Frequently Asked Questions (Clinics)
- IUI success rates
We scored an average clinical pregnancy rate of 34.6% per couple in a study, the Study of Intrauterine Insemination in 1131 Cycles published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (2001; 80: 342-348). Only cryopreserved donor sperm from our headquarters in Denmark was used throughout the eight-year period. - What is the required sperm count post wash?
We often hear very different requirements from clinics regarding the required amount of sperm especially for IUI inseminations. Extensive research and results from years of successful use of our donor sperm in Scandinavia has shown that 2 million motile spermatozoa per ml. are sufficient. From the above mentioned article: The number of motile spermatozoa used for insemination were not predictive of IUI-D outcome as long as at least 2 million motile spermatozoa were used. This is in agreement with the results published by Pittrof et al. (6). - Handling Procedures?
The straws will start to thaw after five seconds in open air, and therefore it is extremely important that they are transferred into liquid nitrogen as quickly as possible. To preserve quality it is important keep sperm in nitrogen at all time even during control of the specimen. We recommend that a sorting bucket is used even for transfer and control of straws. This will give the necessary time to control the deliveries and avoid accidental thawing. - How to buy step by step ...
See eventually the video how to buy step by step.
Click the › to start the film. Please observe that you may need a Microsoft Silverlight program to runn the video. The program can be downloaded if you accept the installation popup. - As long as you have not finished item 9, the order has not been completed. You can therefore do excersise as much as you want without consequences.
- Please observe that orders not proceede according to item 9 will be deleted 20 minuttes.
You can also just follow these steps:
1. Click the menu or the bottom Donor Search. You can now browse through the donor list. You can search for specific characteristics or qualities. You can sort the donors by clicking the top bar in each column - for instance Race or Hair colour.
2. Donors with Extended Profile: click the icon in order to see the extended profile, staff impression and baby-photos of the donor. In order to open these files (pdf) you need Adope Acrobat Reader.
3. If you wish to se which qualities (IUI/ICI or MOT) we have in stock from a donor - and the prices, you can click the line for the specific donor (mouse over - line turn into grey).
4. Write the wanted quantity of units (straws) on each line in the squares Delivery. The square Reservation can only be used by private. Click the basked. The total sum of the order is shown in the square above in the screen.
5. Check the details in your order. You can cancel any line in case of mistakes and you can go back by using the blue/white arrows.
6. Choose a shipping method. Click the arrow to the right in order to go to next page.
7. Indicate a delivery address if different from the clinic address.
8. Indicate any instructions regarding the order (i.e. wanted shipping date or other details).
9. Click the square "I accept Terms of Agreement" (mandatory in order to continue). Click the buttom [Submit order].
When the order has been sent to us a confirmation of the receipt will be sent by email. Within 2 working days we will send you an order confirmation.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. Either by email, phone, letter or fax.
- Preparation?
If spermatozoa are to be washed in any way, the thawed specimen must be diluted slowly using stepwise addition of culture medium (Ideally a HEPES-buffered medium, to avoid pH shifts that could occur). For donor semen add 5-times volume of sperm buffer slowly drop-wise to begin with, and then in increasingly larger volumes as the sample is progressively diluted, and not exceeding 1/10 of the current volume of the diluted specimen. Optimum yields will be achieved using a Sperm Filter gradient medium or equal product. If spermatozoa are inseminated intra-cervical or into the uterine cavity with IUI-ready straws then a dilution is not necessary. - Which information about the donor is available?
We have two types of donors: Basic and Extende profile.
In both groups are Anonymous and Non-anonymous donors. Donors with Extended profile:
Registered by a fictitious name (Eric, Bob, Bond, Cliff, etc.).
Extended Profiles with comprehensive information about donors background, education, family relations, a hand written message, etc.
Normally there is a Staff impression - i.e. a short, subjective description from our staff.
There are often photos from the donor' childhood.
We do not make any control of the information given in the Extended profiles except those given in Basic profile. These information are published as we receive them from the donor.
