Countdown to Insemination

We recognize that this process may seem somewhat confusing and overwhelming. To help we have created the following guide that takes you step by step through the ordering process.

1. Your Physician must set up an account

You need to select a Licensed Physician/Practitioner with whom you are comfortable and who is familiar with the donor insemination process. Fairfax Cryobank does require that this health professional, if he/she has not already, establish an account with us before sperm specimens are ordered and shipped. The form their office must fill out is available by contacting Customer Service at 800-338-8407. If you do not already have a Licensed Physician/Practitioner you can contact Customer Service and we may be able to refer you to a physician in your area who specializes in reproductive medicine.

2. A Signed Terms of Use Letter must be returned to us

Please be sure to read and understand our Terms of Use Letter which explains what to expect from our semen donor program and what we expect from you when purchasing our semen and other services. Effective November 1, 2006 for new patients, the Terms of Use Letter must be signed and returned to us prior to shipment of any donor specimens. The form may be returned by fax, mail or a scanned image into an email. You may contact Customer Service for assistance.

3. Read the 'Must Read before you buy' document.

This 'Must Read Before You Buy' document addresses the most frequently asked about topics of donor availability, our specimen warranty and our limits on donor distribution. Refer to it before you make a purchase to avoid common pitfalls.

4. Ask the Following Questions

Does my health care professional require an initial consultation or any diagnostic testing prior to the donor insemination procedure? If so, make plans to schedule these appointments and gather this information.

Which assisted reproductive procedure is the correct one for me? These procedures include artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) that may require intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Fairfax Cryobank provides three sperm preparation types: intrauterine (IUI), intracervical(ICI), and in vitro fertilization(IVF). Your health care provider will advise you on the preparation type and the quantity of vials to purchase.

Where will the procedure be performed? In the healthcare provider's medical office or at your home? Fairfax Cryobank can ship samples to your provider's office or to your home if your physician has established an account with us and completed the Home Delivery Consent Form. Please contact Customer Service to have the form faxed to your physician's office.

When should the specimens arrive at the office? Find out what, if any, long-term storage facilities are available at your health care professional's office. This will be helpful when scheduling delivery of sperm orders. Do not assume that the specimens should only arrive on the date of your scheduled procedure. Your medical professional can help you schedule the delivery appropriately.

5. Schedule Your First Procedure

Once your health care provider has set up an account with Fairfax Cryobank and the previous questions have been answered, your follow up appointments will determine the date of your first procedure. Fairfax Cryobank recommends placing your order a minimum of one to two weeks prior to that date. If you are still unsure of the exact procedure date, you can still select a donor (see below) and take advantage of our Choose Now; Use Later incentives. These include a Vial Buy & Store program and the Vial Buy Back option.

6. Select a donor

Now is the time to complete your search for a donor(s). Due to high demand for certain donors, Fairfax Cryobank recommends having several donors selected (at least three). To view the donors we have added most recently, see meet our newest donors webpage. On our Donor Search availability is indicated as Y (yes), N (none) or C (call for current availability). All donors who are currently listed on the donor search have or will have available specimens for sale. Specimens release every month from quarantine, so if a donor has N availability at the current time, we anticipate he will have units available soon. Another option is to get on a donor's waitlist if there is currently no availability in the specimen type you need. Contact client services to be placed on a donor's waitlist. Detailed FAQs about the waitlist are also available and may answer most of your questions. Read the 'Must Read Before You Buy' document to get advice on common topics of donor availability, specimen warranty and limits on donor distribution.

