Environmental scan identifies 52 English-speaking online sperm donation platforms with over 340,000 users globally
Matching, friending, and swiping for sperm donors: An environmental scan of the digital landscape of online sperm donation. (Taylor-Phillips, 2025)
Taylor-Phillips, F., Jones, G., & Turner-Moore, R. (2025). Matching, friending, and swiping for sperm donors: An environmental scan of the digital landscape of online sperm donation. Journal of Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2025.2529925
Geographic Region: United Kingdom, United States, Australia, France, Philippines
Research Question: What is the scope, nature, and characteristics of English-speaking online sperm donation (OSD) platforms globally?
Design: An Environmental scan that mapped English-speaking online sperm donation platforms globally. Initial searches were conducted in April 2020 using 51 unique search terms applied to Google and Facebook. Data extraction involved systematic collection of platform characteristics, user demographics, safety features, and operational details. Site owners and moderators were contacted to request access to platforms requiring membership. Platforms were re-visited in July 2024 to verify continued activity.
Sample: 52 active platforms comprising 8 websites, 1 app, and 43 Facebook groups, with a combined membership of 343,422 users. The websites and app contained 223,207 users across 9 platforms, while Facebook groups included 120,215 users across 43 groups. Platform geographic distribution showed 44% of websites were UK-based, while 56% of Facebook groups were UK-based, with additional platforms from the United States, Australia, France, and Philippines. Platforms were included if they were English-language websites, Facebook groups, or apps that facilitated contact between sperm donors and recipients for pregnancy purposes.
Key Findings
Online sperm donation represents a rapidly growing practice, with the oldest website established in 2007 and Facebook groups starting in 2013. Combined, the platforms identified served over 343,422 users globally.
Most websites (89%) operated on subscription models resembling dating platforms, with costs ranging from £4.99/month to £190/year. All websites and apps were "lock-and-key" requiring account creation, while Facebook groups were "closed/private" requiring membership approval.
Facebook groups tended to be geographically focused (country or regional level), while websites often had global reach. Two Facebook groups specifically targeted Black donors (one UK-based, one US-based). US Facebook groups had significantly more users than other countries.
60% of Facebook groups were moderated by at least one sperm donor, with some groups having up to 11 moderators. Groups moderated by masculine-presenting individuals tend to have fewer moderators than those moderated by feminine-presenting individuals. Only one website was confirmed to be run by recipients (two cisgender women who had used known donors). Only 35% of platforms provide their own rules or codes of conduct; 65% of Facebook groups have no specific rules beyond Facebook's default guidelines.
Very few platforms took active responsibility for user safety, instead placing the burden on users to "keep themselves safe". 14% of platforms promoted artificial insemination only, while some groups were specifically for "natural insemination" (sexual intercourse).
Limitations: English-only search may have missed platforms in other languages serving global populations. Only 3 of 9 website owners granted full access beyond landing pages, limiting data extraction. Google and Facebook algorithms may have influenced results based on researcher location and search history. Rapid digital landscape changes make findings time-sensitive; 9 platforms became inactive between initial search and publication. Total user figures likely overestimate unique individuals due to multi-platform usage
Applications: Regulatory frameworks need updating to provide legal parentage clarity for those conceiving without clinical oversight. Healthcare providers should acknowledge online sperm donation as a reality in patient consultations, offering harm reduction guidance, STI/genetic testing support, and referrals to educational counseling services.
Funding Source: Leeds Beckett University (part-funded PhD studentship); connected to Online Sperm Donation Project (Economic and Social Research Council grant: ES/W001381/1)
Lead Author: Francesca Taylor-Phillips is a researcher at Leeds Beckett University specializing in online sperm donation and digital family formation. No identified personal connection to donor conception was disclosed.
Regulatory Context: Online sperm donation is largely unregulated across the globe.
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