Designated Donor (Known Donor)

"I want to become pregnant using the sperm of someone I know, but not by having intercourse. I want to use artificial insemination with his sperm with his knowledge and consent."

"I cannot carry a pregnancy in my uterus and must use a gestational carrier. Once my embryos are created by in vitro fertilizations with my eggs and my partner's sperm, they will be transferred into the uterus of the gestational carrier. Hopefully a pregnancy and healthy birth will follow."

A designated, known, or directed semen donor (DD) is a donor of semen used to inseminate a nonsexually intimate partner. This also includes situations using a gestational carrier, where embryos are created by in vitro fertilization using the sperm and eggs of intimate partners but are implanted into a gestational carrier who has no biological link to the embryos.

Experience has demonstrated that the use of a DD can lead to significantly greater medical/legal, social and familial complexities than using anonymous donor semen.

Accordingly, Fairfax Cryobank highly recommends that appropriate legal and psychological assistance be obtained prior to implementation of the DD procedures.

Governmental agencies and professional organizations have guidelines for the screening and testing of semen donors as well as some states which require a 6 month quarantine of semen specimens before they can be cleared for use. Therefore, Fairfax Cryobank requires extensive screening of the DD applicant similar to the screening of anonymous donors. Fairfax Cryobank also requires a 6 month quarantine of semen samples and retesting of the DD prior to release. Directed Donor semen sample quality can be somewhat lower than that expected with an Anonymous Semen Donor, where selection criteria are exceptionally high, and this may result in less than desirable semen samples that may contribute to lower pregnancy rates.

Fairfax Cryobank will use the following multi step process for designated donors.

If a recipient, DD or physician recommends that the process be terminated at any point the recipient is only responsible for fees assessed up to that point in the process.

Upon the request of the DD applicant or recipient of DD semen, a Designated Donor Procedures letter and Designated Donor Registration form are sent to the requesting party.

Complete the Designated Donor Registration Form and return to the Fairfax Cryobank.

Once the Registration Form is received, the DD will be contacted by Fairfax Cryobank and instructed to go to www.givfdonor.com and complete the multi page medical and social history application. The medical and social history form is the same questionnaire that donors complete when applying to become anonymous donors.

Once the medical history form has been completed, the DD must call the cryobank (1-800-338-8407) to advise that the Donor medical and social history form is complete and ready for downloading.

The medical and social history information will be reviewed by a Clinical Geneticist. and a donor eligibility determination made.

The recipient and recipient’s physician will be notified if the DD is determined to be "non eligible" based on the Federal and State eligibility guidelines. The recipient’s physician will determine if he/she will accept samples for use knowing that they will have a label stating that the “donor is considered non-eligible by the cryobank”. If the physician agrees to accept the samples based on the eligibility determination he/she must do so in writing. The DD will be contacted by the cryobank to schedule his appointment for the physical, consultation and infectious disease testing.

The DD will have an initial appointment, including a consultation, semen analysis, infectious disease testing and a physical examination.

The initial appointment is expected to take 2-3 hours. The DD will be required to provide semen (for cryopreservation and cryosurvival testing), blood, and urine samples for testing. The following infectious disease tests will be completed on the blood and/or urine: Anti-HIV-1/2, Anti-HTLV-I/II, Anti-HCV, Anti-HBc, HBsAg, RPR (syphilis), CMV (cytomegalovirus), Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea. Additional testing may be required at an additional cost by the recipient/gestational carrier’s physician or GIVF Cryobank’s Medical Director. The donor’s blood type will also be determined. The donor will be given an envelope and directions to the physician’s office to have his physical. GIVF Cryobanks donor physical examination must be completed by the GIVF Cryobank’s consulting physician. The DD must present a photo ID at the initial appointment and each subsequent appointment when samples of any type are collected for testing or processing. All fees are required to be paid at the time of service. During the consultation, the medical and social history form will be reviewed with the donor applicant and the cryobank will provide information concerning the implications associated with the intended donations. Fairfax Cryobank will establish a positive identification and assign a unique code number to the donor applicant.

