If you’ve landed on this page, the thought of using donor sperm has probably already crossed your mind. Whether you’re a couple with male-factor infertility trying to conceive, a same-sex couple, or planning to be a single mum by choice, donor sperm can give you the option to start your family.
There are two types of sperm donation:
In “known” donation, the recipient is aware of the identity of the donor and typically has a pre-existing relationship with them, e.g. a friend or family member. The donor must meet specific eligibility requirements.
In “de-identified” sperm donation, recipients access their donor from clinic-recruited sperm banks. These donors remain anonymous to the recipient at the time of donation. Identifying information is made available to the offspring when they turn 18.
Working with Genea, Dr Becky can help you access a number of sperm banks including Genea’s NSW sperm bank, the European Sperm Bank (ESB), California Cryo Bank, and Fairfax.
In both types of donation, the donor must be fully informed and donate without coercion. In Australia, known donation must be altruistic, so sperm donors are not paid for their donation.
The first step to accessing donor sperm is to book an appointment with Dr Becky. She will take a full medical history from you and order a number of investigations including a pelvic ultrasound and fertility blood work-up to make sure you’re ready to conceive. If you have a known donor, she’ll also need to meet with them to assess their health and medical background, and order investigations such as a sperm count and infection screen.
After meeting with Dr Becky, she will refer you on to the wonderful Donor Team at Genea who will help you navigate the next steps as follows:
Two counselling sessions are mandatory before proceeding with donor sperm. These sessions allow for discussion around topics such as disclosure, and also help recipients to understand the legal aspects of sperm donation in NSW.
Once you have completed your counselling sessions, the donor team will give you access to the donor pool to select a preferred donor if you are using a clinic-recruited option.
Once you have a preferred donor, you will meet with one of Genea’s genetic counsellors who will talk you through your options for genetic testing for recessive genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis. If after testing you and your preferred donor screen as “low risk”, then you are able to proceed with that donor.
If you are using clinic-recruited donor sperm, you will now be able to purchase the sperm. Depending on the donor, the sperm may need to ship to Sydney from overseas, or may already be on site at Genea. Once it arrives, it is ready to use.
If you are using a known-donor, they will now be able to provide a sperm sample for freezing. This will have to undergo a mandatory 3-month quarantine, and the donor will have to be retested for blood borne viruses before the sperm can be used.
From initial consultation to being ready to start, treatment takes at least 3-4 months for most clinic-recruited donor-sperm patients and around 5-6 months for most known-donor patients.
During your initial consultation, Dr Becky will assess your fertility situation and guide you towards your best option for falling pregnant.
If there are no underlying fertility issues and you choose a suitable donor, you may opt to do minimally invasive treatment with intrauterine insemination (IUI). This involves tracking your natural cycle with blood tests and ultrasound. When ovulation is detected, you will undergo insemination with thawed donor sperm, using a small catheter to deliver the sperm into the uterine cavity. The sperm and the egg then meet in the fallopian tube and hopefully fertilise, producing an embryo which will implant into the lining of the womb to give you a pregnancy.
If there are underlying issues which may impact on fertility, or it is your preference, then you may choose to do IVF instead. IVF involves daily injections of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) usually for around 8-12 days to help develop follicles from the ovaries. The eggs are then collected and fertilised in the laboratory using the donor sperm, with embryos grown in Genea’s exclusive Geri® incubator for around 5 days. An embryo may then be transferred to the womb in the same cycle using a small catheter, or frozen for transfer at a later date.
It is important to use donor sperm managed through reputable fertility clinics and sperm banks. Sperm donated through these facilities have undergone rigorous testing and processes that must adhere to the local legislation governing the donation of sperm. This also allows us to monitor how many families have been created through the one donor as there are limits for this, which vary from state to state (in NSW there is a 5 family limit). Dr Becky and the donor team will be able to discuss with you all of the risks and considerations, so that you are fully informed before you proceed.