What is IVF with Sperm Donation?

Male infertility affects 1 in 3 couples who have problems conceiving. If sperm retrieval is not the problem and the cause of male infertility is low sperm count, sperm donation with IVF is a recommended method of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Couples where the male partner is at risk of passing a genetically inherited disease to children may choose sperm donation with artificial insemination or to increase the chance of success, in vitro fertilization.

Couples may choose a known donor or an anonymous donor from a sperm bank. Anonymous sperm donors are screened for infection, disease and record of medical problems. Donor sperm is analyzed to ensure the sperm count is high and for high motility to ensure the chance of successful fertilization. Recipient couples can select a sperm donor to match their physical and intellectual characteristics. Sperm banks keep records of physical attributes of donors, such as hair and eye color, IQ levels, blood group, ethnicity, and personality traits to help match couples with a perfect donor.

IVF with Sperm Donation Procedure

The procedure for in vitro fertilization with sperm donation is identical to traditional IVF. Mature eggs are collected from the woman following a cycle of fertility drugs to induce ovulation. The egg is then fertilized using the donor sperm. ICSI is used in IVF treatments with sperm donation to increase the chance of successful fertilization. The donated sperm is separated from semen, washed, spun and the healthiest sperm are individually selected by fertility specialists. The sperm is injected directly into the center (cytoplasm) of the egg to ensure successful fertilization.

Risks and Side Effects of IVF with Sperm Donation

Risks and side effects include possible displacement of the embryos into the cervix, resulting in a lost embryo, or in the fallopian tubes, resulting in tubal (ectopic) pregnancy; multiple pregnancies. If IVF is successful, a normal pregnancy will be carried out. If IVF with sperm donation results in an unsuccessful pregnancy or no pregnancy, different methods of IVF should be considered, such asEmbryo Donor IVF or IUI Sperm Donor.

Recovery from IVF with Sperm Donation

After the procedure, the patient should return home to rest for the remainder of the day, and should avoid strenuous activities for the next three days.

Length of stay in country: 21-25 days, 14 if treatment commences in home country.

Success Rates of IVF with Sperm Donation

Many factors are to be taken into consideration when calculating the overall success rate of IVF procedures. IVF success rates depend on the age of the woman, the number of embryos transferred and cryopreserved, the recipient’s response to drugs, and the clinic. Success rates are higher for women under 35, but resulting pregnancies from sperm donor insemination is no different than resulting pregnancies achieved through normal intercourse. One thing that can factor in to the success rates of sperm donation with IVF is the type of sperm donation. Frozen sperm results in a lesser chance of pregnancy than freshly donated sperm.

Cost of IVF with Sperm Donation

The Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine indicates the cost of IVF with ICSI in the USA of any reputable program across the country to average between $10,000-$12,000USD including fertility drugs.

Whenever an advertised price is significantly less than this, it typically means something has been left out. There are some programs that claim their ability to perform IVF for half this amount. These programs do not include the total price with the cost of medications, laboratory charges and the cost of monitoring.

The $10,000-$12,000 cost does not include the sperm donor fee, which can cost up to an extra $600, depending on the sperm bank. Compare this with the cost of IVF with sperm donation, at some of the popular medical tourism destinations.

IVF with Sperm Donation FAQs

How are recipient couples screened? The recipient couple will be screened for infectious diseases, such as HIV, Hepatitis B & C and for sexually transmitted diseases such as Gonorrhea, Syphilis, CMV and Chlamydia.

How do fertility clinics match the donor to the male partner? Couples can choose to receive donor sperm from someone they know, such as a friend or family member, or they can receive donor sperm from an anonymous donor, in which case the fertility care center would match the physical characteristics (ethnicity, height, build, skin type, eye color, hair color and texture) of the donor to the husband of the woman receiving the treatment. The fertility care clinics partnered with VisitandCare.com typically seek male university students who already have families and who are willing to donate their sperm free of charge to sperm banks, where their sperm will be frozen and cryopreserved. During the sperm donor selection process, potential sperm donors are screened for infectious diseases, mental disorders, genetic medical conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases that could be transmitted to the newborn.

What fertility drugs are taken? Once the sperm donor and the recipient mother pass all the necessary screenings, the recipient mother will be put on fertility drugs to prepare her eggs for harvesting, during which time her blood hormone levels and endometrium (the lining of the uterus) will be monitored.

How are eggs collected? When the recipient mother’s eggs are ready for harvesting, eggs can be retrieved. Eggs are usually retrieved by the guidance of an ultrasound, which usually takes about 30 minutes. The doctor will insert a thin needle through the vagina into each ovary. The eggs will collected by laparoscopy (a small telescope with a light attached). This procedure involves making a small incision in the stomach and extracting the eggs with a fine needle.

How is sperm collected? If sperm bank donor sperm is being used, then the selected sperm will have been thawed and prepared that same morning. Some clinics may only use freshly donated sperm, in which case the sperm would be donated the same day as the egg retrieval.

What is the fertilization process? Most fertility clinics use ICSI to fertilize eggs and increase the chance of success. In ICSI, sperm is injected into the cytoplasm of the egg. A thin, hollow needle is pierced through the cell membrane, and is loaded with a single sperm. The benefit of using ICSI for in vitro fertilization is only one sperm is needed.

When are embryos transferred into the uterus? Embryo transfer can occur 1-5 days after fertilization occurs, depending on factors that the couple will discuss with the embryologist, such as low sperm count and embryo development. Same day embryo transfer, in which the embryos are transferred 4 hours after fertilization, is suitable and increasingly common, since it allows recipients to undergo the procedure on an outpatient basis. Embryologists recommend that the recipient wait until day five to transfer the embryo, which is known as the blastocyst stage. The blastocyst transfer has also become quite communal as it increases chances of successful implantation and decreases the likelihood of multiple pregnancies.

What is the insemination process? This process is the last stage of the IVF procedure. It is typically painless and does not require anesthesia. Healthy embryos are transferred into the uterus through the cervix with a catheter. Typically 2-4 embryos are transferred into the uterus to increase the chances of pregnancy. If done successfully, the patient can go home and should rest for the remainder of the day. A pregnancy test will be given 12-15 days after the embryo transfer. If the IVF is successful, a normal pregnancy can be carried out.

*Note: It is often the case in IVF with egg donation that more embryos are produced than can be used in one cycle. When this happens, those embryos can be frozen and preserved for future use.