10 Mar 2020

Shopping for Sperm: Fun for some, scary for others.

by | posted in: Diagnosis, Intrauterine Insemination, Starting Out, The Clinic, Treatment | 0

Part 1: Overview

Dear Eggsperts–So, I took your advice and talked to my girlfriend about becoming moms. Guess what? She’s totally on board and had been having the same feelings, but was afraid to ask. We are getting ready to see the doctor soon, but we know we are going to need a sperm donor. There are so many sperm banks and so many options!! How does someone choose a sperm donor? –Ticking in Tempe

Dear Ticking–That’s great news. Exciting times are ahead. Many times our patients come to us knowing they will need to find a sperm donor.  Maybe that’s because she’s a hopeful single mother by choice, in a lesbian relationship, or her male partner is a cancer survivor presenting to the fertility clinic knowing he is azoospermic.   For some people, news that a sperm donor may be needed comes as a complete shock. That’s an important discussion for another day. In the meantime, we can offer suggestions about how you might navigate the task of Shopping for Sperm.  And, just like eBay, Amazon and our new fave, Instacart, the best part about finding your perfect sperm donor is that you can do it all online! They will even ship the vials to your clinic directly. 

It seems simple enough. Go on-line, search a catalog, pick a donor. But, once you start, the process can be daunting. You will find there is a lot to think about. So … before you open your laptop and type in the search bar of your browser, grab yourself a cup of coffee and do some planning. 

First thing’s first: Many clinics have a list of vetted sperm banks they are accustomed to accepting sperm from.  This is important. Ask your clinic which sperm donor banks they work with regularly. Also, you will want to know if there are any banks which they will NOT accept from.  Nothing can be more frustrating than to find your match, pay to reserve your vials and then learn that they won’t be accepted by your clinic.

Now, for questions you need to think about because they affect your choice. There is a lot of information here, and I think it’s a lot to digest at once. We want to highlight the big topics and then over the next few days/posts, we will focus on them separately in a little more detail.  

  1. Characteristics: This is all about personal choice. Be clear with yourself about what you are shopping for before you ever take the first look! For example, are you looking for a donor who is a match to your partner? Or, are you looking for a donor who matches your ‘ideal’ mate?  Really consider this. It is important. Not to sound intimidating, but this decision may be looking at you every day for the rest of your life. 
  2. Shopping for the characteristics of the donor is the the fun part, now for important medical stuff.
    • Fortunately, all sperm donors go through screening for communicable diseases and sperm is quarantined before it can be used. So, you don’t have to worry about things like HIV, Hepatitis, and Syphilis. 
    • You will see options of sperm that are CMV-positive or CMV-negative. Be sure to ask your clinic if they have certain requirements about CMV. Some clinics will only use CMV negative sperm, regardless of your CMV status. 
    • Genetic Screening. Some medical conditions have a genetic basis that require genes from both sperm and egg. Some sperm banks will screen all, or some, sperm donors for gene mutations that can lead to medical conditions if you also carry the same gene mutation. There are nuances to deciding if you want screened, or unscreened, sperm and if you are willing to accept sperm from a donor with a gene mutation. 
  3. Even more hard stuff, how much to buy and what kind of sperm to buy?
    • When a guy donates sperm, his specimen is evaluated and divided into several different vials. The sperm is then processed for different types of recommended uses depending on a few factors like how much sperm the guy produced, how many sperm are in the specimen, and how well they move. 
    • Sperm is labeled by different labs in different ways, and the type of preparation may have different costs:
      • IUI, ICI, IVF
      • Washed, Unwashed
    • Your clinic can help you decide what type of preparation may be your best option

Wheh!! Who knew it could be so complicated? We are going to spend more time talking about what all of these choices mean over the next few posts. So, stay tuned. We figure you have already gone through your cup of coffee by now, so we’ll save some of the details for later. 

When you are armed with all of this information, you’re ready to log on.  But, don’t worry, if you have questions along the way or seem more confused that before you started, just reach out for help.

We hope we met your Eggspectations–An Eggspert

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Disclaimer: All of the comments on this page are for basic information only. They are based on the opinions and expertise of the authors and are not meant to provide a substitute for medical care or specific treatment recommendations. Each person is unique and requires individualized diagnosis and treatment plans. Any specific questions should be directed to your personal healthcare provider.