A sperm bank is a specialized facility that collects, rigorously tests, preserves, and distributes human sperm for reproductive purposes. Its primary function is to provide a safe and regulated source of donor conception for individuals and couples facing fertility challenges, including single women and lesbian couples. This system relies on strict health regulations and precise laboratory procedures, allowing recipients to pursue various assisted reproductive technologies with confidence.
Donor Eligibility and Screening
The journey to becoming an approved sperm donor is challenging. Potential donors must first meet basic criteria, including typically being between 18 and 39 years of age, as sperm quality can decline with advancing age. They must undergo a comprehensive review of their personal and family medical history, often tracing back to grandparents, to identify any inheritable or chronic genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia.
This process is heavily regulated by government bodies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, which mandates strict safety protocols. Applicants must submit a semen sample for initial analysis to ensure their sperm meets high standards for count, motility (movement), and morphology (shape), even after a test freezing and thawing process. Failure to meet these specific physical benchmarks results in immediate disqualification.
Following the initial physical and semen analysis, applicants undergo extensive infectious disease testing for pathogens like HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis. Donors must also undergo psychological evaluations to assess their mental health and understanding of the long-term implications of donation. Throughout their active donation period, donors are re-tested for infectious diseases every three to six months to maintain the safety and integrity of the banked specimens.
Specimen Collection and Preparation
Once a donor is fully qualified, the focus shifts to the technical, laboratory-based handling of the donated specimen. The samples are typically collected on-site at the sperm bank via masturbation in a private room to ensure sterility and prevent contamination. Specialized containers must be used, and the donor is instructed not to use lubricants or commercial condoms, which can contain spermicidal agents.
Upon collection, the laboratory specialist, known as an andrologist, performs a thorough assessment of the fresh sample, confirming the sperm count, motility, and overall health. The preparation stage involves adding a specialized chemical mixture called a cryoprotectant, often containing glycerol, which minimizes cellular damage during the freezing process. This agent protects the sperm by preventing the formation of destructive ice crystals within the cells.
The prepared specimen is then portioned into small vials, labeled, and carefully lowered into large storage tanks holding liquid nitrogen. The temperature inside these tanks is maintained at minus 196 degrees Celsius (-321 degrees Fahrenheit), which effectively pauses all biological activity and allows for indefinite storage. Every donated vial enters a mandatory quarantine period of at least six months. The vial is only released for sale after the donor undergoes a final infectious disease screening at the end of this quarantine period.
How Clients Select and Utilize Donors
The selection process for a client begins with accessing the sperm bank’s donor catalog, which functions as an extensive profile library. These profiles often contain information, including the donor’s physical characteristics (such as height, weight, and hair color), educational background, hobbies, and interests. To aid in the selection, many banks provide childhood photos, audio interviews, and personal essays written by the donor.
Clients must decide between using an anonymous donor or an identity-release, or “open,” donor. Identity-release donors agree to allow any resulting child to contact them once the child reaches a certain age, usually 18, while anonymous donors maintain their privacy. Once a donor is chosen and the purchase is made, the sperm vials are prepared for transport in specialized shipping containers called dry shippers.
These dry shippers use nitrogen vapor to maintain the ultra-low temperature, ensuring the vials remain safely frozen during transit to the recipient’s fertility clinic or physician’s office. The two most common methods are Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), where the sperm is placed directly into the uterus, or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), where the sperm is used to fertilize an egg in a laboratory setting before the resulting embryo is transferred.