Sperm donation is a process where a man provides semen to a sperm bank or fertility clinic for use in assisted reproduction. Demand is high among individuals and couples seeking to build families, including those with male factor infertility, single women, and same-sex female couples. Becoming a sperm donor involves a highly selective and demanding process that ensures the safety, quality, and genetic health of the donated material.
Initial Screening and Eligibility Criteria
The first step for a potential donor is meeting initial demographic and lifestyle criteria designed to maximize the likelihood of a successful donation. Most sperm banks require donors to be between the ages of 18 and 39, though many prefer a narrower range (18 to 35) to ensure optimal sperm quality. Donors are often required to be currently pursuing or have already obtained a college degree, reflecting recipient preferences for donors with higher education.
Height requirements are often enforced, with many clinics preferring donors who are 5’8″ or taller. Donors must live within a commutable distance of the clinic, as the process requires frequent, scheduled visits over an extended period. Applicants undergo a thorough review of their personal and family medical history, often spanning three to four generations. They must also not have a history of intravenous drug use or extensive travel to regions with certain infectious disease risks.
The Comprehensive Medical and Genetic Review
After passing the initial application, candidates move on to intensive clinical testing to assess sperm health and viability. The process begins with a detailed semen analysis measuring sperm count, motility (movement), and morphology (shape). Only a small percentage of applicants meet the high standards required for cryopreservation, meaning samples must be robust enough to survive freezing and thawing while retaining sufficient quality for fertility treatments.
Mandatory infectious disease testing is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is a recurring component of the process. Donors are tested for a panel of infectious agents, including HIV-1/2, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea, with repeat testing required every few months. Additionally, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends a psychological evaluation to assess the donor’s understanding of the long-term implications of their decision.
Genetic screening is an intensive process designed to minimize the risk of passing on heritable disorders. This involves carrier screening for common inherited conditions like Cystic Fibrosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Tay-Sachs disease, and various hemoglobinopathies. Many banks now screen for hundreds of genetic conditions using large panels and perform a karyotype analysis to check for normal chromosome structure. This review ensures the donor is not a carrier for a serious recessive disorder that could be passed to a child.
The Donation Process and Commitment
Once approved, the donor must adhere to a strict, long-term commitment schedule involving regular visits to the sperm bank. The commitment duration is often between six months and one year, with a typical frequency of one to three donations per week. Before each collection, the donor is required to observe a period of sexual abstinence (three to five days) to ensure optimal sample concentration and quality.
Semen samples are collected in a private room at the facility and immediately processed for quality assessment and cryopreservation. A safety measure involves placing all donated samples into a mandatory quarantine for a minimum of six months. After quarantine, the donor must return to the clinic for a final round of infectious disease testing before samples are released for use. This ensures that any infectious agents acquired during the donation period are detected.
Legal Implications and Compensation
A fundamental component of the sperm donation process is the legal waiver of parental rights, signed by the donor at the outset. When donation occurs through a licensed sperm bank or fertility clinic, the donor legally relinquishes all parental rights and responsibilities for any child conceived using their sample. This protection ensures the donor has no claim to custody, visitation, or decision-making authority.
Compensation is typically a payment per accepted sample, serving as reimbursement for the donor’s time, effort, and travel, not for the biological material itself. Donors can earn between $70 and $150 per approved donation, often reaching up to $1,400 per month for consistent, high-quality donations. Donors also receive the benefit of free, comprehensive medical testing, including genetic screening and periodic physical exams.
Donors may choose between an anonymous donation and an identity-release or “open-ID” model. In the identity-release model, the donor agrees that their identifying information can be shared with the resulting offspring once that child reaches the age of 18. Although the legal waiver of parental rights remains in place, the identity-release option acknowledges the growing desire among donor-conceived individuals to learn about their genetic origins.