What Are the Different Types of Sperm Donors?
Anonymous, ID Option, and Open-ID — understanding the three donor types is one of the most important decisions you'll make before applying.
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Non-ID Option Donors (Anonymous)
- •The donor stays completely anonymous forever
- •No identifying information is shared with the recipient or the child
- •The child cannot contact or identify the donor later
- •Best for donors who prefer full privacy with no future contact
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ID Option Donors
- •The donor agrees that their identity can be released when the child turns 18
- •The donor-conceived individual initiates the request — it is never automatic
- •No ongoing relationship is required — simply being contactable is enough
- •Increasingly the standard at most sperm banks in the U.S.
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Open-ID Donors
- •Donor-conceived individuals can request identifying information upon turning 18
- •Promotes transparency while keeping donor identity confidential until that time
- •Open-ID donors consent to at least one contact with offspring
- •Does not guarantee a long-term relationship
- •Combines the benefits of privacy during childhood with openness in adulthood
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Directed (Known) Donors
- •You donate to a specific person or couple you already know (or have met for this purpose)
- •Full transparency from day one, often involving a personal relationship or a shared creation story
- •The recipient family knows the donor's identity from the start
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