Donor Sperm for Infertility Treatment

Sperm donation helps couples who are unable to achieve conception on their own. Sperm donation allows a woman to be impregnated when her male partner produces unviable or insufficient sperm.

Sperm Donation Candidates

Though on the surface sperm donation may seem like a simple procedure, it is actually quite arduous. Only about 5 percent of applicants are accepted by a sperm bank to donate sperm. Grounds for immediate disqualification for sperm donation include intravenous drug use, homosexual contact, and the presence of certain diseases (cystic fibrosis, for example) in the applicant's medical history.

Potential donors who meet the initial criteria must then pass a thorough screening of their medical and sexual history, testing for genetic and other diseases, analyses of their sperm for count and motility, and investigation of a variety of other factors. Sperm donors who successfully pass the screening process may then have their sperm used to conceive up to 10 children.

The Sperm Donation Procedure

In the sperm donation process, the donor enters a private room and produces a semen sample into a sterile container. The sperm is collected and frozen in liquid nitrogen at -320 degrees Fahrenheit in a process known as sperm cryopreservation. It remains frozen until needed for donor sperm insemination.

Donor Sperm Insemination

Artificial insemination with donor sperm has been in use as an infertility treatment since the early 1900s. The procedure provides a safe, effective way to produce conception when male infertility occurs. In the insemination process, the woman's menstrual cycle is closely monitored. When an egg is released, donated sperm is brought out of sperm cryopreservation, brought to viability, and placed into the woman's uterus, where fertilization of an egg usually takes place. Recent refinements and advances in sperm donation technology have greatly improved this technique's ability to produce conception.

Consult a Fertility Specialist

If you and your partner are having trouble conceiving due to male factor infertility, schedule an appointment with a fertility specialist to discuss your treatment options. Donor sperm paired with IVF treatment may be a viable option.