When you’re creating your family through surrogacy, choosing a sperm donor may be a necessary step of your journey. As you search for one, there are several different factors that you will want to bear in mind. This guide can provide a helpful starting point.
If you want to get started on your surrogacy planning questionnaire, then contact us online today. While your embryos are being prepared, we can help you fill out this crucial form so that you’re ready to go whenever it’s possible.
How Do You Choose a Sperm Donor?
In terms of how to choose a sperm donor, you’ll want to consider things like genetics, blood type and more. For the most part, decisions like these come down to what you what you want for your future child. That’s why you’ll want to speak with your fertility clinic to ensure that all those preferences are accounted for.
To get you started, though, we’ve listed some of those potential things to consider when choosing a sperm donor.
Does the Donor Have a Genetic Condition?
A child being born with cystic fibrosis (CF) requires both parents to be CF carriers. If you're an intended mother who is planning on using your own eggs and know you're a CF carrier, then you will most likely want to find a sperm donor who you can verify is not a CF carrier. The same thing can be applied to many other underlying genetic conditions.
Do You Want Your Child to Look Similar to You?
Some intended parents want their child to look like them, whereas others don’t mind if their child doesn’t look similar to them. If you want your child to look like you, then you may want to select a sperm donor who physically resembles you. Choosing a known sperm donor like a sibling could be one way to ensure your child looks like you.
Do You Want a Donor of the Same Race?
Choosing a sperm donor of a different race may be another factor of consideration. Similar to the point listed above, having a child who physically resembles you could be important for you. For others, it may not be. Again, this is solely a matter of personal preference.
Does Blood Type Matter When Choosing a Sperm Donor?
In general, choosing a sperm donor with a different blood type won’t cause any issues. But, you will want to be mindful of the Rhesus (Rh) factor. This is an antigen found on blood cells, and if someone has the Rh factor antigen on their blood cells, they are Rh-positive. Alternatively, they are Rh-negative if there is no Rh factor antigen on their blood cells.
If your sperm donor is Rh-positive and donates to an Rh-negative surrogate, then the surrogate’s immune system may attack the fetus. This is because the surrogate mother’s body will consider the fetus’ Rh-negative bloodstream to be a foreign substance that needs to be gotten rid of. As a result, the surrogate mother’s body will create anti-Rh antibodies to cross the placenta and then attack the fetus’ blood cells.
For people who are building their families through surrogacy, you will need an Rh-negative sperm donor if your surrogate mother is also Rh-negative. That means this could be one of the most important things to consider when choosing a sperm donor.
Known vs. Unknown Sperm Donors
If you're choosing between a known vs. unknown sperm donor, then you should know the key differences. Unknown donors are typically anonymous and chosen from a sperm bank. As you may have guessed, known sperm donors are people who you already know personally. That could be someone like a family member or a friend. This simply comes down to a matter of personal preference.
Where to Choose a Sperm Donor
There are two main places where you can find a sperm donor: a sperm bank or a directed donor. At a sperm bank, you can learn about their screening process and read reviews of them online. This option usually takes less time because the sperm is already stored and maintained. When it comes to find a directed donor, you'll use a known donor and can continue to have a relationship with them, if you so choose. Like selecting between a known and unknown donor, this is all a matter of personal preference.
If you have any other questions when it comes to choosing a sperm donor, then please don’t hesitate to fill out our online contact form. We can point you toward clinics that we’ve had positive experiences with and help you come up with some questions that you can ask them when you’re making your selection.