Donor Sperm

“I think that the best day will be when we no longer talk about being gay or straight – it’s not a ‘gay wedding’ it’s just a ‘wedding’, it’s not a ‘gay marriage’ it’s just ‘a marriage’. "
~ P!nk

Maybe you have been focusing on your career and haven’t found the “right time” to have a baby? Maybe you just haven’t found the right partner to have a baby with? But now you are ready...

The physicians at Conceive Fertility Center are here to help you begin that journey now. Because when people are ready to have a baby, they’re ready. Whatever your social situation, CFC recognizes that the most important quality for a parent is the desire to love, raise, and support a child.

Donor sperm IUI

Choosing the best sperm donor is an important step in your fertility process. Donor sperm is available through commercial sperm banks (or cryobanks). At CFC we accept frozen sperm samples only from reputable sperm banks. Our physicians can discuss with you the best choices. Sperm donors have undergone a stringent screening and vetting process. This includes a personal medical history along with a detailed family history and physical exam. A risk assessment is performed for HIV that includes sexual history and drug use history. The total panel of infectious diseases that the sperm donors are screened for include: HIV-1/2, HTLV-1/2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and CMV (cytomegalovirus). All donors receive genetic screening for Cystic Fibrosis carrier trait. All donors are tested by Hemoglobin Electrophoresis to screen for sickle-cell and Thalassemia carrier status and identify other hemoglobin-related blood disorders.
For anyone using donor sperm, a pre-treatment psychological counseling visit is offered but is not mandatory. If you feel conflicted in any way about the use of anonymous donor sperm, then we encourage you to discuss that with one of our preferred counselors beforehand.

Donor choice can be based on racial or ethnic background, physical or social characteristics, or previous history of fathering pregnancies. The frozen donor sperm is purchased from the sperm bank and shipped to our fertility center in a special container. We follow the patient through her cycle (with or without ovulation induction medications) using sonograms to determine when she will be ovulating. On the day of ovulation, the semen specimen is thawed and washed and then placed into the uterine cavity (via the cervix) using a soft plastic catheter. Most women experience only mild cramping during the IUI process.

The success rate for donor IUI cycle is significantly related to the patient’s age. It can be as high as 25% per cycle for age < 35 and as high as 18% for age >35. It also depends on the number of mature follicles that have been released. The use of ovulation induction medications (both oral and injectable) can increase that number. They also contribute to the increased risk for twins and multi-fetal pregnancies. At the time of your midcycle sonogram, your CFC physician will provide you an estimate for that risk.

Most women will try donor sperm for 3-5 cycles before they move on to IVF. Please see our main webpage for a full description of the IVF process.

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