Is the FDA changing its ban on gay sperm donors?

Current FDA guidelines strictly regulate gay men who wish to become sperm donors. This is an FDA policy that all sperm banks must comply with to maintain our FDA registration.

Our leadership at Premier Sperm Donors has long advocated on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, both on behalf of recipients in need of a donor, and on behalf of gay men who wish to become donors.

Recently, various news outlets have reported that the FDA will revise their guidance on men who have sex with men (MSM), and their eligibility to donate sperm. The current guidelines specify that all sperm banks are required to screen for donors who indicate that they have had sex with another man in the past 5 years. You can read more about the current FDA guidance here.

Based on early reports, we are hopeful that screening for men who have sex with men (MSM) will be less broad and more aligned with actual infectious disease risks. The new screening guidance could include questions related to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications.

At PSD, we are monitoring these developing changes very closely and will adjust changes in our screening policy to comply with new FDA regulations when they are official.

We are optimistic about the future and celebrate these potential changes as progress for the gay community and for intended parents.