Or you can select a donor well in advance of your procedure and purchase specimens now and have them stored until you need them. (See Vial Buy & Store) This helps avoid frustrations if your preferred donor sells out. These specimens can be sold back at 50% of the purchase price at a later time if not needed. (See Vial Buy Back)

The Fairfax Cryobank Donor Information Center and our Customer Service are useful tools to assist you in making your important donor selection. The donor search will list the donor ID number, category, preparation availability, race, blood type, ethnic background, height, weight, skin tone, eye color, hair color and type, degree and current occupation. Additional information is available for purchase on some of the donors, which includes: childhood photos, Lifetime photos, silhouettes, personality testing, audio interview CDs, medical profiles, and personal profiles. These products are available for purchase at a discounted price on our website through the donor search feature. Summary profiles, essays, audio clips and staff impressions are available free of charge on the website. Our customer service team can answer any inquiries that you may have, provide donor availability, and also direct you through the selection process. Additional affordable services to assist you in your search, photo matching and the donor selection consultation, may further help you through the donor selection process.

7. Place the Order

Either you or your healthcare provider may place an order. Before placing an order, please check availability online or by calling customer service.You may want to review our FAQs about ordering and shipping as many clients have additional questions. Also, review all available donor information. Fairfax Cryobank recommends placing your first order over the phone. This will allow you to understand the ordering process and prepare for subsequent orders. You may do so by contacting customer service at 800-338-8407. Additionally, Fairfax Cryobank provides online ordering for donor sperm and additional information through the Donor Information Center.

At the time of your order you will need to have the following:

Licensed Physician/Practitioner's name, address, and phone number

Shipping address (if different than provider's address)

Patient name, address, and phone number (required for patient pre-pay, optional for physician orders)

Donor number(s) in order of preference

Number of units and preparation type (IVF, ICI or IUI)

Date the units need to arrive at the provider's office

Type of shipping (FedEx 2 day or Priority Overnight; local courier; local patient pick-up)

Payment information (prepayment or provider's billing information)

Signed and returned Terms of Use Letter

Fairfax Cryobank accepts all major credit cards, money orders, and cashier checks. Personal checks are not accepted. Cash is accepted for local pickups only. Fairfax Cryobank must receive any money order or cashier check before the shipping date. Fairfax Cryobank does not work with or arrange payment with insurance companies, although we can provide you with copies of paid invoices to submit to insurance upon request.

Customer Service takes orders 7am to 6pm Monday - Friday, Eastern Standard Time (ET).

Deliveries are made on business days only. Should there be an exceptional circumstance, Fairfax Cryobank will do all that is possible to accommodate the patient and/or provider. Fairfax Cryobank offers a courtesy hold for units up to 10 business days. All hold orders will be cancelled on the tenth business day if the order has not been completed.

Fairfax Cryobank's standard shipping tanks are guaranteed to maintain frozen samples up to 7 days. Upon request and an additional fee, a 14 day tank can be shipped, which guarantees the samples stay frozen up to 14 days.

For FedEx Orders:

All non-local shipments (outside of the Washington D.C. Metro area) are transported using FedEx and are delivered directly to the health care provider's office or your home address (if the Home Delivery Consent Form has been completed by your physician). Orders must be complete before 3pm ET on the day shipment is required. A rush fee will be accrued for orders placed between 2pm ET and 3pm ET. Orders placed after 3pm ET cannot be shipped the same day.

For local pick-ups:

Orders placed before 12pm ET can be picked up the same day, given a 3 hour preparation time, with no additional fee. A rush fee will be accrued if the order is placed between 12pm and 1pm. Orders placed after 1pm ET cannot be picked up the same day.

For Internet orders:

All Internet donor sperm orders must be placed PRIOR to the day of shipment. Physician accounts must be set up prior to ordering. The Terms of Use letter must for signed and returned for new pateints prior to any shipment of specimens. Confirmations of web orders can be requested at the time of ordering.

8. Once the order is completed

Keep records of the donor, quantity, preparation type, date ordered, order number, and your customer ID number. You will need your order number, donor number and preparation type to complete our online pregnancy report form. Good luck!

Fairfax Cryobank suggests calling your health care provider with the delivery information once you have placed the order.

See a Sperm Bank Comparison, where Fairfax Cryobank is compared to other sperm banks.

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