How to Use a Known Sperm Donor

Infertility is a growing problem worldwide and particularly in the United States. The International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID) estimates there are around 6 million U.S. couples dealing with infertility. Up to 45 percent of those cases are attributed to male factor infertility, making donor sperm a viable option for couples trying to conceive. Sperm from an anonymous donor can be obtained through a sperm bank, but many prefer to use a known donor. The donor is usually someone they know well. Using known donor sperm can be more complex than obtaining sperm from an unknown donor.

Things You'll Need

• Known donor
• Legal contract
• Attorney specializing in reproductive issues
• Fertility clinic for IUI procedure

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Instructions

• 1

  Consider all the pros and cons of using a known donor. You will get information about his medical and family history to rule out potential problems, but you will also likely see this person on a regular basis. Make sure he can remain emotionally distant enough to act as a sperm donor and not want to have parental rights. Known donor sperm might not be tested as rigorously as anonymous sperm, so there is a slight increase in the risk of having genetic abnormalities, blood type mismatch (Rh factor) and/or STDs.

• 2

  Select your donor from your friends, family or community. Obtain an agreement from him and discuss your expectations, along with his.

• 3

  Use an attorney to draw up a legal contract spelling out the donor's rights, if any, and who retains parental guardianship. The contract should include details about who will pay for the treatments, how they will be obtained, and when they will be used.

• 4

  Obtain the donor's specimen. He usually provides this directly to the fertility clinic, which prepares it for intrauterine insemination (IUI). The recipient will be inseminated. It can take multiple attempts to achieve pregnancy, especially if female factor infertility is involved as well.

• 5

  Check your state laws. Some states require a judge to sever parental rights from the donor on the baby's birth. Same-sex couples typically have to go through this process to have the donor's rights terminated and the unrelated partner recognized as the other parent.