Sperm Donor, Sperm Bank and Infertility Blog

Can I See Sperm Donor Photos on SpermCenter?

Unfortunately, you can't see photos of sperm donors on SpermCenter because most sperm banks don't offer photos of donors for free. It wouldn't be fair to show some photos and not others, nor would it be allowed by the majority of the sperm banks available.

This is why SpermCenter's sperm donor profiles link directly to their original profile on the sperm bank's website. It makes it easy to see your donor's original profile once you select them.

What Are Donor Sibling Registries?

Donor sibling registries are websites for individuals that have used an egg or sperm donor who want to  search for donors or siblings.

For sperm donors, there are only a few bank-specific registries and one national donor registry, the "Donor Sibling Registry."

The Donor Sibling Registry is the only national registry in the U.S. Founded by Wendy Kramer and her donor-conceived son Ryan, the registry was created to connect donors and siblings searching for each other.

Artificial Insemination vs Donor Insemination

If you're doing research into assisted reproduction methods, you will run across the terms artificial insemination and donor insemination, and you may be a little confused. We're going to try and help clarify the terms for you:

Artificial Insemination is the most well-known term to describe insemination via non-natural methods and was used most heavily in the 60s, 70s and 80s. In the 90s it was replaced by the term "therapeutic insemination," though in the 2000s it is still widely known as artificial insemination, or AI.

Beware of Donor Matchmaking Websites

There are websites that act as "matchmaking" sites for individuals searching for donors, but it is in your best interest to be very, very wary of these sites. They are completely unregulated and don't have to abide by the regulations the FDA requires of sperm banks.

There are no restrictions on the donors, nor any regulations for disease screening, genetic testing, medical exams, three generation medical histories and all the other criteria sperm banks have for their donors.

Do We Get to Meet the Sperm Donors on SpermCenter?

This is a question we recently received. The answer is no, you can't meet the sperm donors on SpermCenter. We are not a meet-your-donor matchmaking service; we simply collect the donor listings from different sperm banks and publish them in one place for you so you don't have to visit 20 different banks.

Not even sperm banks allow you to meet the donors. The only time a sperm donor can be contacted is by a sperm bank on behalf of the child when the child reaches age 18.

This is done to ensure the privacy of all parties involved.

Sperm Banks in Ohio

We recently received a question about sperm banks in Ohio. While there aren't many choices, the options you do have are good:

San Francisco Sperm Banks

We recently received a question about San Francisco sperm banks. There is only one major sperm bank in San Francisco proper:

Pacific Reproductive Services, San Francisco Office
444 De Haro Street, Suite 222
San Francisco, CA 94107

California Sperm Banks

Lately we have received several queries about California sperm banks. There are several sperm banks in California:

Sperm Banks in Melbourne Australia

We recently received a question about sperm banks in Melbourne, Australia. While some areas of Australia allow clinics to import sperm to the U.S., others are more strict, so your best option is to call a local fertility clinic and ask them how everything works.

That said, Australia also offers sperm donors, but the waiting lists may be very long for potential parents due to recent regulations that 1) don't allow donors in Australia to be compensated and 2) don't allow sperm donors to be anonymous.

Will My Insurance Pay for My Semen Specimens?

Unfortunately, many insurance companies view fertility as an "elective" procedure, and not a "disease" of the reproductive system; thus, they may not offer coverage.

In the past, fertility services were not covered by insurance plans; however, we are slowly seeing a positive swing upward in the coverage of these services by some companies.