Donor Sperm

It is estimated that nearly fifteen percent of couples will experience infertility problems, and as many as 40% of these cases are due to infertility in the male patient. Sperm availability may also be an issue for single women, and same sex female couples. In these situations donor sperm can be utilized to achieve conception.

What is donor sperm?
Simply put, donor sperm is when someone donates his sperm to another person or couple (the intended parent(s)) so that the intended parent(s) can use that sperm to try and have a child.

How does the donor sperm process work?
At Blue Sky Fertility we do anonymous sperm donation using only the most reputable sperm banks. The donor donates the sperm at the sperm bank and at that time the donor is evaluated according to the rules set by the FDA. The sperm is frozen and then, at least six months later, the donor is reevaluated according to the FDA rules. If the donor passes both sets of evaluations the sperm can be released for use.

How do I pick a donor?
Once the intended parent(s) are all set to move forward with conception they can search the donor sperm database and pick a donor who they find appropriate. When selecting a donor I tell my patients that before searching the sperm bank’s website they should sit down and make a list of the attributes that are most important to them and rank them in order of importance. This list will be different for everyone as personal interests, intelligence, ethnic background etc. usually factor in to the decision of choosing a donor. Exactly how much emphasis to put on what factor is a very personal decision, with no right or wrong answer.

How is the donor sperm used?
Donor sperm can be used in many different ways depending on the intended parent(s) unique situation. The simplest way to use donor sperm is to do an intrauterine insemination (IUI). This is where the donor sperm is place in the uterus using a catheter. Donor sperm can also be used in cycles where the ovaries are stimulated such as Clomid or injectable cycles. In some situations we use donor sperm in an in vitro fertilization cycle (IVF). If we are doing an IVF cycle using donor sperm, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is often performed as part of the IVF cycle. What are the costs of using donor sperm? The cost of donor sperm vary based on the sperm bank used. A donor sperm sample usually runs around $400 to $700. The sperm banks also charge a fee for shipment of the sperm. Our fees are based upon the type of treatment we are utilizing. For example, using donor sperm in an IUI cycle is considerably less expensive than using donor sperm in an IVF and ICSI cycle. 

 

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