FAQ - Donor Sperm

CNY Fertility does not currently have donor sperm available for purchase. 

You will see that some sperm is “CMV positive,” which stands for: Cytomegalovirus or CMV. 

CMV is a member of the herpes virus family that includes cold sores, chicken pox, and infectious mononucleosis. It is a common virus that affects 50 to 85% percent of American adults. There is currently no vaccine for CMV. Donor eggs have no risk of passing CMV through an egg; however, there is a slight risk of passing CMV through the sperm.

If you have been tested and found positive for CMV, you may select a sperm donor who is CMV positive. If you do not know your CMV status, you should either get tested or select a sperm donor that is CMV negative.

CMV causes more birth defects and congenital disabilities than many other well-known diseases. It is important to understand the risks and realities of CMV. https://www.seattlespermbank.com/what-is-cmv-and-how-can-it-affect-my-pregnancy/

If planning to undergo IVF, 1 vial will be good for 1 to 2 retrievals. If planning to do IUI, you will need 1 vial per IUI.  Many clients will order multiple vials of their chosen sperm donor to ensure there is enough for future cycles to complete their family, but this is entirely up to you!

For IUI, you need IUI donor sperm.  This can be washed or unwashed. 

• For IVF, we can use IUI, ICI, or IVF (ART) sperm.  This can be washed or unwashed.
• If the sample comes unwashed, we wash (prep) it in the office.  If already washed, that does not need to happen again.
• IUI sperm generally has increased counts which makes it acceptable for IUI or IVF.  IVF (ART) sperm CANNOT be used for IUI as counts are too low. 

Donor sperm needs to be in your CNY treatment location prior to the start of your stimulation cycle.  This also applies to those using donor egg, as the sperm needs to be in-house before we can start your donor in stimulation.  

CNY Fertility will provide you with a list of New York State (NYS) approved sperm banks.  You are welcome to use banks not on our list, but they MUST be NYS approved (regardless of your office of treatment being outside of NYS). Some banks require a release to be able to send sperm to CNY. These forms can be uploaded to your CNY Patient Portal (please message your nursing team once uploaded), emailed to globalresults@cnyfertility.com, or faxed to the office the sperm is being shipped to:

– Syracuse: 315-254-2003

– Albany: 518-724-5757

– Colorado Springs: 719-888-4817

– Buffalo: 716-636-1940

– Sarasota: 941-867-7710

– Norfolk: 757-271-3114

– Boston: 508-213-4468

CNY requires donor sperm specimens to be in our lab (at the location that your retrieval or insemination will take place at) prior to starting your treatment cycle. You will want to ensure the sperm bank you have chosen is approved by New York State.  Once you have chosen a bank and a donor, you will work with the bank to send the appropriate releases over to CNY so that the specimen can be shipped.

It is best to know your CMV (cytomegalovirus) status prior to ordering donor sperm to ensure you are ordering the best “fit” for you.  Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a member of the herpes virus family that includes cold sores, chicken pox, and infectious mononucleosis. It is a common virus that affects 50 to 85% percent of American adults. There is currently no vaccine for CMV. Donor eggs have no risk of passing CMV through an egg, however there is a slight risk of passing CMV through the sperm.  If you have been tested and found positive for CMV you may select a sperm donor who is CMV positive. If you do not know your CMV status you should either get tested or select a sperm donor that is CMV negative.

It is best to have complete genetic carrier screening so that you can ensure the donor you select is not a “carrier in common” with you.  If you and your donor are carriers of the same genetic mutation, you have a 25% chance of having a child affected with this condition.

You will need to order IUI prepared sperm. The sample can be washed or unwashed. 1 vial will complete 1 IUI cycle. Many clients will order multiple vials of their chosen sperm donor to ensure there is enough for future cycles to complete their family, but this is entirely up to you!