Fear factors leave just 26 Scots on sperm donor list

A LACK of financial incentives and fears of an unwelcome knock on the door 18 years on are among the factors forcing men away from joining the national sperm donors register.

• REVIEW NEEDED: Jaime oswald believes the situation will improve if system changes Picture: IAN RUTHERFORD

Despite being inundated with requests from thousands of couples desperate to have a child, there are just 26 men on the Scottish register, leading to calls from IVF networks and health boards for a review into donor legislation.

Among the hospitals desperate for donors is the Spire Shawfair Park Hospital, which has launched an "urgent" appeal for donors. Since the 25 million Danderhall site opened in March just ten donors have volunteered. In addition, current legislation means that it cannot use its stock until January, forcing it to transport treatment samples from the London Fertility Clinic to Edinburgh.

Jaime Oswald, embryologist at Shawfair, said that the situation could be improved if changes were made to the expenses system, which currently allows donors 250 at the end of the banking process.

She said: "Expenses are a huge thing and 90 per cent of the calls we get are people that are looking for expenses." However, despite calls from some groups to allow hospitals to pay donors to boost their numbers, Ms Oswald is cautious about introducing fees.

She said: "I think it would make it a lot more attractive and I think the number of donors we could get would be significantly higher.

"But at the same time, what would worry me is if they did start paying quite a lot you'd get young people in who are not realising the commitment and that 18 years down the track you could get someone knocking on the door."

Ms Oswald also said that educating people about sperm donation may allow some to overcome fears.

She added: "A recent study actually showed children born as a result of donation are more interested in finding half siblings rather than their father.

"I think if that gets out a little more that might help."What scares a lot of people away is that in 18 years' time you get a knock on the door that could change things a lot." Donation rates have dropped dramatically since 2005, when donors' rights to anonymity were removed, meaning any offspring could contact them on reaching adulthood.

Experts say this led to a crisis in the shortage of donated sperm, with the most recent figures available showing just 13 men across Scotland joined the register last year.

Along with NHS Fife, NHS Lothian has struggled to comply with the national criteria for fertility treatment, which says patients are eligible until their 40th birthday.

Last October, figures obtained by Scottish Labour revealed that NHS Lothian had the longest average waiting time in Scotland, with 400 patients waiting an average of three years.

In January, the government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will launch a public consultation to determine if donors should be paid for their time.