For many people looking to build a family, achieving pregnancy with their own sperm may not always be an option. Using a sperm donor can raise many questions, unknowns and considerations. That’s why at Repromed, we’ve established our donor program supported by a team to guide you at every step.
Types of sperm donors
● Known Sperm Donors
● Clinic Recruited Sperm Donors
● Overseas Sperm Donors
We explore these options in more detail below.
Do I Need a Sperm Donor?
There are many reasons why people need a sperm donor.
Same Sex RelationshipsSame-sex female couples use donor sperm to conceive children biologically related to one partner. This allows both partners to share in the experience of pregnancy and parenthood, fulfilling their desire for a family and create a genetic connection with their child.
Male Factor Infertility
People with male factor infertility use donor sperm when the sperm quality or quantity is insufficient for conception. Donor sperm offers a chance to achieve a pregnancy and biological parenthood despite the male partner’s infertility.
People affected by genetic diseasesIf the male partner has a genetic condition that could be passed on to a child, using donor sperm allows the couple to have children without the risk of passing on the genetic disorder. This choice supports the desire to become parents while ensures their child is not at risk of inheriting the condition.
Solo female parents to beFemales choosing to become solo parents use donor sperm to fulfill their desire for motherhood. This choice allows them to experience pregnancy, raise a child, and be a parent on their own terms regardless of relationship status.
The different types of sperm donors
Clinic Recruited Donor Sperm
Repromed regularly recruits altruistic sperm donors for our clinic-recruited sperm donor program. Our clinic-recruited donors are often referred to as ‘anonymous’ donors as their identifying information is not shared with the recipients of their donation at the time of treatment. However, these donors comply with Australian law, which means they consent to their identifying information being shared with a donor-conceived child once they turn 18 years of age.
Clinic-recruited sperm donors at Repromed undergo a thorough review process prior to becoming donors. They also provide medical and personal information which can be shared with potential recipients to help them choose a sperm donor that is right for them.
Known Donor Sperm
A known sperm donor is someone that is familiar or ‘known’ to the individual or couple wanting to use their sperm in treatment. In most cases, known sperm donors agree to donate their sperm exclusively to this individual or couple.
A known sperm donor and their recipient will present to Repromed together and will be required to attend donor implications counselling as a group.
International clinic recruited sperm donors
Repromed (as part of the Monash IVF Group) has access to four international banks of sperm donors through California Cryobank (CCB), Seattle Sperm Bank (SSB), Cascade Cryobank (CAS) and Ovogene.
All international donor applicants must meet strict health, education, height, weight and medical requirements before they are even considered to be a part of the donor program. This includes repeated specimen quality tests, physical examination, communicable disease testing, genetic testing, psychological screening and criminal background checks.
International donors are specifically selected for our Repromed donor program and therefore comply with all Australian legislative requirements.
Treatments to conceive using donated spermTreatment available using international sperm may include: Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), IVF including ICSI and surrogacy arrangements.
Your Repromed Fertility Doctor will consult with you on the type of treatment that is best suited for your specific circumstances.
Costs for receiving donated sperm
As your fertility treatment costs are tailored to your specific requirements, the cost of using donor sperm will vary depending on your needs. Prior to joining the Repromed Donor Program, our team will provide you with details of costs specific to your treatment needs following your discussions with your Fertility Doctor.
Legal considerations of using donated sperm
● Donors do not remain anonymous. Under many state laws a person born from donation has the right to obtain identifying information (like name, date of birth and address) about their donor once they are 18 years old or from a younger age if the child proves sufficient maturity or if their parent(s) apply and the donor consents.
● Donors consent to being registered with the South Australian Donor Conception Registry, which is only accessed by donor conceived children once they are 18 years old.
● Sperm donors are allowed to find out if any children have been born from their donations. Donors can receive non-identifying information about children born from their donation – including the gender of the child and any birth abnormalities.
● Sperm donors have no financial or legal responsibility for children conceived.
● Sperm donors are not paid for their donation. In Australia, becoming a sperm donor is a selfless act – which means one of the main motivating factors is to help other people. It is illegal to profit from a sperm donation but you can be reimbursed for certain costs involved.
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