The sperm donor programme over 11 years at Newcastle Fertility Centre

Abstract

The UK national sperm donor shortage is well known. We aimed to analyse the trends in various aspects of the sperm donor programme at Newcastle Fertility Centre (NFC) between 2000 and 2010. A retrospective review of the assisted conception treatments with donor sperm was performed. A decline in the numbers of donors recruited alongside a declining trend in the number of patients treated with donor sperm and donor insemination (DI) treatment cycles carried out was apparent. There was an accompanying rising trend in donor IVF cycles and in same-sex couples and single women coming for treatment. The transfer of sperm to local peripheral centres ceased during this time and an increasing number of patients imported sperm from overseas commercial sperm banks. A waiting list for treatment was set up in 2007 with a gradual increase in waiting time to 18 months in 2010. Overall, there was a significant change in the sperm donor programme at NFC with fewer donors recruited, fewer patients receiving treatment, increasing sperm import and longer waiting times for treatment over the study period.