Guides
New to known donation?
A calm starting point for intended mums, couples and donors in England. These guides aren't legal or medical advice, but they'll help you ask the right questions. KnownDonor helps you meet people; the decisions after that are yours.
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Known sperm donors and UK law
What the HFE Acts say about home insemination, who becomes a legal parent, child maintenance, and what a donor agreement can and can't do.
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Finding a known sperm donor in the UK
Licensed clinic with a known donor, or home insemination? Screening, first meetings and the questions to ask.
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Single mum by choice with a known donor
Why the donor is usually the legal father at home, how a clinic changes that, and how to plan honestly.
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Lesbian couples and known donors: the law
Married or civil partners vs not: section 42, the clinic route for unmarried couples, and the birth certificate.
Read more →Five steps, in order
- Decide what you're looking for: a donor with no parenting role, a donor who stays in touch, or a co-parent.
- Understand the law first:at home, a known donor can be the child's legal father. Read Known sperm donors and UK law.
- Consider a licensed clinic: you can take a known donor to an HFEA-licensed clinic for screening, quarantine, counselling and legal-parenthood consent forms.
- Meet safely: video call first, then a public place. Take your time and talk about tests, contact and expectations.
- Get independent advice: a family law solicitor, and a fertility counsellor (BICA) if you can.
No sex, no ‘natural insemination’
This is a place for donation without sex: home insemination with a cup and syringe, treatment at a licensed clinic, or co-parenting. Asking for or offering sex or ‘natural insemination’ (NI), or sending sexual messages, is not allowed. We suspend profiles that do this. Received a request like that? Please report it from the profile.