In Britain, a decline in sperm donors

"There are people out there who accept their infertility, but a lot more want to experience their own pregnancy and want to try for a child by the means that are available," says Laura Witjens, chairwoman of the National Gamete Donation Trust charity, noting the psychological distress that experts say infertility can cause.

"It all comes down to how much you want to help other people. The donors coming forward now are fathers who try to imagine their lives without their children," she says.

The change in anonymity rules has been generally welcomed by those on the receiving end of the process. Though some parents are uncertain about how or whether to explain the truth to a donor- conceived child, Olivia Montuschi of the Donor Conception Network argues that offspring should be able to find out more about their genetic heritage.

She says her own 19-year-old daughter, Susannah, would love to know more about her biological father. "She's a 6-ft. blonde, much taller than both me and my husband. She wants to know what kind of a person he is, what values he holds in life, what kind of music he likes."

Would that be so bad for a donor father? There are, after all, now no financial or pastoral obligations at all in being identified. The donor is not even required to meet his progeny.

Jackson says the fears associated with being traced 18 years down the line are overblown.

"In 18 years' time, society will have changed that much that it won't be a big deal," he says. "It might just be curiosity, they might just want to see who the donor was, to speak to him and find out more about him.

"I'd have no problem whatsoever with that."

In 1992-93 there were more than 25,000 donor insemination treatments (using donor sperm); this had fallen to a little over 6,000 treatments by 2003-03.

In 2002-2003:

• 1 in 5 of licensed fertility treatments involved the use of donor sperm, compared with almost half of treatments in 1994-95.

• 1 in 20 licensed fertility treatments involved the use of donor eggs, compared with almost 1 in 35 of treatments in 1994-95.

• 1 in 8 children born through licensed fertility treatment was born from donated sperm - this is equivalent to approximately 1 in 800 of all children born in Britain.

• 1 in 16 children born through licensed fertility treatment was born from donated eggs - equivalent to approximately 1 in 1600 of all children born in Britain.

In 2004-05:

• More than 2 out of 3 sperm donors (69 percent) were aged over 30.

• The most common age group for sperm donors was 36-40.

• More than 2 out of 5 sperm donors (41.5 percent) already had children of their own.

• Just under a third of sperm donors (31.4 percent) had two or more children.

All data from Human Fertility and Embryology Authority, the body that regulates fertility treatment in Britain.

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