Blog

Blog written by Fairfax Laboratory Director Michelle Ottey, PhD.

The link on our homepage brings you to a page that highlights our newest donors. Have you ever wondered what it takes to get the donor to this point?

When men are interested in becoming a sperm donor they apply at www.beaspermdonor.com. Their initial application is reviewed and if they appear to be a good candidate they are invited to complete our medical application, which includes three generations of medical history.

Our trained staff then reviews the medical application using stringent guidelines. At this step, approximately 50% of the prospective donors who complete the medical application are invited in to screen samples.

When the guys come in to the clinic they begin their relationship with the staff and clinic. This is the first step in our getting to know them personally. The staff takes the time to chat with them as they give them a tour of the clinic and explain the process. The prospective donors are required to produce 3-4 samples that will be used to screen the quality of their sperm sample.

If the samples meet our high standards and survive the freeze thaw process he will sit down with a member of the staff for his medical interview. The medical interview is an in depth, detailed discussion of the program, his medical history, and the significance of the commitment that he is about to make. If all goes well all of the prospective donor’s information is sent to our Donor Review Committee which includes me, the Laboratory Manager and Director, the Director, the Medical Director, and a genetic counselor. If he meets all of our initial standards then we give an initial approval. This means that he will now undergo extensive genetic and infectious disease testing, a physical exam, and will begin the process of providing a lot of personal and family information.

If all of the testing comes back clear then he will be reviewed again and receive final sign off which means he can start leaving samples that will be stored.

That is just the beginning.

The donor then works with the staff weekly to provide sperm samples, each of which is analyzed, processed, and tested to ensure that we are able to provide the highest quality donor sperm to our recipients. The donor is constantly screened and questioned about his health and lifestyle choices. They are required to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a specific number of abstinence hours, and constantly answer deeply personal questions.

All of the samples must be stored in quarantine for a minimum of 180 days, after which the donor undergoes more testing to demonstrate that he is disease free, and then those samples will be reviewed and cleared for sale.