andrology | The science dealing with the structures, functions, and disorders of the male reproductive system. 40% to 60% (depending which studies you believe) of fertility problems are due to sperm-related problems. Andrology labs usually perform various semen analyses to determine health and viability of sperm. |
CMV | Approximately 50% of the general population has been infected with
cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is a flu-like illness. After infection a person
will carry the antibodies for the rest of his life. Such donors are
described as "CMV positive" or "CMV+". Consult with your physician regarding
your own CMV status and whether this is important to you. Usually if the donor
is CMV positive, you should be too. For more information, see http://www.nwcryobank.com/Cmv_info.asp/ |
consanguineous complications |
| Medical complications caused by so-called "inbreeding" within a family or genetic line. In the context of finding a sperm donor, it's important to check that the sperm bank takes steps to limit the number of pregnancies achieved from one sperm donor. The more children are born from a single donor, the greater the chance that they could unwittingly meet and themselves produce offspring, which would have a greater risk of consanguineous complications. Many banks limit the number of pregnancies by geographic region. (consanguineous = sharing the same blood, having a common ancestor.) |
cryo- | A prefix meaning cold or freezing. |
cryobank | A place of storage that uses very low temperatures to preserve semen or transplantable tissues. |
cryopreservation |
| Freezing of cells or tissue at very low temperatures. |
cryoprotectant |
| A chemical component of a freezing solution used in cryopreservation. The purpose of the cryoprotectant is to help protect the semen from freeze damage. |
Cystic Fibrosis |
| The most common of severe genetic disorders in the Caucasian population. Approximately 4% of the population is a recessive carrier of the CF gene (recessive means that both the male and the female must be a carrier to yield a one in four risk of a CF child). As a whole this results in one birth of a cystic fibrosis child in 2,500 births. Many sperm banks screen for CF. Consult your physician for further information. |
directed donor |
| A directed donor is a known or "private" donor, such as your husband, brother-in-law, friend or other man that you know—as opposed to an anonymous donor. Some sperm banks have "directed donor programs" that let you store sperm from someone you know for possible future insemination. (For example, some soldiers store sperm before going to war.) Directed donor programs usually comprise andrology services (to evaluate the health and viability of sperm) as well as cryobanking (storage) services. |
embryo | A fertilized egg. In humans, the fertilized egg is usually called an embryo from the time the egg is fertilized until the eighth week of development. |
ICI | Intra-Cervical Insemination, a method of artificial insemination. It consists in placing the raw or unwashed semen directly into the cervix with the aid of a syringe, cannula, plastic cap or sponge. The cap and sponge keep the specimen from draining through the vagina. The semen specimens should be of good quality and the cervical environment must be "sperm friendly" for this procedure to be effective. |
ICSI | ICSI stands for Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection, which is a fancy way of
saying "inject sperm into the middle of the egg". ICSI is a form of IVF that
involves the use of special micromanipulation tools and microscopes which
enable embryologists to select and pick up individual sperm cells. The sperm
are then carefully injected into the inner part (cytoplasm) of the egg. This
results in normal fertilization in approximately 70-85% of eggs injected with
viable sperm. |
ID release | A sperm donor who agrees to release his identity when the child becomes an adult, usually at age 18 or older. See our page ID Release Donors. |
IUI | Intra-Uterine Insemination, a method of artificial insemination. This method places washed semen directly into the uterus by passing a catheter through the cervical canal. More sperm cells can reach the uterus and consequently more sperm is available for fertilization. Washing the sperm cells is necessary since otherwise prostaglandins in the seminal fluid could cause the uterus to cramp, expelling the sperm and causing pain. Proper timing of insemination is important with IUI. Studies suggest that IUI offers a higher likelihood of pregnancy than ICI. Prewashed sperm usually costs more. |
IVF | In vitro fertilization, a method of artificial insemination. With this method, an egg is removed from a woman, joined with a sperm cell in a test tube (in vitro, from Latin vitrium=glass, as opposed to in vivo=live, from Latin vìvus=a living body). The cells fuse to form a single cell called a zygote. The zygote begins dividing, becoming an embryo. When the zygote/embryo is only a few cells large, it is implanted in the woman's uterus, and, if successful, will develop as a normal embryo. Note: If you plan to use IVF/ICSI, you can purchase either
washed or unwashed semen, because the egg is impregnated in the laboratory,
not the body. The main difference between so-called "IVF" sperm and ICI/IUI
sperm is that IVF sperm is often cheaper because it can have a much lower
sperm count, since the embryologist will use a mircoscope to select individual
sperm cells. |
motility | Refers to how active the sperm cells are—that is, how much they move or "swim." The more the sperm swim, the greater the chance they will reach their goal: the egg. Most sperm banks conduct a sperm analysis to measure motility, and only accept donors whose sperm meets a minimum standard of motility. |
Open ID | A sperm donor who agrees to release his identity before insemination. Some sperm banks use the term "Open ID" when they really mean "ID Release." That's why it's important to always ask. See our page ID Release Donors. |
photo match |
| Some sperm banks will accept a photo of yourself or your partner, and then try to find a donor with similar features/appearance. This service is called "photo matching" and ranges in price from free to a couple of hundred dollars. |
sperm bank | On our web site, we use the term "sperm bank" for any place that sells donor sperm. Some sperm banks are large companies that sell other biological products; others are smaller fertility clinics that also collect and store sperm. All sperm banks provide facilities to collect and store sperm by freezing it. |
straw | A container resembling a straw that's used to package frozen sperm or other tissue. Some sperm banks package sperm in straws. Most use vials. Usually a straw or vial contains enough sperm for a single insemination, but you should always confirm with the sperm bank if you're not sure. |
zygote | A zygote is the product of the fusion of an egg and a sperm. It contains two copies of each chromosome, one from each parent. Egg and sperms cells, on the other hand, each contain only one copy of each chromosome. The zygote develops into an embryo. |
SpermCenter.com
Sperm Banks