Sperm Donation Insemination - DI
Why Use Donor Sperm?
Many infants are conceived and brought into the world through the wonders of assisted reproduction technology (ART). If not for ART, there are many couples who would never know the joy of pregnancy and birthing their own child.
People use ART because they can't naturally conceive a pregnancy, whether due to fertility issues with the woman, or fertility issues with the man. In some cases, a single person or a homosexual couple wants to have a child and requires assistance to make that happen. For the couples who are dealing with male factor infertility, IVF and ICSI are the primary methods for conception. If the man's sperm is insufficient, if there are genetic concerns or if he has no sperm (azoospermia, oligospermia, and poor motility) he and his partner may decide to use donor sperm (DI) to have a child.
This Is Not A Cake-Walk
Using donor sperm requires a lot in terms of psychological preparedness for a couple. Most doctors recommend a couple undergo serious counseling before trying DI. Working together with a counselor who is skilled at clarifying feelings about infertility and about donor insemination is the best way for a couple to explore their feelings and determine whether they are really ready for what they are planning to embark upon. All fears and questions need to be aired sufficiently. For some men, just knowing they are unable to sire a child of their own is a major issue causing huge emotional and psychological stumbling blocks. Inadequacy, feeling threatened, isolated, inferior, insecure and jealous are all possible emotions that must be dealt with before going forward.
A woman may have to deal with the overflow of her husband or partner's emotions and may feel resentful that she is the target of negative emotions over something that isn't her fault. The idea of having someone else's baby is yet another issue for women. It is also important that both partners get adequate counseling to determine whether or not they will tell the child how he or she was conceived.
Choosing the Sperm
When it comes to selecting donor sperm, the couple usually has the right to determine which sperm bank the sperm to use. Information about the donor's physical characteristics, race, ethnic background, educational background, career history, and general health should be available. Many sperm banks provide written profiles about the donors they have available. Some sperm banks are open to providing non-identifiable information about the donor, including photographs of the donor as a child and as an adult, as well as providing a service for adult offspring to obtain information about the donor.
All donors are tested for STDs and the semen is tested twice for HIV, once upon drawing the sample and once again after it has been frozen and held for at least 180 days. Before it will be used it has to be proven clean. The donor sperm is also tested for white blood cells which would indicate an infection in the reproductive tract. The screening is rigorous and the criteria are stringent in most sperm banks to ensure diseases and genetic malfunctions are not passed on to the baby or the mother.
Being A Sperm Donor
Men desiring to become a sperm donor will be likely be received with open arms in most countries outside of the US. There's a sperm donor shortage these days which has been attributed to the legislations recently passed in many European countries as well as in Australia, and the UK, that the identification of the donor be made available. Until five years ago, donor identification was not available, although all of the medical and personal history has consistently been accessible. Many men are afraid of the possibility of children born to women who used their sperm wanting to have relationship or wanting support. This has caused men to decline the opportunity and now sperm is being imported, mostly from the US to meet the needs of fertility clinics the world over.
There are many aspects to ART and to using donor sperm. Learn more about them here.
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