How to Donate your Sperm

In popular media, sperm donation is often portrayed as way to earn some easy cash for a young man who finds himself stretched by a few hundred dollars. However in actual life, things are not so simple – so before you plan to make a quick trip to the sperm bank, here is a brief guide on how to donate your sperm.

Consider if you qualify

Sperm donation is allowed for young men between eighteen to thirty four years of age who are in top medical condition and a clear medical history. Most sperm banks are looking for donors who are at least average height for a male, have at least a high school diploma, and have never had any kind of sexually transmitted disease. It also helps if you have if your parents have not been suffering from any condition which can be passed down onto you. Ideally you should compile your own medical history and that of your immediate family members in the beginning as all this will be required in the documentation process later. It is best to have this information readily available when needed, since you can be turned down for lack of information.

Sometimes though it is not even enough to have a clean medical history to be accepted as a sperm donor at a reputed facility. Sperm is big business and couples looking to conceive will pay a lot of money for specimens from their ideal donor. Such high standards drive the price of sperm up and the number of qualified donors down. So the priciest sperm banks may even screen you to ensure you have the right height, hair color, education, career and personality traits to satisfy the needs of their clients.

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Where to go

Once you have made up your mind to donate sperm, the first step would be to sperm bank where you can go. Just ensure that it is state-approved so that the sperm bank will have a basic level of infrastructure and a perfectly legal way of doing things. You can ask your regular doctor for this information or search through a phone book or online.

Enquire about the sperm bank’s policies

Each sperm bank has its own requirements and procedures for sperm donors. Make an appointment to meet with the sperm bank and find out the particular establishment’s requirements for donation. With some clinics this information can be given over the phone and with others, it is mandatory for you to go in. Again different sperm banks differ on the amount of information they will provide the donor about resulting pregnancies. An anonymous sperm donor is a man who chooses, for any number of possible reasons, to donate his sperm anonymously to help a woman or a couple become pregnant. An anonymous sperm donor will generally not meet the couple that uses the sperm, nor will he have information about any resultant child's whereabouts. You will need to speak to the sperm bank with which you choose to work about their specific policies and conditions.

Next you may be called to collect a semen sample at their facility. Ideally you should not ejaculate for three days prior to giving a sperm sample to have the best sperm count. This sperm sample will be tested for sperm count, motility, how well they freeze and any deformities. Depending on the facility you may be asked for up to three samples, in order for them to run the various tests. This is to evaluate how well you qualify as a sperm donor so that infertility treatments using donor sperm have the highest chance of success. When giving to collect and prepare a sperm sample, it is important to follow all instructions very carefully. Collection of a sperm sample needs to be done carefully to avoid contamination, as this can cause inaccurate readings on sensitive tests. Around this time, you will also be asked to fill out an intense medical history about you, your parents, siblings and grandparents.

Concurrent to a clinical analysis of your sperm will take place your own medical examination. Since some diseases or latent medical conditions could have a negative effect on quality of sperms in the male body, you will be given a complete and thorough medical examination, by a doctor at the sperm bank. This examination may include urine tests as well as giving of blood.

Understand the terms

The process of sperm donation does not end at the lab. You need to sign a contract giving up all legal obligations or rights to any children conceived by your sperm. It is best you read the contract fully so that you are completely aware of the legal terms of your sperm donation. Apart from giving up any claim to children conceived by your sperm, you will be expected to donate on a schedule for an extended period of time.  Since successful fertilization using donor sperm often takes several attempts, the terms will ensure that you are contracted to the sperm bank for over some time so that couples have enough of your sperm. Yet another purpose of the contract is to help the sperm bank keep you, their prize producer, making them money. Typical contracts range from six months to two years. During that time you'll usually have to donate one to two times per week. Finally you will be obligated to inform the clinic if your medical condition changes in any way. Read the documents closely and understand them fully before signing.

The money part

The average payment per donated specimen ranges between $35 and $50 and can vary depending on the quality of your sperm, the level of your education, your personal achievement, where you work and even your looks. Once the sperm bank assigns a value to your seed, you will however need to complete your contract before you can get paid, according to Sperm Bank Directory¹. That means if you have a six-month contract, you won't receive payment until you've completed six months of regular donations.

Larger implications

There are various reasons why men decide to donate sperm – sometimes to do a bit of good in the world by helping out infertile or lesbian couples or perhaps just to make a little money on the side. Whatever reasons apply to your case, some time down the line the larger implications of your donation may start to sink in – that you have helped to father a child can lead to unexpected and complex feelings. Again it is common for a lot of men to be turned down as sperm donors for one reason or another. This does not mean that there is something wrong with you nor does it indicate that you can't conceive children on your own. Like any other commercial establishment sperm banks look only to sell the best ‘products’ which need not have anything to do with your ability to father kids in a relationship.

References:

1. SpermBankDirectory.com - A National Directory of Sperm Cryobanks