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Screening of Sperm Donors

Get an inside look at our rigorous donor selection process

Sperm Donor: Selected According to the Highest Standards

At our sperm bank a potential sperm donor is rigorously screened to meet the highest regulatory standards from the Danish Health Authority, the Danish Patient Safety Authority, and the EU Tissues and Cells Directive. 



Our experienced team of health professionals, specialists, and lab technicians also apply our own rigorous selection criteria, screening for health, sperm quality, physique, and character. Only 3% of donor applicants make it through our screening process - ensuring you have exceptional sperm to choose from.   

 

Read on for a detailed look at some of the tests and evaluations we run.

Preliminary Evaluation of Potential donors

In the initial evaluation to become a sperm donor, we ensure these factors are met:  


  • Donors are aged between 18 - 45
  • Donors complete an application and preliminary interview to assess their personality and talents
  • Criminal record check
  • Sperm quality - count, volume, motility, viability, and normality
  • General health, possible risk factors, and family medical history

Potential donors must also consent to the following to proceed:


  • A comprehensive medical questionnaire and several in-person interviews designed to get to know the donor and exclude applicants with infectious diseases, hereditary illnesses or other risk factors. 
  • Consent to ID-release 
  • Consent that as a donor, they have no parental rights to a donor child or any legal responsibilities for a donor child. 

Infectious Disease Evaluation

As a next step, we request blood and urine samples to screen for the following infectious diseases:  


  • HIV


  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigen


  • Hepatitis B Core Antibody


  • Hepatitis C Viral Antibody


  • CMV IgG/IgM


  • Syphilis


  • Gonorrhoea


  • Chlamydia

Medical and Genetic Evaluation

Our physicians will then review the applicant’s family medical history and also screen for the following: 


  • Blood group and Rhesus status


  • Hemoglobin electrophoresis


  • Genetic screening for carrier status of the most common recessive diseases, including Thalassemia and Sickle-cell anaemia, Chromosome analysis, Cystic fibrosis, and Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)



This evaluation includes a thorough physical examination by a doctor and an assessment by a specialist in clinical genetics. 

Summing Up How We Test Our Donors

We select and screen our donor applicants in accordance with the quality and safety standards stipulated in the EU directives regarding human tissue and cells, and as implemented in the Danish Tissue and Cells Act.

This means that all our donors undergo thorough screening and testing by our team of experienced health professionals and medical specialists.


We always follow the Danish Patient Safety Authority/Health Authority recommendations, the Sperm Bank’s internal standards, and the guidelines/regulations in the countries shipped to such as (but not limited to) the HFEA, SOSFS, BfArM.


Genetic tests (autosomal recessive diseases) including, but not limited to:

  • Cystic fibrosis (CFTR)
  • Non-syndromic hearing loss (GJB2)
  • Beta-hemoglobinopathies (HBB)
  • Alpha-thalassemia (HBA1)
  • Alpha-thalassemia (HBA2)
  • Spinal muscular atrophy (SMN1)
  • Tay-Sachs disease (HEXA)
  • Phenylketonuria (PAH)


Initial tests

  • Blood type (ABO RhD)
  • Karyotype
  • CMV


Tests at Release

  • HIV I + II (NAT + ab)
  • HEP B + C (NAT - ab)
  • Syphilis (ab)
  • Chlamydia (NAT)
  • Gonorrhea (NAT)
  • CMV (ab)
  • HTLV I+II (ab)
Screening
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Ongoing Screening to Ensure Healthy Donors

Even after we accept a donor, all donor specimens are quarantined and the donor retested for HIV, (HTLV-I & II), Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, Hepatitis B Core Antibody, Hepatitis C Viral Antibody, Syphilis, CMV IgG/IgM, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia before the donated sperm is made available for use.

Once an applicant is accepted into our donor program, we reassess their health status on a regular basis. Active donors are physically examined once a year and tested for infectious diseases every 2-3 months. 



Before every donation, donors complete a questionnaire about risk behaviours and risk factors. 

Screening of Sperm donors: What screening Can - And Can’t – Do

As sperm is a biological material, we cannot completely rule out the risk of transmitting a hereditary or infectious disease. However, our extensive screening and testing according to the highest clinical standards greatly reduces this risk.

Human cytomegalovirus

Human cytomegalovirus (HMCV, often known as CMV) is a herpes virus in the same family as the viruses behind cold sores, genital herpes and chickenpox. Like chickenpox, most people are infected with CMV at some point in their lives. CMV remains latent in the body, where it can become reactivated. It is contracted via bodily fluids - such as kissing or intercourse, and it is not possible to vaccinate against it. 


Why do we test our donors for CMV?

CMV infections are usually not dangerous. However, if a woman gets a primary CMV infection - or in rare cases, a reactivation – during a pregnancy, there is the risk of transferring the virus to the foetus. In the majority of cases, this does not affect the baby’s health. However, complications may arise in rare cases. 


CMV-negative women are at higher risk of contracting the infection during pregnancy. While the risk of contracting CMV via donor sperm is considered extremely low - and not confirmed – CMV-negative women may prefer sperm from CMV-negative donors. However, we recommend that you talk to your doctor or fertility specialist to discuss CMV and your own CMV screening before deciding whether to factor this into your donor choice. 


How are donors tested for CMV?

We screen donors for primary CMV infections to significantly minimise the risk of CMV in the sperm.  During a primary infection, the body’s immune cells form antibodies – also known as immunoglobulins (Ig.) Immunoglobulins IgM are formed during a primary infection and disappear after a few weeks, while immunoglobulins IgG remain in the body.  We test donors for the presence of IgM and IgG before the release of every sperm unit. If a donor tests positive for IgM, indicating a primary infection, we discard the sperm unit. 

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