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SpermCenter FAQs | Accessing Sperm Donor Lists and Using Website
What is SpermCenter.com?
SpermCenter.com is not a sperm bank. It is a search and information tool that lets you easily find sperm banks and sperm donors from across the United States. We provide information to guide you through the process of finding a sperm donor. Our goal is to provide everything you need to find a sperm bank and donor, all in one convenient place.
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Zygote
The fertilized egg is referred to as a zygote and is composed of a set of chromosomes from each parent. The zygote develops into an embryo.
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.
Sperm Bank
On our web site, we use the term "sperm bank" for any place that provides donor sperm to the public.
Some sperm banks are large companies that sell other biological products; others are smaller fertility clinics that also collect and store sperm.
Most of these banks are registered with the FDA but some only provide storage for their patients or for preservation of fertility for cancer patients.
Photo Matching
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.
Motility
Fertilization of an egg ordinarily requires a living, motile sperm that can swim into the fallopian tube where the sperm binds to the egg and penetrates the outer membranes. The stronger the sperm, the faster it swims.
Motility is an estimate of the percentage of motile sperm and is a measure of fertility potential of the donor’s sperm.
IVF or In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process by which human eggs are fertilized in an embryology laboratory.
IUI or Intrauterine Insemination
Intra-Uterine Insemination is a method of insemination which places washed sperm directly into the uterus by passing a catheter through the cervical canal.
Washing sperm cells is necessary to remove the seminal fluid which contains compounds that cause painful uterine cramping. Proper timing of insemination is important with IUI.
Pregnancy rates are generally higher with IUI than ICI.
Open or ID Release Donors
Open or ID release donors are sperm donors who have agreed to being contacted by their adult offspring. This is usually when the adult offspring reach age 18.
In the USA the term “Identity Release” was first used in 1983 by the Sperm Bank of California. Today a number of other sperm banks have similar programs but may use different terminology such as “Open Donors.”
ICSI or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection or ICSI is the injection of a single sperm into the egg. This may be performed in the laboratory as a part of the IVF procedure.
It requires the use of special micromanipulation tools and microscopes which enable embryologists to select an individual sperm cell which is then carefully injected into cytoplasm of the egg.
These results in normal fertilization in approximately 70-85% of eggs injected with viable sperm.
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