Demand for donor sperm in Victoria outstrips supply

Reproductive clinics in Victoria don't have enough sperm to keep up with demand and need greater diversity in their donors.

Single women and lesbians used 85 per cent of Victorian sperm donations in 2014-15, the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority's Annual Report has revealed.

Of the 1362 women who received donor sperm, only 202 women were in heterosexual relationships, while 684 were single and 476 women were in same-sex relationships.

Since laws changed in 2010 to allow single women and lesbians access to sperm, there's been a massive increase in demand, far outstripping sperm supply.

A sperm donor can donate to 10 women in Victoria, but often both women in same-sex couples are using the same sperm, resulting in fewer families created from the same donor.