Donors with Basic profile:
Registrered with a number (3456, 8756, 11250, etc.).
Only registered by few characteristics (race, ethnicity, eye color, hair colour, heigh, weight, blood type and in most cases education/occupation). No staff impression and no photos. We do not make any control of the education/occupation. Whether to choose a donor with Basic or Extended profile is a very difficult decision.
If many data about the donor is important to you, you should choose a donor with Extended profile. Single women and lesbians who often have an explicit needs to keep information for the children, may have a preference for Extended profile donors. However, before you choose please make sure that the clinic accepts treatment with Extended profile donors. Some clinics only treat with Basic profile donors.
If you want to know as little as possible about the donor, you should choose a Basic profile donor. In many cases heterosexual couples prefer a Basic profile donor in order to protect their own interests as a family. Anonymous donors:
Anonymous donor's identity is kept secret forever. Non-anonymous donors:
Non-anonymous donor's identity can be disclosed to offspring when they reach 18 years of age and if they apply for it. Whether to choose an Anonymous or a Non-anonymous donor is also a difficult decision?
In some countries it is illegal to use non-anonymous donors and in other countries it is illegal to use anonymous donors. The issue has been discussed international for many decades and there is no single solution. Only the parents can choose what they think is best for them. It seems that singles and lesbian couples may prefer Non-anonymous donors and heterosexual couples seems to prefer Anonymous donors. Both for the same reason as they select Basic and Extended profile donors. But it is not always so. Singles may for instance prefer an Anonymous donor because they plan to find a spouse later who can then easier be a father and adopt the child. Heterosexual couples sometimes prefer a Non-anonymous donor because they plan to tell the child about its origin.
If you live in a country where you cannot be treated with the type of donor you prefer, you must find a fertility clinic in another country. Use search engine as Google, Yahoo, etc. or you can try World In Vitro Fertilisaton Unit.
Alternatively you can try to get a Delivery Authorisation - maybe even from authorised persons/clinics outside your country? - How much sperm should I order?
ICI-unwashed:
For vaginal/cervical insemination
We recommend to use 2 x MOT20 straws or higher qualities per treatment.
If ICI-unwashed is sold out IUI-ready can be used for vaginal insimination, even this is wast of quality. Because of the concentration at least 2 x IUI-MOT20 straws or higher quality should be used per insemination.
For Interuterine Insemination
If the sperm is prepared by swim-up method, we recommend to use 2 x MOT20 straws or higher qualities per treatment.
If the sperm is prepared by gradient-centrifugation method all ICI-unwashed qualities can be used because the concentration is a result of concentration/dilution after the preparation. After preparation there should be a minimum of 2 million motile spermatozoa per ml. for IUI.
We recommend to use for instance 8 x MOT5, 4 x MOT10 or 2 x MOT20 straws (or higher) per treatment. The concentration after preparation will in principle be the same.
IUI-ready:
For interuterine insemination.
We recommend to use 1 or 2 x IUI-MOT5 straws or 1 x IUI-MOT10 straw per treatment. IUI-MOT20 or higher quality can be used, but this this is in principle to "take a musket to kill a butterfly".
Intra-uterine treatment may only be performed by authorised persons!
Shipping costs:
In order to reduce the shipping costs we recommend to order sufficient numbers of straws delivered for 2-3 cycle treatments, but on the other hand you can also "risk" to be pregnant before all material is used. The question is what to do with the remaining straws at the clinic if you get pregnant? Cryos do not take straws back for security reasons.
Ask your clinic or contact one of our sales staff with regard to quantity and quality. - What is a Standard?
Cryos Deliver donor semen to many countries and as different countries has different approval procedures for donors and for donor semen Cryos operate with different Standards for release. I.e. that donors can be selected and tested according to one or several of these Standards. Read more about Standard here ... Read more about Screening here here ... - What does MOT mean?