The following business day, the semen analysis along with the results of the quality control test freeze/thaw will be discussed with the DD and/or the recipient.

It is recommended that the recipient discuss the results with her physician to obtain a recommendation as to how many additional samples should be banked. The recipient is also responsible for any additional instructions that her physician might have regarding processing or the need for additional samples. All semen samples must be collected on the premises of one of the Fairfax Cryobank laboratories. Additional semen samples for processing must be produced during cryobank normal donation hours (varies by site). It is recommended (but not required) that the DD produce at least 2-4 specimens for processing. Example: Fairfax Cryobank processes all DD samples ICI ready (not washed) so that they can be used for a variety of procedures. Further processing may however be needed following thawing at the physician’s office. This may involve additional fees. However, for an additional fee, IUI ready (washed prior to freezing) samples can be produced. Please note that additional processing prior to freezing does result in loss of sperm cells from the initial sample.

Another assessment of donor eligibility is made following the receipt and review of the physical examination report, infectious disease testing results, and review of the semen analysis.

All recipients and their physicians will be notified in writing of any “Reactive” or “Indeterminate” test result(s) and they (physician and recipient) must “accept” or “reject” the donor before proceeding to the next step. The acceptance must be in writing signed by both the recipient and her infertility specialist. (NOTE: "Reactive" or “Indeterminate” samples are kept in quarantine from other patients and are assessed additional storage fees.) An infectious disease test result of “Detected”, “Reactive” or “Indeterminate” will result in the samples being labeled at the time of release as follows: “WARNING: Advise recipient of communicable disease risks” and “WARNING: Reactive test result(s) for (name of disease agent or disease)”. "Non Reactive" or "Not Detected" test results do not require acceptance before proceeding to the next steps.

DD makes donations of semen samples at Fairfax Cryobank.

It is recommended that all donations be made within a a short time frame of about 2 weeks. The DD should abstain from sexual activity for 48-72 hours before the first sample and between samples.

The cryovials (frozen sperm) will be maintained in quarantine for 6 months following the last donation.

Following the quarantine period, the DD will return to the cryobank for the final testing that will release the samples from quarantine for use. At that time, the DD provides a blood specimens for the final testing.

If an infectious disease test result of “Detected”, “Reactive” or “Indeterminate” is reported, the result of the test will be reported to the recipient and her physician as in steps above and a warning given about the labeling on any specimens released.

The physician will determine if they will accept the samples for use by signing a Release Authorization for Known Reactive tests.

Release of the post quarantine specimens will be made directly to the physician upon request of the recipient or physician. Shipping and handling fees will be billed as per Fairfax Cryobank current fees for anonymous donor semen.

Fees for Designated Donor

If a recipient, DD or physician recommends that the process be terminated at any point the recipient is only responsible for fees assessed up to that point in the process.

Fees effective March 1, 2009

Medical and Social History Evaluation/Donor Eligibility Determination $ 315

Consultation Fee $ 265

Virology, Serology, Microbial Screening Panel $ 1335

Additional Testing as Needed Variable

Jewish Testing Panel $ 2625

Physical Examination $ 160

Laboratory analyses and Cryopreservation per specimen

$ 305 (ICI ready-not washed)

$ 410 (IUI ready-washed)

Final Serology Panel $ 275

Storage Fees effective May 1, 2009

Storage Fee (includes all specimens) $ 40/month

Quarantine Storage Fee (includes all specimens) $ 80/month

Long term quarantine storage fees are double the regular fees listed below.

1 year pre-paid $ 395

2 year pre-paid $ 670

5 year pre-paid $1340

Note: Prices subject to change without notice.

We trust that we have presented a comprehensive view of Fairfax Cryobank Designated Donor Program. If you have further questions or desire to obtain the Designated Donor Registration Form to initiate the procedures, please contact us. We will be most happy to assist you with all aspects of this process.