There are many reasons couples or individuals choose to use a sperm donor for the surrogacy process. From infertility to same-sex couples, using a sperm donor can be a great resource to help you start your family. You may have questions about the process and how to find a sperm donor. We lay out the typical guidelines for finding a sperm donor and what you can expect from the process to help you get started.

To get more information about how you can find a sperm donor for your surrogacy journey, contact a surrogacy professional today.

Working with Your Fertility Clinic

Many people begin their search by going to a fertility clinic. When couples and individuals are looking to start a family, they may try a fertility clinic to begin the pregnancy process. However, when issues such as infertility get in the way, your clinic can offer you other resources to still help you achieve your goal of becoming a parent. When you are working closely with a fertility specialist they may be able to connect you with a cryobank, which is where donor sperm is held.

Have a Support System in Place

Many times when it is determined that sperm count or motility is low, there can be mixed emotions for the individual. It is often required to work with a counselor if you choose to use a sperm donor. Speaking with a mental health professional can help you to reconcile those feelings. Having open conversations with a partner can help you work through the diagnosis as a couple so you can move forward in your family building.

Learning you will need to use a sperm donor can be a weighted decision. Continuing to speak with a mental health provider through your surrogacy process may also help both partners as they won’t be carrying the child as they had possibly once hoped and expected.

 Where Can I Find a Sperm Donor?

Once you’ve made the decision to use a sperm donor you can begin choosing your donor through a cryobank. A cryobank for sperm donation is a specialized facility that collects, tests, processes, and stores sperm samples donated by individuals who wish to assist others in achieving their family-building goals. These banks meticulously screen and select sperm donors based on various criteria, including health, genetics, and psychological evaluations, to ensure the quality and safety of the donated sperm.

Your fertility clinic should give you a list of quality cryobanks to use and you can sort through the donor profiles online.

Choosing Your Sperm Donor

Many profiles will include photos of the donors as children and information including education, lifestyle, questionnaire answers and more. It’s important to feel comfortable with the sperm bank you’re working with. As you begin to work with one, ask questions including:

• What information do you collect from your donors?
• Will the donor receive information about me?
• Do you keep up-to-date medical history for each of your donors?
• What medical and genetic conditions are donors tested for?
• What are the requirements for men to donate to your bank?

 Once have found a sperm donor that matches your preferences, you will be able to purchase and order the sperm, which will then be mailed to your fertility clinic. It is generally recommended to order three to six vials per cycle. When you work with your surrogacy professional and fertility clinic, they will help you determine what will be needed for an effective surrogacy process.

Sperm Donor Requirements

If you’re looking to use a sperm donor, you probably have questions about what makes someone eligible to donate their sperm. There are typical requirements that are standard across most donation centers. These requirements include:

• Between the ages of 19-38 years old
• Now attending or have graduated from college
• In good health
• Legally allowed to work in the US

Each cryobank may have more requirements for their donors. When you start researching sperm donors, you can ask what their requirements are to get to know more about what’s important to you in a sperm donor.

When you begin your journey through surrogacy, having a reliable surrogacy agency can make all the difference in your experience. From helping you establish a fertility clinic or finding a sperm donor to helping you work through the surrogacy process, you can count on someone to be in your corner helping you along the way. To get started on finding a sperm donor, contact a surrogacy professional today.