MOT means motility (ability to move or swim) and 20 means 20 million pr. ml. The term states that there are a minimum of 20 million motile spermatozoa pr. ml in the sample after thawing according to the WHO-standard (grade a and b).
We operate with following qualities:
ICI-MOT5, ICI-MOT10, ICI-MOT20, ICI-MOT30, ICI-MOT40 and ICI-MOT50+ (ICI = Intra Cervical Insemination or unwashed semen).
IUI-MOT5, IUI-MOT10 and IUI-MOT20+ (IUI = Intra Uterine Insemination or washed/purified semen). - Do you deliver ICI-unwashed or IUI-ready?
We deliver both ICI-unwashed and IUI-ready. Some call it raw semen or prepared semen or just washed or unwashed. IUI means "Intra Uterine Insemination" or "insemination directly in the uterus cavity". ICI means "insemination in the cervical channel" but the expression is not totally correct, but it has gained acceptance as such. The sperm is just raw or unwashed.
Raw semen (or unwashed) can only be used for vaginal or cervical insemination as it contain prostaglandins and bacteria which may not be inseminated into the uterus. IUI-ready semen has been treated by a so-called gradient centrifugation method where prostaglandins and bacteria have been removed from the plasma. IUI-ready semen can be inseminated directly into the uterus or used for IVF.
Raw semen can also be used for IUI or IVF but not until aftre thawing and following a preparation - either by use of swim-up (not recommended for frozen-thawed samles) or by gradient centrifugation.
We deliver both raw semen and IUI-ready in different qualities from MOT5 to MOT50+ (ICI) and MOT5 to MOT20+ (IUI). - What is a straw?
Semen is delivered in clear 0.4 or 0.5 ml CBS or IMV 0.5 ml straws. Each straw is marked with the donor number or fictitious name and the ejaculate number (for example "7890-12" or "CLIFF-25"). CBS® (CryoBioSystem) High Secutity Straws are specifically manufactured for safe cryo storage of biological products in liquid nitrogen. Applications include storage of serum, plasma, buffy-coat and other blood fractions, cell suspension, bacterial or viral strains, gametes and embryos. Directly after filling, both extremities of the CBS™ High Security straw are thermally sealed with one of our specific machines. This makes the straw absolutely leakproof, preventing contamination of the sample and its environment.
Manufactured from biocompatible materials, they are used in medically assisted procreation techniques and particularly for sperm preservation. The CBS™ straw is a clear, flexible tube made of ionomeric resin.
Length: 133 mm (130 mm after sealing).
Sterilized by irradiation.
The straw is 510 (k) U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared and CE-marked as a medical device for storage of human gametes and embryos.
See also RBM Online - Vol 9. No 2. 2004 134-151. Article 1256. The article has an in depth comparison of vials and CBS straws. 
- How many DI-treatment cycles are expected per pregnancy?
This varies greatly from patient to patient and also depends on the semen preparation technique, the insemination technique, hormone stimulation, timing etc. The average number of cycles is around five to six per pregnancy. Our clients report an average pregnancy rate (PR) of about 15 - 40% per cycle. - What characteristics are important when finding a donor?
The goal is to match, as far as the circumstances permit, the genetic characteristics of the social father. Traits considered might be race, complexion, colour of eyes, colour of hair, height and weight.
People have two genes for eye colour: Blue and brown, and the gene for brown is the dominant gene. Green and grey colours are caused by genetic mixing and belong to the blue group.
Hair colour/type is genetically more complicated. Our hair colour categories are: Blond, brown, dark brown, black and red.
There might be indications for choosing a specific blood type. - What is the expected pregnancy rate (PR) using your your donor semen?
The accumulative pregnancy rate (PR) should be about 10-40% after the first cycle treatment, about 15-60% after the second cycle treatment etc. with a total of about 50-70% after six cycle treatments and about 60-80% after 12 cycle treatments. But the PR differs very much from clinic to clinic and is very much influenced by the selection of patients (especially age) and treatment methods. A Danish University clinic reported an average PR of 22.3% for 1131 cycles (developing from 12.9% in 1990 to 34.6% in 1998). - How many children per donor?
