Conceiving with donor sperm has become an increasingly popular option for many people, including couples affected by male fertility problems, single mothers by choice, same-sex female couples, and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Donor sperm may also be suitable for couples who have experienced multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles or recurrent miscarriage.
Central West Fertility Specialists is a part of Genea, a pioneering fertility network with a well-established sperm donor program. In addition to managing their own Genea Sperm Bank, they also have access with several international providers.
More about Genea’s sperm donor program →
All sperm donors go through a rigorous vetting process before being permitted to participate in the program. This includes:
For all sperm donated through Australian programs, the donor must also be aged between 18 and 46 years old, be an Australian citizen or hold a visa with enough time to complete the donation process, and not have reached the limit of how many families his donor sperm has contributed to (in NSW, this limit is five).
Sperm samples provided by the donor are quarantined for several months before being screened again for sexually transmitted infections. Only after this step are they available for fertility treatment.
There are two types of sperm donor:
This decision can be a tough one. If you are conceiving as a couple, we encourage you to discuss your priorities in a sperm donor with your partner, a list of must-haves and a list of nice-to-haves. Your donor criteria may include:
When conceiving with donor sperm through Central West Fertility Specialists, you have access to the full support of Genea’s donor team, including a donor coordinator, counsellors, and genetic counsellors.
Our fertility specialists can help you to conceive with donor sperm in one of two ways: intrauterine insemination (IUI), which is often referred to as donor insemination in this context, or in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Before selecting your sperm donor, if choosing from a sperm donor program, you will undergo mandatory counselling with a Genea counsellor. These sessions are to clarify the legal, social, and psychological considerations that come with being a donor recipient. If your donor is someone known to you, he will also attend these sessions so that all parties are clear on their rights and obligations.
Once you have made your donor selection, you will have a genetic counselling session, which outlines any implications of conceiving in light of your chosen donor’s genetic information.
Before being used for any fertility treatment, the donor sperm is always washed and prepared. This removes excess fluid from the semen sample, as well as debris and any unhealthy sperm. The final result is a concentrated sample of normal, motile sperm.
In donor insemination, this sperm sample is inserted directly into your uterus. We time this procedure with your natural ovulation cycle or use hormone medications to stimulate ovulation.
In IVF, you will go through a process of ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. The eggs we collect will then be combined with your chosen donor sperm in the laboratory and grown for five days before the embryo is transferred to your uterus for pregnancy.
