Patient Portal: Sperm Donation

Sperm donation is used in conjunction with other fertility treatments, such as IUI or IVF, in order to achieve pregnancy. Waterstone Fertility has been helping couples conceive using donor sperm since 2002.

Sperm donation may be an option in the following situations:

• Where a genetic abnormality carried by the male partner could be inherited
• Following repeated failed ICSI/TESE cycles for suboptimal sperm quality
• For single women/same sex female couples who wish to become pregnant

Where does donor sperm come from?

Waterstone Clinic only uses sperm from ‘anonymous’ & ‘non-anonymous’ donors. At present, we source all of our donor sperm from two sperm banks in Denmark:

Cryos International Sperm Bank www.cryosinternational.com
European Sperm Bank www.europeanspermbank.com

What testing procedures do donors go through?

All donors have to go through a rigorous screening process. This includes:

• A thorough interview where they will be questioned about their medical history, their family’s medical history, and a detailed sexual history (number of sexual partners, history of sexually transmitted infections).
• They also have to undergo a physical examination. This is to detect any abnormalities and also to assess risky lifestyle practices.
• Blood tests are performed to detect:
  • Blood type and Rhesus status
  • HIV 1 and 2
  • HTVL 1 and 2 (Human T cell lymphotropic viruses)
  • Hepatitis B & C
  • Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections, Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
  • Chromosomal disorders

Semen and blood samples from the donor are tested at two different time points to make sure all results are accurate. Firstly they are tested when the man applies to become a donor. The samples are then frozen for 6 months and re-tested. It is only when the results of the second testing have been cleared that the man can become a donor.