Story FAQs

What is online sperm donation?

Online sperm donation means obtaining sperm from a sperm donor met on a “connection” website or social media platform for self-insemination. Online sperm donation is sometimes called 'unregulated', 'informal', 'private', or 'self-arranged', donation. You can find out what a typical unregulated, online donor insemination journey looks like by clicking here

What is this website for?

The Online Sperm Donation Project provides a platform for people with experience of online sperm to share their stories – whatever their experience - with each other. The website provides a growing list of external resources relevant to online sperm donation. Via the Research page, the website also provides opportunities for people involved in online sperm donation to take part in research by Leeds Beckett University.

Who can post their story?

We welcome stories from people who are:

Seeking or have sought a donor using online connection websites or social media
Are using or have used online connection websites or social media to donate sperm
Have experience of managing online sperm donation connection websites or social media

Why share my story?

It is hoped that you may benefit on a personal level by having the opportunity to tell your story. This has been shown to have a positive impact on well-being and mental health. More broadly, sharing your story will help to build greater awareness about the highs and lows, and the benefits and challenges, of online sperm donation, especially for other people who are considering online sperm donation.

What if I find it upsetting to share my story?

It's completely up to you whether you share your story or not, and what parts of your story you wish to share. If you would like to access advice or support, see our Resources page

How will my story be used?

Your story will be published on the Stories page of The Online Sperm Donation Project website for public view. We might share a link to your story via The Online Sperm Donation Project's social media. Your story might also be used as part of ongoing research by Leeds Beckett University; this research may be published in academic journals, presented at academic conferences, or used for teaching purposes. Facebook posts, tweets and the research may include quotations from your story. You will not be identifiable in any way through these activities. Since the website is public, media and other bodies may wish to use the stories from this website; however, all stories are anonymous and no identifying information will be published.

Will my story be moderated?

All stories are moderated by a member of the Leeds Beckett team before they are posted to the website. Any identifying information about the contributor or third parties is removed. Any abusive content is also removed.

Once I have submitted my story, can I make changes to it or request that it is deleted?

As stories are submitted anonymously, once they have been sent through to our moderators, it is not possible to request that changes be made or that the post be deleted. This is because we have no way of connecting the identity of the person who wrote the story with the person making the request for changes or removal. All posts will be moderated to remove identifying information or abusive content and will be available for public view.

When will the website close?

The website has no fixed end date and we anticipate that it will exist for many years. If we need to close The Online Sperm Donation Project website, we will place a statement on the website one month before the website is closed so that users are aware in advance.

Can I use the stories from this website?

Anybody who wishes to use the stories on this website, such as media outlets or researchers should contact us first.