Frequently Asked Questions About Donor Insemination

How long does it take most women to get pregnant?
As a general rule, you can expect to inseminate for four to eight cycle attempts before getting pregnant. In fact, fertile heterosexual couples having well-timed intercourse only have a 20-25% chance of getting pregnant in any given cycle. Age, fertility, health, and stress are all factors that will affect conception rates. You can reduce stress by accepting that donor insemination is a process that can take some time.

What are TSBC's success rates?
We calculate our success rate per cycle attempt by comparing the total number of conceptions resulting from each type of insemination to the total number of conception attempts for each type of insemination. Our success rate for vaginal insemination is approximately 8% (equivalent to a 1 in 12 chance of conceiving). Our success rate for IUI (intrauterine insemination) is approximately 16% (equivalent to a 1 in 6 chance of conceiving). These are overall rates and there is considerable variation by age group.

How does age factor into fertility?
As women age, their fertility declines due to decreased quantity and quality of eggs. With age, fertile cervical mucus also tends to decrease and cycles become shorter. Declining fertility is inevitable even for very healthy women, and this natural process begins in our late twenties. However, if you're in your late thirties or early forties, there are many options available to you; we recommend consulting with your doctor about doing a fertility evaluation and doing intrauterine inseminations (IUI).

Shouldn't I use the same donor every cycle?
We strongly encourage you to select several donors that you're interested in, as our inventory fluctuates and it won't always be possible to use the same donor every cycle.

What if I want to use the same donor for siblings?
We make every effort to set aside inventory for clients who wish to have more than one child using the same donor. Please let us know your plans as soon as your first child is born, and we can advise you on purchasing vials and storing them with us. We will prioritize allocating what we call sibling inventory to you and/or your partner. Sibling inventory is set aside from general inventory and is only available to couples who have already had a child using the donor.

How many offspring can one donor have?
Our limit is ten families worldwide for each donor. As clients may use the same donor for siblings, a donor may have more than ten offspring in all. This limit is lower than that of most other sperm banks and lower than that recommended by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

What's the difference between regular and IUI-ready samples?
Regular or raw samples are intended for vaginal home insemination (also referred to as intracervical insemination or ICI). IUI-ready or (washed) samples have been processed before freezing so that they can be used for intrauterine insemination. This is why they cost more than regular samples. IUI must be performed in a sterile setting (usually a doctor's office), as a catheter is run through the cervical opening and the sperm is deposited directly into the uterus. Seminal fluid contains prostaglandins that would cause painful cramping of the uterus, so the seminal fluid is washed out of IUI-ready samples, leaving only sperm. All IUI-ready samples are only .5cc in volume, as this is the maximum volume the uterus can accommodate without cramping and expelling the sperm.

Can I use regular samples for an intrauterine insemination?
It is not safe to use a regular, unwashed sample for IUI. If you have purchased a regular, unwashed sample and are planning to have an IUI, your medical professional will need to refer you to a qualified technician who can thaw and wash the sample for you prior to the insemination. Insemination must be scheduled within an hour or two of thawing - once thawed a sample cannot be refrozen. Since the process of washing does kill motile sperm and we cannot predict the outcome of these thawed washes, our standard guaranteed motile sperm count and percent motility does not apply to these samples.

Can I use washed, IUI-ready samples for vaginal insemination?
It is perfectly safe to use a washed, IUI-ready sample for vaginal insemination. The washing process removes all seminal fluid, including cellular debris and most of the nonmotile sperm, resulting in a clean sample that contains only the most vigorous sperm. Many of our recipients have reported pregnancies from vaginal inseminations with washed, IUI-ready samples.

What do motile sperm count and percent motility mean?
Motile sperm count expresses how many millions of motile (living, moving) sperm there are per cc (cubic centimeter) in every sample we sell. Motility is a percentage that compares the number of living, moving sperm with the total number of sperm (alive and dead) in a sample. Motile sperm count is by far the more relevant piece of information.

What motile sperm count and percent motility do you guarantee?
We guarantee a post-thaw minimum of 20 million motile sperm per cc and 15% motility in every regular, unwashed sample. We guarantee a post-thaw minimum of 20 million motile sperm per cc and 20% motility in every washed, IUI-ready sample. As washed samples are only .5cc in volume, this guarantee translates to 10 million motile sperm per IUI-ready vial. . Note: Our guarantee applies to TSBC program donor sperm samples only. We do not have a minimum guarantee for samples collected from Directed or Known Donors or from men storing for their own future use.

What is a Medical Professional?
A Medical Professional is a certified professional who is able to write prescriptions (for example a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or physician’s assistant). Once an individual Medical Professional is registered, every other licensed member of his or her practice, clinic or hospital is considered registered with TSBC.

Why do I need a Medical Professional?
We are required by state and federal regulations to ensure that you are working with a medical provider and have access to care during your pregnancy. Since TBSC does not provide these services, registering your Medical Professional is the way we comply with these regulations. The Medical Professional can be your midwife, general practitioner, OB/GYN, etc. You can also ask one of our staff for a listing of registered Medical Professionals in your area.

What if I have more questions?
Please call us at (510) 841-1858 between 9:00 and 5:00 Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, and our staff would be happy to answer your questions. You are also welcome to send us an email.