The process of sperm donation is not as hard as you think. However, there are many myths about sperm donors and donations that make it hard for donors to donate their sperm. Following are the 5 myths about sperm donations.
- Anybody can donate sperms:
One of the famous myths about sperm donation is that anyone from any corner of the world is eligible for donating the sperms or can donate sperms easily. It is the most mistaken idea people have about sperm donation.
According to a Stanford University website, more of the fertility clinics are located near campuses. Students makes up to from 50% to 90% of sperm donors.
Donating anything is never easy for some people, be it your favorite piece of clothing or your sperms. Not more than 1% of people qualify to donate their sperms. Another misconception is that any person can donate sperm for some bucks.
The article titled “What Does Sperm Donation Involve?” states that even when you are shortlisted for sperm donation, you still have to undergo stringent screening and tests to establish your genes and sperm health.
Many necessary factors for sperm donation processes are essential. Some of them are making sure about the donor’s health, things like if he has any STDs, any other lethal blood-related problem, their family disease history, and their mental state.
The donation centers collect sperm samples, check for all the possibilities and mishaps, and have policies that all people cannot be eligible for, such as a college degree. So NO, not everyone can donate sperms.
- Sperms from a handsome person:
Another misconception about sperm donation is that people want someone good-looking as their sperm donor. Many people might be interested in someone good looking and charming, but this is not the case with many or every recipient. There are some of the qualities like the level of intelligence! Many people want their donors to be intelligent, witty, and smart, maybe with a good College degree, while others want their donors to be kind-hearted and good guys.
According to the donation centers, sperms of any handsome, 6 feet tall with nice hair and physical health sells out faster and preferable as genes are always necessary.
Many people looking for a donor have some criteria regarding their donor, and everyone has different needs. People mostly want the donor to resemble the father, so donation centers collect every variety of samples for people so they can have many options as they want or like.
- Sperm donation is an easy process:
Who told you that? No, it may seem like a quick process where a person can go to the donation center freely and donate his sperms, but it is not an easy one. It is a complex process that has to undergo a series of steps to ensure that the donor will produce the desired sperms.
First, the donor should be old enough to donate his sperms. He should pass through his basic requirements, such as age, height, weight, and education. Then some tests are necessary and essential to make sure that the donor is in his best health. The testing stage is the screening process. Screening usually includes family generation medical history, physical examinations, checkups, STDs testing, sperm testing, Blood tests, and genetic testing to ensure that donor will not pass any chromosomal disorder. When the donor is completely healthy and fit to donate after multiple tests, the sperm is taken.
- Donor for a lifetime after one donation:
One more misconception about sperm donation is that you can come to the center at any time of a year, donate your sperms, and take your money and leave.
When you make up your mind to become a donor, you are committing yourself to some serious work, and your sperm will affect others’ lives. You can’t decide on when to walk out and when to come back to donate.
According to the Fertility Associates website, donating sperm can be very tricky. You have to donate fresh sperm after abstaining not more than four days.
Still your must strive to fill your sperm donation quota within the first six months of enrollment. Besides, you could be called to donate more sperm depending on its usage purpose, and also depending on the quality of each sample.
Once you have managed to clear all the hurdles and barriers and donate successfully, it means you have to come to the donation center at least twice a month, keeping in mind that you would be dealing with lots of needles and physical examinations.
You can’t disappear after one donation and return after one year to expect to donate again for some cash. You have to go through all the screening and testing once more to become eligible for the criteria.
- Finding a donor is easy as a piece of cake:
One cannot find a pack of sperms in the grocery store sadly. Finding a donor for anything is never an easy thing. It requires consent from both of the partners and should be a mutual decision. For some people, choosing a donor can be pretty confusing and emotional. Many people have a list of things they want in their donors like physical appearances matter a lot to many people. People want beautiful and healthy babies, or else they want their children to look like their father. Selecting a perfect donor takes time, effort, and firm decision.
