Choosing a sperm donor is not an easy decision. There can be many cultural, psychological, and religious barriers. For any couple or single parent, it is an entirely personal decision to use donor sperm to complete a family, yet deeply enlightening. Using a sperm donor is an opportunity for those individuals who are not able to have kids after waiting and trying for years. Such a kind option for fertility treatment is another way to add joy to such people’s lives.
A sperm donor is a third party where a person other than a parent or a male partner provides his sperm or DNA to help the expecting couple or a single parent. Thus, sperm donation is also a third-party arrangement like egg donation and surrogacy, which can be used in IVF In vitro fertilization and IUI (intrauterine insemination) fertility treatments. Seeking the help of a third party to have kids is a part of modern fertility treatments. The purpose of such fertility treatments is to fulfill and transform the lives of infertile couples or single parents.
In such a process, intended parents choose a sperm donor from an already screened database to find a suitable match according to their requirements or expectations. The intended parents can choose profiles they are looking for, like similarity in physical features, skin color, same religious or ethnic background, and other such attributes that can complement them. Once a sperm donor has been chosen by the intended couple, a sperm bank or agency sends the frozen samples to the concerned fertility clinic. Now the clinic can use the sperm in IVF or IUI treatment after thawing the donor sperm in the lab.
Reasons for using sperm donor with IVF
Taking a sperm donor to help fulfill a family may have many reasons. One should know that before you, others have made a similar decision, so you are not the only one on this journey. Some of the most common reasons for seeking the help of a sperm donor are:
Male infertility
The major reason for using a sperm donor is that it is used in the case of a male infertile partner. There are so many treatments available for treating male infertility, like low sperm count, sperm retrieval techniques, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. But sometimes a male doesn’t produce viable sperm, especially if they are taking chemotherapy.
In such situations, the sperm gets damaged, and that may cause infertility. Sometimes there are some genetic disorders or abnormalities in male reproductive organs that can push someone to use donor sperm. For such people, sperm donors are a ray of hope, and they also offer successful results.
Males with a family history of some inherited genetic issues
Males with a family history of certain inherited genetic issues use sperm donors to ensure that the disease is not passed on to the next generation of children. Same-gender couples (Lesbian or LGBT): A same-sex partner (female) who, unlike a normal couple, cannot carry the fertilization or sustain the pregnancy in the absence of sperm. Such people usually decide to use donor sperm to complete their family.
Single women
If a woman does not have a male partner and wishes to have children, she can use a sperm donor. Such a decision offers motherhood without any personal or legal complications. In particular, young women without any fertility issues can easily become single parents through IVF or IUI fertility treatments.
Sperm donor program or sperm bank
Someone needs a sperm donor if the male partner is sterile and he is unable to provide a sperm sample for IVF or IUI treatment. In the same way, a single woman or a same-gender couple also needs a sperm donor to have a child through IVF In vitro fertilization or IUI fertility treatment. In such situations, an intended parent has to buy the sperm from a sperm bank (anonymous donor) or ask a relative or friend to donate the sperm.
The fertility specialist discusses the entire process and evaluates the health and history of the couple or woman who wishes to use a sperm donor. After that, a primary screening test is done, which is needed for the next step. After preliminary screening, a suitable sperm donor is chosen from the database according to the intended parent’s requirements. Once a sperm donor has been decided by the family, the fertility treatment (IVF or IUI) can be started by the fertility specialist as usual.
In the case of an anonymous donor, the couple has to purchase the sperm from the “sperm bank”. Every sperm donor has to go for genetic and infectious disease tests, and before the second test, his sperm has to be quarantined for 6 months. Now the donor is ready to donate his sperm. Most people prefer donor sperm banks or programs because, in such banks, the sperm donors have already gone through all the required tests and have also undergone semen analysis to check the sperm quality. Intended parents are allowed to review the details of such anonymous donors as education, health, appearance, personality, hobbies, etc. This information can help in selecting the best sperm donor.
IVF with donor sperm
IVF fertility treatment with a sperm donor is the same as with a non-sperm donor. An intended couple or a single parent can expect the following steps: In the first step, a female partner receives medication for ovarian stimulation. The mature eggs are then retrieved from the ovaries.
Fertilization of the retrieved eggs with the donated sperm is now performed inside the lab under the supervision of embryologists. Finally, a single embryo has to be transferred into the uterus of a female partner to carry the pregnancy. IVF fertility treatment with donor sperm is equally successful and effective as a non-donor IVF and it is the best way to achieve parenthood through IVF.
