Sperm banks
What are sperm banks ?
Sperm banks or cryobanks are facilities that collect and stores human sperm from sperm donors, for the purpose of achieving pregnancies through artificial insemination. Sperm donated in this way is known as donor sperm.
Who uses sperm banks ?
By donating sperm, thousands of women every year are able to have their own children by using a sperm bank in circumstances where this would not otherwise be possible. Lesbian couples, single women and women with infertile male partners all benefit from the existence of sperm banks.
Choosing to Donate sperm through sperm banks ?
Considering donating through a sperm bank? Donating through a sperm bank means that the sperm will be frozen and used 6 months later after all health checks, infection testing and genetic tests have been completed. Men donating through sperm banks do not know where their sperm is being used.
Donating directly to women using a service such as Pride Angel means that fresh sperm can be donated which has a higher success rate of pregnancy than sperm banks.
Choosing a sperm donor through sperm banks ?
Women choosing sperm through sperm banks will be able to select donors from a catalogue being able to choose certain basic characteristics about the sperm donor such as height, weight, eye colour but there are not normally sufficient details to tell you about facial structure, personality or mental capacity.
Pride Angel allows members to complete advanced searches on donors, co-parents and recipients, finding out more details about a donor or recipient than would be offered by sperm banks.
Advantages of using sperm banks ?
Choosing a donor through a sperm bank will mean you do not have the concern of the donor having any involvement with the child’s upbringing until they reach 18 years and may wish to contact the donor. You also have the reassurance of knowing that the donor will have no legal right over the child and that all health screening tests are completed.
Within sperm banks donors are tested for diseases and infections such as HIV, HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, syphilis, Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and cystic fibrosis.
Disadvantages of sperm banks ?
The main disadvantage of using a sperm bank to choose a donor is that you are not able to get sufficient information about the donor, for example facial characteristics, personality, sense of humour and mental capacity. Also a consideration for many single women and couples is that they may wish for the donor to have some contact with the child even if they are not in a co-parenting agreement. This often has a beneficial effect on the child’s identity.
For the donor the disadvantage on donating directly to a sperm bank is that you are unable to choose the woman or couple you would like to help and you are not able to keep in touch if you choose to.
Alternatives to sperm banks ?
The options for lesbian couples, single women and infertile couples are increasing, with internet connection websites now allowing people to actually meet donors, co-parents and recipients with the view of having a child through artificial insemination.
Why Pride Angel rather sperm banks ?
Unlike any other connection service Pride Angel is a user friendly site, with advanced search facility, fertility kits, artificial insemination kits and quality information on health screening and legal matters. We also have a new fertility law section specially written by UK’s fertility law experts Gamble & Ghevaert LLP.
Pride Angel recommends that members do use sperm banks for fertility treatment once they have found their parenting match, however some members do choose to use home insemination using an artificial insemination kit, once all necessary health checks have been completed.