You can help a single person or a couple conceive a child by donating your sperm or eggs. Your donation is part of a process called “assisted reproduction”. If you’re thinking of making such a donation, find out more about your role in the process and the rules that apply in Quebec before proceeding.
You can make a donation in a clinic and sometimes elsewhere
You can donate sperm or eggs at an assisted reproduction centre. You can give your donation either to an anonymous bank or directly to someone you know. This is known as medically assisted reproduction.
Sperm donations can also be done somewhere other than an assisted reproduction centre, like at the home of the person who will be inseminated. There are two ways to do this.
You can put your sperm in a sterilized container and give it to someone. This person can then use a syringe to inseminate themselves. This method is known as artisanal insemination.
You can also have sexual intercourse with someone, for the sole purpose of helping them conceive a child. This method is sometimes called artificial insemination with the help of a friend.
You must meet certain criteria to make a donation
You must be at least 18 years old to make a sperm or egg donation. The minimum age requirement can be higher in some assisted reproduction centres or sperm or egg banks. Centres or banks may also set additional criteria for donors.
You must also complete certain tests before an assisted reproduction centre, or a sperm or egg bank, can accept your donation. You’ll undergo a preliminary evaluation, which includes a questionnaire, a physical examination and screening tests for certain infections. For an egg donation, the centre or bank may also require a health professional’s approval.
You must give your sperm or egg for free. You can ask the prospective parents, the centre or the bank to reimburse you for certain expenses, but they have no obligation to reimburse you. For instance, you can ask for your travel expenses, consultation services, medication and supplies to be reimbursed.
Your official role is limited to giving your sperm or egg
The person or couple who intends to use your donation to conceive a child are said to have a “parental project”. This person or couple will be the legal parents of the child. The fact that you donated your sperm or egg does not entitle you to parental status.
In other words, you don’t have the right to make decisions about the child, nor to spend time with them. However, you can be involved in the child’s life if that’s what you want, and if the legal parents agree to it.
You are also not responsible for feeding the child or caring for them. That’s the legal parents’ role.
Come to an agreement about your role with the other people involved
If you’re going through an assisted reproduction centre or a sperm or egg bank for your donation, they must get your written consent before the donation. You can withdraw your consent in writing, at any time before the legal parents sign the paperwork to use your sperm or egg.
If your donation happens outside an assisted reproduction centre, you can talk to the future parents to confirm that they have a parental project and that your role is limited to your donation. You can also talk about the role you’ll play in the child’s life, if you wish.
You can put your agreement in writing and sign it. Having a written agreement can help clarify everyone’s intentions and avoid misunderstandings later.
Before you write or sign an agreement, you and the legal parents can seek advice from a legal professional. By doing this, you can make sure that your agreement is legal and suitable for you.
To better understand the benefits of a written agreement, read Thomas and Alice’s story. This story is inspired by a real-life case.
Alice sometimes has sexual intercourse with a friend, Thomas. Alice decides she wants to become a mother and asks Thomas if he would help her.
Thomas doesn’t want to become a father but agrees to help Alice. Alice and Thomas try for a while, but don’t conceive a child.
Alice gets some tests done and discovers that she may face challenges in conceiving a child. Alice and Thomas remain friends and continue to have sexual intercourse from time to time.
A few years later, Alice learns that she is pregnant, and that Thomas is the biological father. She asks him to contribute to the child’s needs.
Thomas says he thought Alice intended to become a single mother. Alice says she abandoned this plan when she discovered that she had fertility challenges.
In this situation, it will be up to Thomas to prove that Alice had a solo parental project when she conceived the child. If he fails to do so, the court may declare him as the child’s other legal parent.
The child has the right to know your identity
If you donate sperm or eggs on or after June 6, 2025, any child conceived with your sperm or egg can have access to personal information about you. The child must be 14 years old to access this information. They can even be younger if they have permission from their legal parents.
The Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (department of employment and social solidarity) will keep your personal information in a confidential register. The child will be able to access this information, by making a request to the Ministère:
- your name,
- your age,
- your ethnic origin,
- your civil status,
- your level of education, your diplomas and the subjects you studied,
- your occupation,
- your height,
- the colour of your skin,
- the colour of your eyes,
- the colour and texture of your hair,
- information about your personality traits, special skills, preferences and hobbies.
Depending on the type of assisted reproduction you go for, it’s either the assisted reproduction centre or the legal parents who are responsible for collecting this information and submitting it to the government registry. You cannot refuse to give the child access to this information.
However, you can decide whether or not the child will be able to contact you. If the child requests access to your personal information, the government will reach out to you to confirm your choice. If you refuse contact, the child won’t receive your contact information. They’ll also have to agree to respect your refusal of contact before they can know your name.
For donations made before June 6, 2025, you have the right to remain anonymous if you wish. However, an assisted reproduction centre or a sperm or egg bank could still ask for your personal information. They may share some of it with future parents, in your anonymized donor profile.