Choosing a donor is also an emotional and frustrating decision for parents as one would be losing the connection with his child. So, parents or couples must think about all the possibilities and outcomes of the whole donation procedure. They should have proper counseling and psychological consultations before making their way to sperm donation centers.
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- Age isn’t a factor
Sperm donation involves the scooping of fertile sperm to fertilize a mature egg. Many categories of people required donated sperm.
Heterosexual couples facing difficulty conceiving due to male factor infertility may seek this intervention. Here, the man may have issues producing virile sperm due to a myriad of factors.
Single women and same-sex couples also look forward to sperm donation to start a family.
All these groups seeking sperm donation look for fertile and agile sperm. Thus they emphasize the age of the donor.
To fulfill this requirement, sperm banks only accept donors aged between 18 and 39. Some even restrict the maximum age to 34 years.
This age is a key factor in enrolling a potential sperm donor. At this age range, all males are usually highly fertile, especially if they maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Enlisted donors produce quality sperm in large quantities. Hence even if the sperm suffer from freezing, a substantial portion still retains healthy DNA characteristics necessary for fertilization.
- One donor can sire hundreds of children
Another myth that surrounds sperm donation revolves around how many children a donor can sire. Many people believe that this number is limitless.
However, the reality is very different, since there is a set maximum number of children one donor can father.
Some fertility clinics arbitrarily fix this number. Still, some States in the US require it as a law.
Professionally also, the America Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) regulates many reputable fertility clinics. The body requires that its member maintain a proper record of IVF procedures made using the sperm under their custody.
According to the American Urology Association website, strict guidelines exist in this process.
The Guideline titled “Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility in Men: AUA/ASRM Guideline (2020),” provides sperm collection frequency and the maximum number of fertilization that sperm from one male can perform.
Other guidelines include the procedure of determining infertility and securing/storing sperm collected.
While the limit is obscure, ASRM stipulates that a single donor shouldn’t fertilize more than 25 eggs to pregnancy. This means that you can use the sperm for more than this number since there exist potential conception failures.
Still, once the successful birth of 25 is attained, the user of that donor sperm in fertilization is stopped. The gist is to prevent inadvertent consanguineous conception.
In conclusion, we have discussed the five myths about sperm donations that every man should debunk. We hope we have helped you debunk those myths, and now you can differentiate between myths and facts regarding sperm donations.
SIMILAR QUESTION
What Are Downsides With Sperm Donation?
Sperm donation is a common practice by which a man donates his semen to a sperm bank or fertility clinic for the purpose of helping infertile couples to conceive a child. While sperm donation can be a highly rewarding experience, there are potential downsides that should be taken into consideration before making such a decision.
The first downside of sperm donation is the legal implications involved. In some countries, donors may be required to sign a contract with the clinic or sperm bank, which can include allowing the couple to have contact with the donor and to be informed of any potential health issues that may arise from the donation. Furthermore, donors may be asked to provide detailed medical information and to undergo psychological examinations in order to ensure that the donor is emotionally and physically fit to donate sperm.
Another downside of sperm donation is the potential for a donor to be identified by the child conceived through the donation. While confidentiality is a major priority for sperm banks and fertility clinics, some donors may be identified through genetic testing or other means. If a donor is identified, the donor may be subject to legal and financial obligations, including child support payments.
A third downside of sperm donation is the potential for emotional distress. While the majority of donors report positive experiences, some may experience feelings of regret or loss when they find out that a child has been born as a result of their donation. Furthermore, donors may feel resentful if they are not given the opportunity to be involved in the child’s life in some way.
Finally, there is also the potential for physical risks associated with sperm donation. Potential donors should be aware of the potential for sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV, and should receive regular testing for these diseases in order to protect their own health and that of the recipients of their donation.
In conclusion, sperm donation can be a highly rewarding experience for both the donor and the recipient. However, potential donors should take into account the potential legal, emotional, and physical risks associated with sperm donation before making a decision.
