Become a donor

Firstly we would like to thank you for your  interest in becoming a sperm donor. There is nothing as precious as the gift of life and by becoming a sperm donor you will be helping people to create the family they otherwise could not have.

Below is some general information to help you. We hope that you will contact us if there is anything further we can do. We can put you in touch with others who have donated, for example, so you can speak to them about their experience. Same way we encourage you to speak with your friends and acquaintances for this noble cause.

• Why are Sperm Donors needed?

The process of having children is often taken for granted, with most people not thinking about infertility until they are unable to have children. This realization can have far reaching implications for many people. However, one in seven couples seek medical advice at some stage in their lives in order to achieve a pregnancy. In approximately 30-40% of cases, the infertility is due to an abnormality in the man’s sperm, or poor or no sperm production (sterility). One method of achieving a pregnancy for such couples is to use donated semen in a procedure known as Donor Insemination (DI). For this to be possible it is necessary to have a supply of (donated) viable sperm. This is provided by men who agree to become sperm donors.

• Would you make a suitable donor?

To be a sperm donor you should be aged between 21 and 42 years and free of serious medical disability and without a family history of inherited disorder(s). You should be able to commit some time each week over a period of three to six months whilst you are taking part in the programme. Moreover, you should be willing to keep in contact with the centre for up to one year if you are accepted.

• Who cannot be donors?

There are a number of reasons why a man cannot be accepted as a sperm donor. This is to minimise the risks of transmitting infection to those women inseminated with the donated sperm and to minimise the risk of transmitted common genetic diseases or malformations to any children born.

• Reasons for being unable to accept a man as a sperm donor include:

Age: Because there is evidence to suggest that genetic abnormalities are more common with older fathers, men who are 42 or older cannot be accepted as sperm donors. Although the risk is relatively small, the current thinking is that it is too great for those undergoing DI (Donor Insemination) treatment and any children born from donated sperm.

Educational Qualification and Physical Health :  Sperm Banks  normally accept donors who have  completed a minimum 3 years of graduation/professional degree/diploma  or professionals  like police, fire-fighters, social servants, artists etc.  and who are in good physical health. However, at Cryos India all the donors are welcome! Only the best and  fittest would be selected by the system as actual donor based on quality of sample. 

Adoption: People who are adopted can donate only if there is availability of a family medical history. It is necessary to examine their family history for evidence of serious inherited disorders that could be passed on to any children born following DI.

Promiscuity and/or  criminal background: Anyone who is sexually promiscuous (having lose sexual behavior) or active on  criminal scene  is of increased risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection. Although each accepted donor is screened at the beginning and the end of the donation process, Sperm Banks  may not take risk  on someone who may subsequently acquire an infection because of  above.

Drugs: Certain medicines as well as recreational drugs can affect the production of sperm or in some cases damage sperm. Moreover, the use of some recreational drugs can lead to sexual promiscuity and the risks that this carries (outlined above).

Unfavorable Medical Reports : If  results of  analysis and clinical tests of your Semen and Blood are positive  for certain infectious diseases , or  if your pre- freeze/post-thaw  sperm quality is not as per accepted criteria, you would not be enrolled as a sperm donor. 

Heritable conditions: Because some birth defects (e.g. spina bifida, cleft palate, hare lip) and serious diseases (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, schizophrenia, asthma and hemophilia) are genetically linked, it is not possible to accept as a donor any individual where there is a family history of these conditions.

Time: Becoming a sperm donor involves a regular commitment over several months, as well as being able to keep in touch with the centre for about one year; a Sperm Bank  would not normally be able to accept as a donor anyone who cannot make this commitment.

Previous donations: Because the number of children that can be born following the use of a donor’s sperm is regulated by law, a Sperm Bank  would not accept as a donor an individual who has previously donated at another centre.(and had more than 10 babies born)

• What next?

If you still wish to be considered as a sperm donor and you are not specifically excluded by any of the criteria mentioned above, then your next step would be to visit  Cryos India  website and fill an ‘Online Application’.

Cryos India  may  conduct an initial discussion with you over the telephone or  we may invite you in to speak face to face with a member of staff. In either case, the  Sperm Bank staff   will need to assess your suitability as a sperm donor and they will ask questions about the health of you and your wider family.

If there are no obvious reasons to exclude you as a sperm donor then the next stage will be to:

If you are not accepted as a semen donor then you would be given a full explanation as to the reasons for this. The common reasons (apart from mentioned above) for not being able to accept a donor at this stage are:

During the period of time that you are producing the semen samples that are frozen, you would normally be expected to attend the centre once or twice a week to produce a sample for freezing. You would be required to keep specific appointments. However, it is important that the period of time that you are donating is kept to a minimum to reduce the possibility of catching any infections that could ultimately lead to your samples being unusable.

Ordinarily, you should expect to donate regularly for a period of three to four months, although this time may vary according to the quality of your samples and the requirements of the bank. After the donation: Once enough samples have been obtained, then you will need to have further medical tests to make sure that you are still clear of any infections that could be transmitted in your frozen semen. In addition, you will be asked to return to the clinic six months after the date of your last donation and have a blood sample taken. This will be tested for Hepatitis and HIV and, if negative, will allow your samples to be ‘cleared’ and used in DI. If for any reason you are tested positive for HIV or Hepatitis then your samples will be destroyed. However, the Sperm Bank  will make sure you are referred to a doctor who can take care of you at this time and receive appropriate medical advice and treatment.