Donor Screening Process

The sperm donor process has three parts to go through – Screening, lab testing, and genetics testing. This is part of our sperm donor requirements to ensure we are delivering top-quality specimens.

Screening

The sperm donor process starts out with an in-depth screening.  The health and medical history of our donors are of utmost importance. While each donor is different, they all go through the same thorough screening process.*

  1. Each candidate completes a medical history questionnaire (MHQ).
    Detailed questions will be asked about his health status and provide family medical history.
  2. Each candidate provides a semen sample for analysis.
    We assess sperm count, volume, motility, and additional factors to determine the quality of the donation.
  3. Each candidate is appropriately vetted.
    A Donor Coordinator interviews the candidate about his personal and family medical history. During this step, the donor also undergoes a background check and education verification process.
  4. Each candidate undergoes a psychological assessment.
    This process includes a complete behavioral analysis and psychosocial and risk assessments, completed by a clinical social worker and a licensed clinical psychologist.
  5. Each candidate undergoes laboratory testing and a physical exam.
    Following the semen sample evaluation, blood and urine samples are taken during pre-screening and are periodically screened throughout continued sperm donation.

At Xytex, the health and medical history of our donors is of utmost importance. While each donor is different, they all go through the same thorough screening process.

  1. Each candidate completes a medical history questionnaire (MHQ).
    Detailed questions will be asked about his health status and provide family medical history.
  2. Each candidate provides a semen sample for analysis.
    We assess sperm count, volume, motility and additional factors to determine the quality of the donation.
  3. Each candidate is appropriately vetted.
    A Donor Coordinator interviews the candidate about his personal and family medical history. During this step, the donor also undergoes a background check and education verification process.
  4. Each candidate undergoes psychological assessment.
    This process includes a complete behavioral analysis and psychosocial and risk assessments, completed by a clinical social worker and a clinical psychologist.
  5. Each candidate undergoes laboratory testing and a physical exam.
    Following the semen sample evaluation, blood and urine samples are taken during pre-screening and are periodically screened throughout continued sperm donation. Xytex screens all donors for possible Zika virus exposure.

Once a candidate has completed and passed all screenings, he is officially cleared to be a Xytex donor!

During active participation in the program, donors undergo a physical exam and a blood draw every six months.


*All donors entering the program after 2017

A donor’s privacy is very important to us. Donor and client agreements protect and release donors from any obligations or rights to a child that results from participation in our donor program. No identifying information is released to clients or offspring without donor’s prior consent.

Questions developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are also included. Any affirmative answer to a CDC question automatically disqualifies a potential donor. All questionnaires are reviewed and must be accepted by our Medical Director for a candidate to continue through our screening process. FDA-mandated screening and testing also ensures our donors are in continued good health.

Please note that medical history provided by the donor is not validated by reviewing the donor’s or his family’s personal medical records.

Lab Testing

As part of our commitment to provide families with the highest quality sperm, Xytex conducts laboratory testing and physical exams on all of our donors to assess their overall health.

 

We test all donors for Cytomegalovirus (CMV), an extremely common virus that nearly every adult has at one time or another. Although dormant after the initial infection, CMV stays in the body’s system for life. We accept samples from a donor with an IgG positive result, which indicates a non-active CMV infection. An IgM positive result indicates an active CMV infection and the donor is considered unacceptable. If you have any questions or concerns, we suggest you discuss the CMV status of a donor with your doctor prior to purchasing vials. You will note the appropriate icon beside each donor to reflect his CMV IgG status. Whether the icon indicates positive or negative does not qualify or disqualify the donor.

Genetic Testing

Expanded carrier testing is here!

Donors joining the program after February, 2023 have been tested for more than 524 inherited conditions. For more information visit:

Each donor’s profile includes a list of genetic conditions for which he has been tested. If there is a change in status, the donor’s profile is updated with the new information.

Please check individual profiles for a list of screened conditions specific to each donor.

Additional Resources

Help, My Sperm Donor Is A Carrier Of A Genetic Disease
Video by Jamie K. Dokson, ScM, LCGC(Licensed Certified Genetic Counselor)

 

xyGene Donors

Each xyGene donor undergoes expanded carrier testing of over 100 genetic conditions. *

* Donors entering the program after January, 2019 have been screened for more than 280 carrier conditions:  Sema4

Negative genetic testing only reduces the possibility that a donor is a carrier of a particular condition.

Genetic testing changes over time and some donors may have been tested for fewer conditions. Donors who joined our program prior to 2012 may not have been tested for all conditions listed above.

While we do accept donors who are found to be carriers of genetic conditions, to purchase sperm of a donor known to carry a genetic condition, a client must provide proof that she does not carry the condition and has received genetic counseling. If a female is a known carrier of a specific genetic condition, we will provide a copy of the donor’s test reports to the physician and genetic counselor