Information for CD/DD/KD Recipients

Deciding How Many Visits a Donor Should Make: The more visits a donor is able to make, the more samples will be available for insemination attempts, which can increase the chances of conception. After we determine the volume and post-thaw sperm count of the donor’s first ejaculate, we’ll be in a better position to discuss how many visits he might want to make. An average ejaculate yields between 2 and 4 vials of semen (vials are one cubic centimeter—or “cc”—in volume). Most women inseminate with 2 vials per cycle attempt, and a post-thaw sperm count of 20 million motile sperm per cc would be optimal to increase the chances of conception. However, there are many variables that we can discuss with you.


Why TSBC Recommends a Six Month Quarantine of Donor Semen Samples: The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Association of Tissue Banks, and the American Society For Reproductive Medicine all recommend a six-month quarantine of donor semen samples followed by repeat blood testing of the donor. The quarantine period is designed to cover the window period between the time an individual is infected with HIV and the time he or she develops HIV-specific antibodies that are detectable on a blood test. When donors are tested for the presence of HIV antibodies at the beginning of the storage process and then again six months after providing their last sample, recipients can have greater confidence that the samples are free from HIV and other infectious organisms.


The “Known Donor” Option: Waiving the Six Month Quarantine: As a licensed sperm bank, TSBC follows New York State Department of Health regulations for Tissue Banks. According to these regulations, “If the semen to be released originates from a directed donor, the recipient may be given the opportunity to waive the quarantine period in writing after being advised by the [sperm bank] director, his/her designee, or the physician performing the insemination of the risks involved in doing so.” We strongly encourage all recipients to consult with a medical professional regarding the risks involved in waiving the quarantine period. If a recipient waives the quarantine period, her donor will be designated a “known donor,” and the recipient must sign a waiver assuming any and all risks of using semen samples that have not been quarantined.


Release of Samples: A directed donor’s semen samples are releasable only after TSBC receives the results of his six-month blood draw; this blood draw must be done six months (180 days) after the last semen sample is provided. Therefore, we recommend grouping storage visits within the shortest time period possible so we can release all samples at once and the donor and recipient can avoid the expense of repeating the exit blood draw. If storage visits extend over a period longer than three months, the directed donor must repeat all the initial testing for sexually transmissible infections. This is another argument for expediting the storage process.


A known donor’s samples are releasable immediately after the initial screening is complete; this generally takes up to three months. If his storage visits extend over a period longer than three months, the known donor must repeat all the initial testing for sexually transmissible infections. For instance, if a known donor provides all his samples in January and February, all these samples should be releasable in March without repeat testing; if he provides samples in January, March, and April, the April samples cannot be released without repeat testing.


Once samples are releasable, the recipient should call to arrange for their retrieval; there is a release form to fill out and there are fees associated with retrieval and shipping. Recipients can either pick up samples at TSBC’s offices, or make arrangements to have the samples shipped.


Legal Considerations: According to California Family Code §7613, “the donor of semen provided to a licensed physician and surgeon for use in artificial insemination of a woman other than the donor’s wife is treated in law as if he were not the natural father of a child thereby conceived.” TSBC has a licensed medical director, and semen samples provided through our sperm bank fall under this statute. While this law provides complete legal protection to recipients inseminating with anonymous donor sperm, there have been legal cases in which directed donors sued for, and were granted, parental rights to a child conceived through donor insemination. Recipients who use directed donors can minimize the risk of possible legal challenges by going through a licensed sperm bank, but they are not guaranteed complete protection. We recommend that recipients using directed donors consult with a lawyer to create a written donor-recipient contract. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (1-800-528-NCLR) is a useful resource.