17 Sep Why finding donor sperm can be harder than starting IVF
For some Australians hoping to have a baby, deciding to begin fertility treatment is only the first hurdle. Finding donor sperm can involve waiting lists, rising costs and very different rules depending on where you live.
Donor sperm is an important pathway to parenthood for single women, same-sex couples and families affected by male infertility.
But new fertility clinic data suggests demand is rising much faster than the supply of Australian donors.
Between 2022 and 2025, demand for donor sperm almost doubled, increasing by 97.6 per cent.
At the same time, fewer than one in 150 initial donor enquiries eventually resulted in sperm becoming available for treatment.
Fertility specialist Dr Tween Low says this shortage is changing the experience of people trying to start or grow their families.
“We’re seeing a clear shift in how Australians are approaching parenthood, with more people exploring donor pathways,” she says.
Why are there so few donors?
Becoming a sperm donor in Australia involves much more than simply volunteering.
Potential donors undergo medical and genetic screening, infectious disease testing and counselling before they can be accepted. These safeguards are important for donors, recipients and donor-conceived children, but many people who initially enquire do not complete or qualify through the process.
The data shows that only about a third of enquiries progressed to screening, and only a small proportion of those ultimately became available donors.
Australian donation is also based on identity-release principles. Donor-conceived people generally have rights to identifying information about their donor once they reach the required age, although the rules vary between states.
For some prospective donors, knowing that a child may one day make contact can make the decision more complex.
More families are looking overseas
With Australian donor sperm in short supply, international donors are filling an increasing part of the gap.
In 2022, about two-thirds of donor sperm used in the data was from Australian donors and one-third from overseas. By 2025, the split was almost even.
But that can add another significant expense to fertility treatment.
The data indicates the cost of imported donor sperm rose by an average of about 39 per cent between 2025 and 2026.
Dr Low says she is seeing some patients delay fertility treatment while they save enough to proceed.
That can create a particular problem in fertility care because age can affect the likelihood of successful treatment.
“For some patients, delaying treatment can reduce the likelihood of success,” she says.
Where you live can make a difference
Perhaps the most surprising part of the donor sperm system is that the rules are not the same across Australia.
States have different laws governing how many families can be created using sperm from one donor, and how overseas donations are counted.
That can mean sperm from a particular donor is still available to someone receiving treatment in one state but cannot be used for a new family in another.
New South Wales, for example, generally limits the use of a donor’s sperm or eggs to five women, while Queensland allows up to 10 donor-related Australian families.
Different rules are intended to protect donor-conceived people, including by limiting the number of genetic half-siblings created from one donor. But they can also affect how much donor sperm is available.
The provider data found South Australia had the largest share of available donors within its program, while Victoria had the smallest.
Why not simply find a donor online?
The shortage has also led some people to seek sperm donors through social media, websites and informal donor groups.
That may appear to offer a quicker or cheaper solution, but there are important considerations.
Clinic donor programs include screening for infectious diseases and some genetic conditions, counselling and procedures intended to clarify the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved.
People considering an informal arrangement should get independent medical and legal advice rather than assuming the same protections will automatically apply.
A growing part of fertility care
The sharp increase in demand suggests donor conception is becoming a more visible part of Australian family life.
But for people who need donor sperm, the decision to pursue fertility treatment may be only the beginning.
Availability, cost, state laws and waiting times can all influence when treatment begins — and sometimes whether it can begin at all.
For anyone considering donor conception, asking a fertility service early about waiting periods, donor availability, total costs and the rules that apply in their state may help avoid unexpected delays.
Information for this article was supplied by fertility specialist Dr Tween Low, based on donor program data collected between 2022 and 2026. (Dr Tween Low, Fertility Specialist at Genea Fertility).
