What does it take to become a sperm donor in Bellevue Washington?

What Does It Take To Be A Sperm Donor In Bellevue Washington?

With a national donor sperm shortage, Bellevue Sperm Bank is always accepting applications and looking for new donors to join the program. Sperm donors have a tremendous impact on the lives of those who depend on donor sperm for treatments to become parents.

If you think you have what it takes to join the program and start helping families, you can apply now online.

If you are unsure about what we are looking for in a donor, we put together a list of qualities and how to apply below.

What Qualities Are We Looking For In A Donor?

We are looking for healthy men between the ages of 18 and 39 years old. Sperm banks are regulated by the FDA, and we have to comply with their regulations. This includes an age range for sperm donors.

Donations need to be usable for treatment, meaning there will need to be a specific range of sperm cells and they need to move or have good motility. Overall health plays a huge role in sperm quality (the combination of sperm counts and motility). Therefore, healthy men typically make great sperm donors. We’re not looking for Olympic athletes, but weekly exercise, drinking plenty of water, and eating vegetables go a long way.

It is also important for us to have a donor program with lots of diversity. Families who are looking for a sperm donor come from all ethnic groups and backgrounds, and they are often looking for donors who match their physical characteristics. We encourage men of all sizes and from all backgrounds to apply to our program to help support all families.

What Are The Requirements For Staying Active In A Donor Program?

We ask that donors commit to weekly donations for at least six months. This will allow families to have multiple attempts to achieve pregnancy. Typically, it can take 3 or more samples before families achieve a successful pregnancy.

We also ask that donors complete their profile information. This is the fun information we share with the potential families. We’ll ask about your favorite hobbies, where you have traveled, your favorite school subject, and more to get to know you better. We will ask for a handwritten message and baby photos to also share with potential families. All the information that you provide to us will be de-identified to protect your identity.

And we will ask that you complete all routine health screenings while donating with us. Another FDA requirement is to test for infectious disease routinely while you are actively donating. Once we get a negative test result, we are then able to release donated samples for treatment use.

Are There Any Benefits To Being In A Sperm Donor Program?

At Bellevue Sperm Bank, donors are compensated for their donations. You can receive up to $100 per donation if it is cleared for treatment use. Additionally, routine STI testing and physicals are another benefit to help you keep track of your own personal health.

You will also receive a genetic carrier screening report. This will tell you what genetic conditions are carried in your genes and what can be passed down to future offspring. The genetic carrier screening that we perform is more advanced than you would find with commercial products, like ancestry and 23&me, providing medical-level results. And like all our medical results, this is HIPAA protected and confidential.

Most importantly, you will be helping families who cannot have children without sperm donation. They may have been diagnosed with infertility due to a condition, injury, or medical treatment such as chemo. LGBTQIA families also rely on sperm donation to become parents when their partnership is missing a sperm source. And individuals looking to become single parents will also rely on sperm donation to meet their family-building goals. In any case, these families are left with few, or no, treatment options without sperm donation.

What Is The Application Process?

The application starts online with a quick questionnaire. You can either schedule your first visit or stop by as a walk-in appointment for your semen analysis. The semen analysis will help us identify if you qualify to join the program.

The next step in the application process is follow-up and lab work. We may ask for a second semen analysis since samples can vary a bit. We will then ask about your medical history and family medical history. And the last step is a physical and collecting blood and urine samples. We will be doing STI testing, genetic carrier screening, and overall health checks; this is not a drug test. All medical information is confidential and will be shared with you.  

Sperm donations provide treatment options to people out there looking to build their family. You can make a difference by joining the program and start donating.

If you have any questions about the process or how to get started, you can reach out to our Donor Coordinator at [email protected] or (206)588-1484.