IVF with sperm donor is recommended in cases of women who do not have a male partner or couples where the man is affected by fertility issues. Sperm donation as well as egg donation is altruistic and anonymous act. A healthy man is required to leave a sperm sample which is previously analyzed to be used by women or couples who are dealing with fertility problems. The samples are stored in a sperm bank until they are used in IVF or Intrauterine Insemination treatments. Despite being an altruistic action, the assisted reproduction clinics provide an economic compensation for the time spent, the discomfort caused and the trip to the clinic.
How to become a sperm donor
To become a sperm donor a series of requirements have to be satisfied: the individual has to be psychologically and physically healthy in addition to an ideal semen quality. Finally, no inherited and congenital disease can appear in his personal family medical history. The age is another important element since it can range between 18 and 35 years old. Several medical tests are performed to establish if the donor has the necessary requirements.
Through all these medical studies, the assisted reproduction experts will ensure that the male is a healthy person with an ideal quality sperm to improve the pregnancy success rates. A semen analysis is carried out to assess the quality, quantity (50 million of sperm per ejaculation) and motility of the sperm. Additionally, the candidate is subjected to a serology study and hormone blood tests to verify his health condition. Finally, he has to pass personal interviews with doctors and psychologists to assess his mental and psychological status.
Once the sample is retrieved, the Intrauterine Insemination or IVF with sperm donor is carried out. The procedure is the same as the conventional Intrauterine Insemination or IVF but with a high quality sperm.
Due to the ideal characteristics of the donors’ sperm, the pregnancy success rates are high.
How to take care of the sperm and maintain its quality?
Sperm quality can be influenced – both positively and negatively – by lifestyle which include stress, bad habits (smoking, drinking too much alcohol), sedentary lifestyle or poor diet are some of the factor that can damage the sperm properties while healthy habits can help to maintain his quality:
- Practicing moderate exercise regularly
- Healthy and Balanced Diet: Foods with adequate amounts of antioxidants (vitamin C and E) have proven to be beneficial while saturated fats, especially trans fatty acids are more harmful.
