Blog

Blog written by Laboratory Staff JM 

These days, those who use donor sperm to conceive have more options than ever. The search tools for donor catalogs are extremely advanced, allowing a woman or couple to narrow down her ideal donor based on many characteristics: his physical attributes, his ancestry or education, whether or not he is Identity (ID), just to name a few.

I think exploring the reason why one donor is chosen over another is a very interesting topic. Did the couple choose that donor because he had black curly hair? Was the donor being ID the most important characteristic to the single woman who chose him? Is the fact that the donor is anonymous the most appealing thing about his profile, or is it his occupation or religious beliefs that make him the ideal donor for a particular woman or couple?

I often wonder what sort of expectations someone has when they choose a donor, beyond the obvious desire to conceive and have a baby. Does she (or they) plan to tell their child he or she was conceived using a sperm donor? Or if we flip the coin to the people who chose anonymous donors, do they plan to never disclose that information to their child (children)? Do they plan to use Fairfax Family Forums or the Donor Sibling Registry to connect with others who used the same donor? Would their ideal situation be to use an “exclusive” type donor who has been limited to maybe a couple of recipients?

These days, most cryobanks have advanced search tools that allow their clients many options to narrow down their donor selection. There are other resources available to families who have children who were donor-conceived, whether it be contacting the cryobank by email/phone/online chat, or social media. Further, donor families can connect via Fairfax Family Forums, the Donor Sibling Registry, and various other groups.