It is Cryos International's policy to follow any national limitation or national quotas*.
Pregnancy quotas are made in order to limit the risk of inbreeding. However, due to strict regulation in many countries low supply of donor semen is a consequence, which lead many patients to cross boarders (see "fertility tourism" under Ethical questions below) in order to receive treatment. In order to track these patients and pregnancies Cryos operate with a wordwide quota system**
You can always check if a donor has reached the national or the worldwide quota under Donor Search when you click on a donor - Donor Details (Check pregnancy quota ?) In order to avoid stockpiling of pregnancy quotas in countries where only Non-anonymous donor may be used ( Australia, Austria, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and UK) a fee of EUR 500.- per pregnancy (= pregnancy credit) will be charged. The fee is only charged where patient’s nationality = clinic country and if the pregnancy is not aborted or a sibling. Pregnancy credits can be re-used on any donor if pregnancy registrations are marked as aborted, a sibling or deleted. *) The "national quota" is the maximum number of pregnancies per donor based on any kind of regulation in the form of laws, circular letters, or collective agreements from organizations in the country in question (if such limitations are known to Cryos). Siblings and abortions are not included.
**) "Cryos' “worldwide quota" is a general limit of 1 pregnancy per 200,000 citizens in the patient's country. Siblings and abortions are not included. This quota only takes into consideration the nationality of the patient not the country in which the patient is treated.
Example:
If a Finnish woman is treated in Finland, her pregnancy will count in the national quota which is 5 pregnancies (abortions and siblings not included) per donor. Her pregnancy will also count in the worldwide quota. If she is treated in the UK her pregnancy will neither have an influence on the Finnish nor the UK national quotas. However, it will influence the worldwide quota (1 pregnancy per 200,000 citizens in the patient’s country) which in this case is 26 pregnancies (Finnish citizens 5,223,442 : 200,000 = 26 pregnancies). - I have straws but I cannot see which MOT-quality it is?
All straws are marked with donor number and ejaculate number and "IUI" if it is IUI-ready, but it is not shown which quality (MOT) the sperm is. If you wish to get details about a specific ejaculate you can clic this link and get information about type, volume, quality (MOT) and date of donation. - How can you know the post-thaw quality of semen?
A sample of each specimen is analyzed after first being frozen and thawed. The findings after thawing will result in the quality. For instance means "IUI-MOT10" more than 10 (up to 19) million highly motile spermatozoa per ml after thawing. - When can I expect delivery?
Orders:
Smaller or easy orders received before 11.00am can be shipped same day.
Smaller or easy orders can - against en express fee - and if received before 2.00pm be shipped same day.
Larger or more complicated orders cannot be shipped same day we receive the order.
Delivery time:
Mumbai: Normally next weekday.
India: Normally 1-5 week days from shipment.
Rest of the world: Normally 1-2 weeks depending on destination. For some distinations custom clearance procedure can prolonge the delivery time even more.
Cryos refrain from all kind of responsibility in case of delay. Delivery will some times take longer than expected and ovulation time can be difficult to predict. Therefore it is recommended to order in good time before planned use. If you have a local nitrogen storage tank we recommend dry-ice shipments, but only for shipments Monday through Thursday. Dry-ice (5 kilos) thaws after about 24 hours. 
In case where you do not have a nitrogen storage tank or shipments Thursday through Friday we strongly recommend shipments in nitrogen tanks as they last longer. Nitrogen tanks thaw after 1 week (small tanks) or 2 weeks (large tanks). . - What documentation will follow the shipment?
Invoice, Packing List, Donor Characteristic & Quarantine Release form (see example, click here ...).
The DC&CR-form shows what Standards the donor and ejaculates is released to. It also indicate if the the donor has reached any pregnancy quotations.
Instructions how to handle the semen is written in the Packing List. - What are the terms of sales and delivery to Clinics?
- What are the shipping costs?
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