonor Sperm (1 Vial)~€1,000 / £900Paid to the Sperm Bank. Price varies by donor profile (Basic vs. Extended).Import/Handling Fee~€350Covers the shipping and receiving of the shipment at Ovom. It also saves you money if you buy 2 vials at the same time, as the shipping cost is the same as if you purchased 1 vial.Implications Counseling€120 / £108Mandatory session to discuss the emotional and psychological  aspects of donor conception.

FAQ: Common Questions on Donor Sperm

What if we want siblings later?

‍We strongly recommend purchasing extra vials (Family Slots) upfront. Sperm banks often sell out of donors. Owning extra vials ensures you can have genetically related siblings in the future. We can store these for you at our clinic.

Is it hard to find donors from diverse ethnic backgrounds?

‍Historically, this has been a challenge in the fertility industry, but the landscape is shifting. At Ovom, we recognize that families come in all ethnicities and backgrounds. We parter with Europe’s most diverse donor banks, to give you the most diverse options you need to find a donor that reflects your heritage.

Can I match a donor to my partner’s specific heritage?

‍Yes. Most banks allow you to filter by specific ancestry, skin tone, and eye color. For many couples, finding a donor who shares physical traits or cultural heritage with the non-biological parent is a priority to foster family resemblance. If you are struggling to find a specific match, our care team can help broaden the search to international banks that meet Portuguese regulatory standards.

What if we are a multi-ethnic couple?

‍You have complete freedom to choose. Some couples choose a donor who reflects the non-biological partner’s background to balance the genetics, while others choose a donor with a mixed background similar to their own. There are no "rules" here; it is entirely about what feels right for your family.

Do you support LGBTQIA+ families in this process?

‍Absolutely. A large portion of our patients and the Ovom Team are same-sex couples or queer individuals. We understand that for LGBTQIA+ parents, the donor is a biological contributor, not a parent. We strive to make sure the all our language and legal paperwork is inclusive and accurately reflects your family structure correctly from day one.

The Next Step

Using a donor is a beautiful way to build a family. It is a choice rooted in love and intention.Whether you need help navigating the sperm bank databases or understanding the legalities, Ovom is here to guide you.

Ready to start your family building journey? Book a Donor Consultation with us.

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