Caucasian, 185 cm tall, athletic, blue eyes, dark brown hair, married, has own children, university degree in finance– could he be the future farther to your children?
Yes he could, but only genetically as these are the characteristics in addition to nationality which can be opened about the anonymous sperm donor in Estonia. Many sperm banks around the world have also started to offer donor cells from non-anonymous donors with extended donor profile. The offer includes the option to unveil the real identity of a biological parent in the future for children when they turn 18. Nova Vita also cooperates with other sperm banks where chosen donor sperm can be ordered.
There are different reasons why donor sperm is used. Typically, this is not the first choice and does not come easily for most people. Donor sperm maybe the last option for those couples who have tried to conceive a baby naturally for a long time without success and who have a number of numerous failed IVF attempts with their own cells in the past. If the male´s sperm concentration, motility or morphology has deteriorated, it may reduce the likelihood of having a baby quite substantially. In rare medical condition there is no sperm cells found at all, a condition which is known as azoospermia. There might be also single women in addition to couples who have chosen to have a baby on their own, in which case donor sperm could be an appropriate alternative.
What is sperm bank?
Sperm bank is often called as semen bank or cryobank, which is a facility that collects and stores human sperm donated by sperm donors for use by women to achieve pregnancy. Donated sperm cells are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks and “lent” to those who would like to “invest” in new life. Nova Vita has its own sperm bank which has been operational for more than 15 years. Procedures with donor sperm are organised swiftly and there is no waiting list. Sperm cells are remarkably viable and can easily survive the freezing and thawing process, it’s because reactions that require molecular motion and activation do not occur at -196 °C, which is the temperature of liquid nitrogen. There are reports of live births from frozen human semen stored as much as 40 years.
Is it safe to use donor sperm?
A sperm donor must meet specific requirements regarding age and medical conditions. Potential donors are screened for a range of diseases and disorders. According to the European Tissue and Cells Directive all sperm donors need to be tested against certain virus markers and most common sexually transmitted diseases. Nova Vita sperm bank takes a number of steps to ensure that the integrity, health and quality of the sperm meets the highest possible conditions. In Estonia sperm donor must be between 18-40 years (at Nova Vita usually 19-35 years) and tested against: HIV1/2, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas. In addition all donors should have normal kartyotype (46, XY) and without mutation in CFTR (cystic fibrosis) gene.
When is the right time to have a child?
Biologically speaking it would be a good time for a woman to have children in their twenties but we know all too well that today women prioritize educational, career or other personal goals well before thinking of having a baby. And when it’s time to settle down and have a family, they may realize there is no Mr Right in sight. A girl is born with a finite number of eggs that she will have in her lifetime, and as she progresses through her reproductive years, the number decreases with every passing month. Occasionally, some women may get pregnant even during their forties but what we quite often see in our clinic is that women already before turning 40 come in with a substantially reduced number of poor quality eggs.
Anonymous or open donor sperm?
Donor sperm can be form anonymous or non-anonymous (open) donors. The future children born by using the non-anonymous donor sperm have an opportunity to apply for the contact with their donor when they have turned 18 years old. In case of using anonymous donor sperm the donor can never be contacted by the recipient or by the child. Both anonymous and non-anonymous donors have no paternal rights or legal responsibilities for children born from their donated sperm.
Keywords: donor sperm, sperm donor, anonymous donor sperm, open donor sperm, non-anonymous donor sperm, sperm bank, single women, Nova Vita Clinic, IVF Estonia.