Sperm donation is a process used to achieve pregnancy through insemination or IVF treatments with donor sperm from an anonymous donor other than the expectant mother's partner. This method, which has been used for male infertility for many years, has an area of use with wider indications now.

For whom is sperm donation treatment appropriate?

• Couples who are not able to have a baby due to severe male infertility issues such as no sperm in the semen
• Women willing to have a baby without having a male partner
• Couples who have either a hereditary disease or a consanguineous marriage that can cause genetic disorders in the offspring
• Couples with failed in vitro fertilization attempts
• Male partner with risk of transmitting viral infection (such as Hepatitis C, HIV)
• Couples with a previous history of a newborn with hemolytic disease

TRNC and Sperm Donation
Due to the risk of consanguineous marriage, only imported certified sperm are used in sperm donation treatment in the TRNC. Before the procedure, the couples are informed about the treatment process and its cost. Success is never 100%. Maternal age is the most important factor in success.

Sperm Banks
Sperm donors are selected from individuals aged 18-40. Sperm donors must be healthy and free from any hereditary diseases. Before donating sperm, all sperm donors must be screened for medical conditions and other risk factors. In this regard, they need to undergo a series of tests including;

1. Blood type and Rh factor
2. Infection panel; HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, treponemapallidum, chlamydial infections, Neisseria gonorrhea, human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II, and cytomegalovirus. This panel is repeated 180 days after the procedure.
3. Genetic analysis; some sperm banks only perform chromosome analysis on the high-risk group. However, ASRM recommends that all donors should be tested for cystic fibrosis.
4. Psychological evaluation; All donors undergo a psychological evaluation by a mental health professional.

Donors' identities are strictly confidential and cannot be learned. All donors have a responsibility to update their records in case of future health problems.

Sperm Donation Stages

1. Pre-procedure gynecological and general examination of expectant mothers is performed. Subsequently, an infection panel and necessary tests are performed. Often these tests are similar to a standard prenatal panel. If the expectant mother has a uterine anomaly or a pelvic infection, she is not a good candidate for sperm donation treatment.
2. The sperm donor, whose observable physical characteristics such as skin color, eye color, hair color, bodybuilt, and ethnicity are similar to those of the couple, is selected.
3. Considering the expectant mother's age, weight, and ovarian reserve test, appropriate ovary-stimulating drug treatment is started on day 2or 3 of her menstrual cycle as in conventional insemination or in vitro fertilization.The uterus and ovaries of the expectant mother are monitored via ultrasound. When the desired egg number and size are ensured, an injection is administrated to trigger the oocytes to go through the last stage of maturation. About 34 to 36 hours after the injection, the mature eggs are retrieved under short general anesthesia.The mature oocytes retrieved from the expectant mother are either inseminated or fertilized with donor sperm in the embryology lab. The development of the embryos is monitored. The sperm donation process is completed by transferring the embryo(s) with the highest pregnancy potential to the expectant mother's uterus. The unused healthy embryos are frozen and stored with the consent of the patient for future use.