Print This Page

Sperm Bank Procedure

Many couples who desire to have children may be faced with the challenge of infertility. Infertility can occur for many reasons on both the male and female sides. When the problem is on the male side, one method of treating infertility is by going to a sperm bank for donor sperm. This can be successful using the partner's sperm but may also be done using donor sperm insemination.

Donor sperm is the sperm of a man who decides to donate his sperm to the cause of others' infertility. Each sperm bank evaluates their donors slightly differently but overall, the process is generally the same.

A sperm bank donor will be asked to fill out an application, come to an initial appointments and provide test samples as part of an in-depth screening process. For the most part, men of all backgrounds and ethnicities are accepted, but all donors must meet some general requirements of sperm banks.

Donor Sperm Requirements:

• That the donor be over 18 years-old,
• That they be under 40
• The sperm donor must make a 6 month to 1 year commitment
• They must provide a detailed medical history, and be free of any chronic health problems.

Some sperm banks have additional requirements meant to illustrate the donors intelligence, such as having a college degree, or being enrolled in a degree program. Still other sperm banks will require height and weight from their donors.

Once the potential sperm donor makes it through that part of the selection process, they provide samples for the sperm donor bank. Those samples are tested for genetic and sexually transmitted diseases. Screening of the sperm samples can take up to 3 months and is a very rigorous process. In fact, only an estimated 5% of samples are accepted at the top sperm banks.

As long as the donor continues to do all that is required, he is paid anywhere from $75 to hundreds of dollars per sample. Throughout this process, he is required to have ongoing screenings.

Couples and single women who wish to use a sperm bank must decide on which donors sperm they will use. Profiles of candidates are made available to them, including the donor's medical and family history, as well as any other appropriate information such as pictures and voice clips.

The purchase price of sperm samples varies from around $200 to $600 for a single insemination, which may be done as an outpatient service, with a reproductive specialist, or at home. Although it is more expensive to have it done as an outpatient procedure, the chances of success are greater that way.

Some sperm donors choose to remain anonymous to any future children they have as a result of their donation. Some sperm banks may require that the biological father contact his children. It all depends on the individuals and the sperm bank.

The use of donor sperm for artificial insemination has become very popular in recent decades. It is a way for hopeful parents, who otherwise would not have the chance to conceive, to increase their odds of having a baby.

There is no telling how advances in the field of fertility will change the operation of sperm banks in future years, but for right now it is an extremely good option for those who want to have a baby, but can't without help.

Here's a quick link to our previous article on Depression and Infertility.

Other wiki resources: causes of infertility; conception; how to get pregnant; artifical insemination; infertility studies; fertility after 40