How do I start treatment using a known sperm donor at Newlife IVF?
If you would like to use known donor sperm, kindly book an appointment for both you and your known sperm donor with one of Newlife IVF’s fertility specialists. Your fertility specialist will ask you and your prospective sperm donor to complete the required blood tests (and ultrasound scans for recipients). Following this, our donor coordinator will then contact you and your donor to register you in our system, while also booking your donor in for a sperm freezing appointment. Once this is completed, the frozen sperm will be quarantined (kept in storage) for three months. Following this period, a repeat blood test is performed on your known donor to confirm that their sperm is suitable for use (cleared of any potential infectious diseases).
While the sperm is in quarantine, we can book the first mandatory individual counselling session for the donor-recipient and the known sperm donor (and their partner, if applicable). After these sessions, a group counselling session is required approximately two weeks later.
Genetic carrier screening can be accessed to determine if you and your known donor are a match, to ensure that the risk of passing on serious conditions can be mitigated. Our genetics team will discuss this option with you, which you can either choose to decline or proceed with. The results of genetic carrier screening can take up to four weeks.
Once all required test results are received and you have discussed the results with your fertility specialist, you will then meet with our nursing and finance teams to discuss commencing your cycle.
It is important that recipients are fully aware of the possible outcomes of accessing donor sperm and therefore our counsellor will discuss a detailed consent form with you.
If you do not know anyone who is willing to donate their sperm, You may access Newlife IVF’s IR sperm donor program.
How do I access IR sperm from Newlife IVF?
If you would like to access IR donor sperm, kindly book an appointment with one of Newlife IVF’s fertility specialists. Your fertility specialist will ask you to complete the required blood tests and ultrasound scans. On the provision that your results are clear, our donor coordinator will contact you to book your first mandatory counselling session. Following this session and payment of a fee, you will be given access to our donor profiles.
Once you select your donor, genetic carrier screening will be completed to assess if you and your donor are a match. This is to ensure that the risk of passing on serious conditions can be mitigated. The results of genetic carrier screening can take up to four weeks.
Once all required test results are received and a treatment plan is finalised with the fertility specialist, you will then be booked in for a second counselling session and nursing appointments.
It is important that recipients are fully aware of the possible outcomes of accessing donor sperm – and therefore our counsellor will go through the consent form with you.
Read more about IR sperm recipient arrangements.
Are there any legal considerations I should be aware of before accessing donor sperm?
Identity release (IR) sperm donors were previously known as ‘anonymous’ sperm donors. It’s important to note that children conceived from IR sperm donors can request the identity of their donor once they turn 18. Fertility clinics keep specific information about the sperm donor, including their name, date of birth and any medical/genetic test results. It’s important to note that IR donors cannot donate to more than 10 women (including their own partners).
One advantage of using an IR sperm donor is that the fertility clinic will ensure that the donor is fully aware of his obligations and rights, including the various legal boundaries, before he donates sperm.
On the other hand, if you obtain donor sperm from a known donor or advertisement, you may wish to seek legal advice to help you navigate the process of setting social boundaries with your donor. Depending on the situation, the level of donor involvement can vary greatly, so it’s important to have an open conversation about expectations from all parties involved (including any partners).
You can find out more about fertility legislation and guidelines by visiting the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA).
What happens once donor sperm is obtained?
Once donor sperm is secured, the sperm is used to fertilise the female’s egg. There are a number of methods for achieving this, including:
We will consider a number of factors, including your fertility test results and preferences, before deciding which particular method to use.
What are the eligibility requirements for sperm donors?
Sperm donors must meet the following eligibility:
- Be aged between 21–46
- Both physically and mentally healthy, with no family history of serious genetic disorders
- Must be motivated by a desire to help others
The above list is not exhaustive. For more information on eligibility, read more on becoming a donor on the VARTA website.
What does sperm donation involve?
At Newlife IVF, we aim to make the process convenient for recipients and donors.
Our donor coordinator and the Newlife IVF team conduct several medical screening and counselling sessions to determine if a known sperm donor is both mentally and physically healthy.
Learn more about known sperm donor arrangements and IR sperm donor arrangements.
Get started
Our donor and surrogacy team are available to assist with any queries or questions you have about donor sperm. Please contact them at [email protected] for further information.
Further reading
We highly recommend browsing the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) for resources, such as podcasts and personal stories.
You may also refer to these articles from our Fertile Thinking blog for more helpful information on sperm donation:
Interested in becoming a sperm donor?
Newlife IVF welcomes new sperm donors from Melbourne and greater Victoria. If you would like to donate sperm, call (03) 8080 8933 or email [email protected], so we can give you all the facts about donating sperm. Our donor coordinator will get in touch with you.
Becoming a sperm donor
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