Couples whose infertility is due to a significant sperm abnormality in the male sometimes choose to undergo insemination using sperm from an anonymous sperm donor. In artificial insemination of donor sperm (AID), the donor's sperm is inseminated into the woman's uterus at the time of ovulation, enabling the woman to conceive.
Donor insemination is an option in a number of circumstances, including: low sperm count, no sperm present or repeated failure of sperm to initiate pregnancy. These circumstances stem from a number of causes such as: the absence of sperm production, previous vasectomy, or residual effects from chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Donor insemination may also be used in cases where both the male and female are carriers of a genetic disorder or a female is severely Rh immunized and the male is Rh positive.
Fort Worth Fertility acquires cryopreserved (frozen) sperm only from reputable, licensed sperm banks. Semen is frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196°C, where all sperm activity is essentially halted until it is thawed. After thawing, most sperm return to the pre-freeze motile and functional state.
To insure safety, the sperm donor is tested for HIV and other infectious diseases at the time of sperm donation, and the sperm is then frozen for six months. The donor is retested at this time, and if the donor’s test results for infectious diseases remain negative, the frozen sperm is made available for use. While this does not completely eliminate the possibility of disease transmission, it makes the risk extremely low.
Sperm banks provide profiles outlining the physical characteristics, race, ethnicity, educational background, career history, and general health of each donor. In addition to screening for infectious diseases, donors are also screened for genetic abnormalities and Rh factor. Donors are usually between the ages of 18 and 40, have had a thorough medical history check and often have a history of proven fertility. Our clinical staff will provide you with the latest sperm bank catalogs and can assist you in selecting your donor if you wish. For more information, please refer to our sperm donation page.
The donor sperm specimen is thawed in the laboratory on the day of the insemination, and then is loaded into a small plastic catheter. During an intrauterine insemination (IUI), the prepared sperm are inserted into the uterus via the catheter. An IUI is a simple procedure that takes only a few minutes and is usually painless. After a short time following the procedure, the patient can resume normal activity.
The decision to use donor sperm in order to become a parent can raise complex questions and concerns for people. We may ask you to have a psychological evaluation as part of the AID process, in order to ensure that this is the correct procedure for you to undergo.
817-348-8145
1800 Mistletoe Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76104 USA
Fort Worth Fertility serves the communities of Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Southlake, Lewisville, Mesquite, Grapevine, Abilene, Weatherford, Stephenville, Keller, Denton, Waco, Grandbury, Burleson, Crowley, Cleburne, Mansfield, Benbrook, Mineral Wells, Glen Rose, Hurst, Bedford, Azle, Lake Worth, Colleyville, Euless and Decatur.