This website has an extensive library of resources about sperm donors and the sperm donation process. Here are the highlights.
STEP 1: Explore Options
There are many types of sperm donors. Your first step will be to explore the options and decide what is right for you:
I tend to recommend finding an open-identity donor, based on the women who wished in hindsight that they had that option for their child to potentially explore after age 18. The openness policies differ greatly among sperm banks, even if they call it the same thing, so this is an important consideration to decide early, before you choose a bank (I tend to work with banks who have strong open-identity policies). This is an excellent article about how to choose a sperm bank wisely.
If you are using a known donor, take him to a clinic for a direct deposit. It might cost more upfront, but can save you a tremendous amount of energy and expense later should he decide he wants to be involved with your child in a bigger way against your wishes (it does happen, regardless of what we think in the beginning).
EBOOK
Our most popular ebook looks at the policies of several sperm banks and how they differ, including the questions to ask yourself before choosing a bank or donor. It also includes articles such as:
- How possible is it for a donor to have 500 offspring (ala movie “The Delivery Man”)?
- Can you share leftover sperm vials?
- Who will ship sperm to your home?
- Should we connect with half-siblings and/or donor?
PODCAST
Finding a sperm bank — a conversation with a Choice Mom, a co-founder of a sperm bank, and director of the only non-profit sperm bank.
Genetic testing of sperm donors — sponsored by GenePeeks
Why it’s important to report your child’s birth after donor conception
A series of podcasts about donor-conceived families:
- Ryan Kramer, on why he and his mom created the Donor Sibling Registry and his own interests as a donor-conceived child.
- A formerly anonymous sperm donor, who contributed for 15 years, about the contact he has had with a few of his offspring.
- What donor-conceived adults want to know, based on research and one woman’s story.
- How to talk about, and take pride in, our donor-conceived families.
SPOTLIGHT
These sperm banks are supporters of the Choice Mom community, whose contributions enable me to take the time to develop these resources.
- Seattle Sperm Bank — largest contributor toward maintaining Choice Chat podcast.
- The Sperm Bank of California — longest-running supporter, even as a non-profit, because it believes in our mutual educational mission; has provided contributions toward many ChoiceMoms.org resources for several years.
- CryoGam — newest member of the Choice Mom support team
- Outreach Health Services: Canada — sponsor of our Eguide: Canada for women looking to build a family through sperm donation.
RELATED ARTICLES ON SPERM DONORS
- Do you want to negotiate with a known donor for home insemination?
- The difference between fresh and frozen sperm in success
- Do you need washed or unwashed sperm?
- Are you interested in genetic testing of an unknown sperm donor? And in a related article, a Choice Mom-in-the-making asks: what can and can’t genetic testing reveal?
- Are you part of the LGTBQ community and want to know your options (and what the research says about how kids in non-traditional families are doing)?
- Profile: Proving to government that my child’s “father” was a donor
- How to properly thaw sperm and test its motility in a clinic
- Understanding sperm count
- Getting a sperm bank refund
- Donor sperm policies in Australia
