Semen Donation

Semen donation is occasionally needed in order for a pregnancy to happen for some women. There are different reasons why a sperm donor is used. One could be because your husband has little to no sperm. Or it could be that you don’t have a partner and wish to conceive a baby. Both examples are the top 2 reasons for sperm donation.

The sperm donor is a man who donates his sperm either to a sperm bank or direct to the doctor’s office. Normally he must go through a rigorous screening to qualify. Many prefer to filter out those with questionable lifestyles, those who are at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases and those who are into recreational drugs. The screening process may not be the same for each person, but this is generally what is looked at.

A semen donation potential must pass a physical. A thorough medical and genetic history will be recorded usually over four generations. A complete screen for the donor’s fertility is also done. Once all this is complete the donor is screened further for:

• ABO – Rh Typing
• CBC
• Chlamydia
• Chromosome Analysis
• Cystic Fibrosis Carrier
• Cytomegalovirus
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B & C
• HIV
• HTLV – 1
• Liver & Chemistry Panel
• Mycoplasma / ureaplasma
• Semen Analysis
• Sickle Cell (If indicated)
• Syphilis
• Tay Sachs
• Thalassemia
• Urine Analysis

The semen analysis is done to check for bacteria and yeast. It’s also done to get a sperm count and check for viability and motility of the sperm.

All specimens are frozen and re-evaluated after the thaw. Many times this is done up to three times to insure accuracy. If the sperm donor is donating for random use, the semen will be quarantined for at least six months. During this time the donor will be tested again for some of the above screenings. Some clinics will test monthly, quarterly, biannually and annually to insure the best health of both the specimen and the donor.