How to Use a Sperm Donor
Sperm donation has become a valid and popular way to start a family for those with fertility issues or for single women. Once shrouded in secrecy, it is fairly simple now to learn about the process and the pros and cons involved. The following gives some idea about the basic route to sperm donation.
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Instructions
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Consult with your ob/gyn about your situation and your desire to have a child via sperm donation. You may also be referred for some counseling on the subject as well.
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Decide on either a friend or family donation, or a sperm donor bank. For friend or family donations, the laws vary by state; often this is considered a surrogacy situation. Otherwise, look on the Internet for sperm banks and research costs, procedures and donors (see Resources below). The procedure is surprisingly simple in most cases. Once you have decided on a bank, you will fill out forms and pay a fee, and the physician and sperm bank will work together on your specified sperm donor's vials being shipped.
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Choose between donors. Often sperm banks will allow you to have more specific information on the donor, beyond general physical characteristics, but may charge an additional fee for this information. Is it important that the child's biological father be both brainy and musical, or are you hoping for an athletic or artistic genetic bent? This is the type of info you will have available to you from specialized reports on donors.
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Schedule your insemination after the sperm bank ships a vial of sperm to your physician. Generally, you will need 2 to 3 vials per cycle.
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Have insemination performed and wait 2 weeks to find out if you have success with a pregnancy.
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Tips & Warnings
Often, you will need to undergo fertility treatment medication to prepare your eggs for harvesting if you are having IVF and not just a simple insemination performed.
Sometimes it takes more than one cycle to get pregnant. Your chances of success will depend on your fertility history, health and age.
Don't limit yourself to local sperm banks only, as shipping allows sperm to be delivered from across the country. Find the bank you are most confident and comfortable with.
