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Intended Parents

Requirements for Sperm Donors

Sperm donor requirements ensure that only high-quality donors are accepted by sperm banks, helping to protect the best interests of intended parents like you.

When you work with a reputable sperm bank to find a sperm donor, you’ll know their clients have met extensive sperm donor requirements to ensure you have the best, high-quality donors to choose from.

How to choose a sperm donor

This article will take a look at what the requirements are to be sperm donors and how to find one.

What Are the Requirements To Be a Sperm Donor?

Sperm donor requirements exist to ensure that the sperm donated is of high-quality from healthy men to help give you the best chance of a healthy pregnancy.

Different sperm banks have different sperm bank donation requirements. Some examples could include:

Age has a direct impact on fertility. Many sperm banks look for donors within a certain age range. This sperm bank in Phoenix even has directives to not use donor sperm from men over the age of 42.

Depending on the sperm bank, donors may sign contracts for a certain amount of time and a certain number of clinic visits and donations.

This sperm donor program with locations across the country has an educational requirement. They advertise sperm donors with PhD’s and Master’s degrees while noting they also welcome high school graduates or those with technical or trade certificates to apply to become sperm donors too.

Some clients are looking for specific traits they want to pass on to their children. Height is one example of those with the Reproductive Health and Wellness Center notedthat some are willing to pay for a donor that is over 6’ to increase their chances of having at all child.

Do You Have to Be 6’0” to Donate Sperm?

No, you do not have to be six feet tall or over to donate sperm. Although some sperm bank donation requirements can include height, that’s based on the preference that some intended parents have of wanting a tall child vs. a requirement that prevents you from donating.

In addition to those general requirements listed above, the most important stipulations have to do with sperm donor health requirements.

Sperm Donor Requirements and Screening

Health Screenings

A physical could be used to establish a baseline for the donor’s health with additional testing that can include:

Semen Analysis

The semen of the potential sperm donor is required to meet certain standards that determine the quality of the sperm. To help determine the chances of a successful pregnancy, your fertility specialist will look at things like:

  • Sperm count

  • Shape of sperm

  • Mobility of sperm

    Genetic Disease Screenings

    The donor sperm will comprise 50% of the genetic make-up of your child. That’s why this sperm donor requirement is critical to ensuring any potential genetically inherited diseases are detected well beforehand.

    Infectious Disease Screenings

    Semen can carry infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and more.

    These diseases can spread to the birth mother and the fetus which is why it’s a sperm donor health requirement before a donor is accepted into a program.

    What Disqualifies a Sperm Donor?

    Age, location, sexual partners, genetic diseases, health, sperm count and quality and sexually transmitted infections are all disqualifying reasons why you may not be able to be a sperm donor. Sperm donor requirements exist to ensure these reasons are identified early on.

    How to Find a Sperm Bank

    If you already have a fertility specialist you are working with, ask them. They may be able to point you in the direction of a sperm bank that the clinic knows and works with.

    In today’s day and age, utilize the tools you have.

    SpermBankDirectory is one such example of a national director of sperm cryobanks that can be found online. All you need to do is click on the state you are located in to find a facility near you.

    Even when you find a sperm bank you want to work with, it’s important they fit your goals and preferences too. Make sure you look into their processes, from their sperm donor requirements to what kind of information they provide on their donor profiles.

    Get in touch with us online to find out more about the cost of using a sperm donor.

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