QFG’s semen bank was created over 30 years ago and today offers a comprehensive range and supply of donor semen. This provides our patients with a diverse choice of donors as well as access to the largest supply in Queensland. Our donors are very carefully selected and the semen is of the highest quality, fully tested and screened to meet Australian standards. This assures QFG patients of safety and the highest chance of conception.
Every year many people seek assistance from this specialty reproductive service including;
- couples where the male partner is azoopermic (total absence of sperm)
- couples where there is a concern over a known hereditary disease
- single women
- same sex couples
Queensland Fertility Group does not refuse treatment to women due to their marital status or sexual orientation. Single women and same sex couples are treated with respect and are welcome.
The use of donor sperm is an option for achieving a pregnancy in women where, for a variety of reasons, it is impossible to use the semen of a male partner. Donor semen is used in a range of treatments from intrauterine insemination (IUI) to IVF and ICSI.
All parties accessing the use of donated semen are required by our accrediting body to attend a counselling session with a registered infertility Counsellor/Psychologist. That allows them to be acquainted with all of the social and psychological consequences of the use of donated sperm.
Donors are very carefully selected. They are required to be, fit and healthy, and on questioning and examination to have no history of hereditary diseases. They must also be free of any infectious diseases. They must be of very high potential fertility and every specimen of semen is checked before and after freezing to make sure that it reaches an acceptable standard. All donor semen is frozen, stored in liquid nitrogen, and is thawed shortly before use. Donors are screened for chromosomal abnormalities, the more common genetic diseases, the integrity of the DNA in their sperm, and a wide range of infectious diseases.
Recipients and their partners are able to choose donors with a range of different physical characteristics and personal attributes. Where possible physical characteristics are matched to those of the partner when choosing a donor for a couple. You should discuss your needs in this regard with your doctor and QFG’s donor coordinator.
Donor records and your personal files are kept in such a way that confidentiality is preserved. Guidelines for treatment with donated sperm require that any children arising from its use may access identity details of the donor once they reach the age of eighteen years.
Types of Donor Semen Available
Donor Semen Requiring ICSI Treatment
QFG’s local semen donor pool has been expanded by the recruitment of donors whose semen, though normal in every respect, is of insufficient quality for use with intrauterine insemination. To maximise the chances of achieving a pregnancy in any treatment cycle from this semen it has been decided that it will only be used in association with ICSI treatment. In women under the age of 38 years this gives a success chance in every treatment cycle of over 40%.
Donor Semen Used in Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
QFG has imported donor semen from a commercial sperm bank in the USA. This semen comes from the relatively small number of donors whose semen is of sufficient quality that it can be used in intrauterine insemination. It is quite expensive but allows a simpler cheaper treatment. It meets all the requirements of international and Australian accrediting bodies, including details of the identity of the donor for future release to any resulting children. Most women become pregnant within six months. The time taken varies and is related to age. There are significant costs in both buying and importing this semen. Furthermore the cost of the semen from the supplier varies from time to time and it is possible that semen from different donors will have different costs. Please carefully check the current costs if you wish to explore this option.
Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) and IVF
ICSI involves the woman going through most aspects of IVF treatment with the addition of injection of the sperm into the eggs by the ICSI procedure to maximise fertilisation. IVF involves ovarian stimulation with hormonal drugs, monitoring of response with blood tests and ultrasound scans, collection of eggs under anaesthetic in an operating theatres, and transfer of embryos to the uterus several days later. In a majority of cases there will also be excess embryos frozen to allow extra chances of achieving a pregnancy.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
IUI is simple and straightforward. Your doctor will insert a speculum into your vagina and place the thawed sperm directly into the uterus. You may follow your normal lifestyle, including sexual intercourse, after the insemination unless your doctor advises against it for your specific circumstances. Insemination is performed around the time of ovulation in the middle of your cycle. Your doctor may use blood or urine tests to determine the ideal time for insemination or he may choose to use a temperature chart kept by you or the appearance of your cervical mucus.
Pregnancy Following Donor Insemination
Once you have conceived through donor insemination your pregnancy should follow a normal course. It will not affect your chances of a normal pregnancy, a normal delivery and a normal baby. The chances of miscarriage or having a baby with some abnormality are slightly less than for one conceived normally.
Semen Donor Usage Limits
The guidelines under which donor semen is used require that we create no more than ten families from any one donor in Australia. For this reason, donors that were available for use a month or so ago may cease to be available for any future use as they reach their family limit.
Accessing QFG’S Donor Semen
QFG’s Local Semen Donors
QFG’s semen donor coordinator will help you select the most appropriate donor for you. You then have two options. You may simply trust that the donor will be available on the day of your treatment. If however the donor has in the meantime reached his family limit you may be required to settle for a second choice of donor. Alternatively you may pay for the reservation and storage of some of the selected donor semen in your name for your exclusive use. Storage bills for the continued reservation of this semen will be payable each six months.
Imported Donor Semen
QFG’s semen donor coordinator will help you select the most appropriate imported donor semen for you. You will then be required to pay for it BEFORE USE. You may purchase more than one ampoule to cover further attempts should the first be unsuccessful or for use for a subsequent pregnancy. Storage fees will apply after six months. Should you achieve the family you desire and have purchased semen still in storage QFG MAY agree to buy it back if the donor has not reached his family limit. If the donor has reached his family limit QFG will NOT agree to purchase the semen back however on your behalf will offer it for purchase by others who have used it and may wish to increase their family size.
Donor insemination is permitted in Australia provided it is carried out with full consent of the woman and any partner. Children born as a result of the use of donor sperm with the consent of both partners are treated in law as the children of their marriage or partnership. Donors have no legal or financial obligation to, or legal rights over, children arising from the use of their semen.
There is very little chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease from the use of donor semen. All donors are carefully screened and receive blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases including HIV (AIDS) and Hepatitis on a three monthly basis. Since donor semen is stored for a minimum of six months, any donor will have been screened at least twice before his semen is used, thereby exceeding to the best of our knowledge the incubation time of any sexually transmitted disease that he may have had at the time of donating the semen.
If you have any further questions you should discuss them first with your doctor. The Queensland Fertility Group's nurses in the QFG Office are also available to you and you may seek an appointment with the QFG's Infertility Counsellor/Psychologist through the QFG Office. The library in the QFG Office also has a number of books available for borrowing dealing with all aspects of donor semen.
For further information you can submit an enquiry here, or call 1800 734 483
