What Donor Info Do You Get from Your Sperm Bank?

Sperm Banks offer a variety of information about the donors you see in their catalogue. From life and medical history and various personality-revealing reports to audio interviews and baby photos, sperm banks try to give you as much knowledge as possible about their donors.

Here is the general information most larger sperm banks offer. Keep in mind that various banks also have their own special features; for example, California Cryobank's Donor-Look-a-Likes feature, where you can see the celebrities your donor might resemble, or Faifax's Donor Silhouettes.

Donor Profile
A quick run-down of a donor's main characteristics, like hair color, eye color, height, weight, degree (if bank lists it), education, blood type, ethnic origin, whether he has ICI, IUI or IVF-ready vials available, ancestry and more.

Long Donor Profiles, Extended Donor Profiles, Medical History Profiles
Sperm banks may differ in how they name these reports, but they are essentially longer donor profiles that often contain all the general information in a donor profile, plus a three-generation medical and genetic history, notes about what they study, their religious affiliations and more.

Audio Interviews With Donors
A number of sperm banks offer audio interviews with donors so you can get a sense of who they are. Most of the time they are fairly simple, allowing you to hear a donor's voice as he responds to specific questions.

Baby or Childhood Photos
A number of sperm banks offer baby photos in lieu of adult photos for their anonymous donors. Because of legal issues, sperm banks aren't allowed to show the adult photos of their anonymous donors, but they may use baby photos. Photos of donors may range in age from  6 months and 6+ years. Since baby photos are offered by the donors, they will range in quality.

Personality Tests
Another donor information product a sperm bank may offer is a personality test. This test may be used  as tools to assist with donor selection or may provide an interesting insight into your own child's temperament some day.

Staff Impressions
These are reports written by employees who have worked directly with donors. They may be free and contain employees' observations and opinions on the donor.

Donor Essays
Donor essays are written by donors. They are usually in a question-answer format, e.g. what is your favorite color, what's your ultimate goal in life, why do you want to be a donor.

Facial Features Reports
These reports provide information about a donor's particular facial features to assist in the donor
selection process, e.g. eye shape, how they're set in the face, skin color, skin tone, face shape and much more.

Donor Matching or Photo Matching Consultations
If an individual wants to find a donor that resembles them, a husband, family member or other person, various sperm banks offer donor photo matching services, where a  consultant matches the client's photo with the donor's photo.

Other Sperm Bank Products:
Various sperm banks may offer other products as well, including Handwriting Analysis (Graphology), donor profile silhouettes, Donor-Look-A-Likes, adult photos and donor selection services.