Sperm banks are tricky sponsors for me to trust. Anyone I work with in this largely unregulated industry needs to have policies in place that have integrity -- and it's hard to know how trustworthy a commercial sperm bank is on first, or second, or third glance. When I was at the offices of European Sperm Bank USA in Seattle last summer, I had a chance to ask them about difficulties they've had with FDA regulations, and find out more about how this small company operates.

I'm happy to report that we've now entered into an agreement for their advertising support on ChoiceMoms.org. You can access their website from their ad in the Trying section.

Here's what I can tell you about this sperm bank.

1) It specializes in open-identity donors, which I always encourage Choice Moms to consider using. We tend to have kids naturally aware and curious about their origins, in open communication with Mom, so being able to give them the option to learn more about their donor after the age of 18 is important. Of course, every sperm bank has different ways of tracking its donors over time, so keep track of the up-to-date policy of the bank you want to use.

2) European Sperm Bank USA (ESBUSA) is small, which appeals to some Choice Moms. Currently the bank has just over 100 donors available on its website. They add about 5-10 new donors each month as they come out of the mandatory testing quarantine.

3) All donors are living in Seattle during their enrollment, primarily recruited from the local college campus. They ask for donors who have been approved to be able to come to the laboratory for donations over a one-year commitment.

4) The open-identity status of ESBUSA is now actually a requirement of law in the State of Washington, after legislation passed in 2011 that prohibits anonymous donations.

5) Although ESBUSA is affiliated with its parent organization in Denmark, it is prevented from importing semen from Europe due to FDA rules regarding the importation of tissue (the FDA states that there is a 'theoretical possibility of transmission' of mad cow disease). It can use donors who have lived in Europe, but there are restrictions about how long the donor lived there and in which country.

6) ESBUSA can do business in any country that allows sperm to be imported. Currently its biggest non-United States relationships are with clinics in Canada, Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and Mexico. It has also prepared shipment to clients in other countries, based on demand and regulations.

7) ESBUSA maintains contact with donors after they retire from the program. Every year it requires the donors to complete a Medical/Social Questionnaire and update contact information. After a child turns 18 and makes contact with the bank, it will verify the child’s identity against its records to confirm the biological donor parent of the child. This is why pregnancy/birth reports are necessary, not only to track (and limit) the number of children per donor, but also to insure correct records for future contact. After everything is verified, the bank will contact the donor and arrange a meeting with the child based on the method preferred by both parties (phone, email, in person) and the location of each.

You can learn more from the ESBUSA website here.