Specimen Information

See Fairfax Cryobank Specimen Quality Warranty

Specimen Types:

Fairfax Cryobank has frozen donor sperm specimens specifically prepared for three types of procedures; direct intrauterine insemination (IUI or prewashed), intracervical insemination (ICI or standard) and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). IUI ready frozen donor sperm has been prepared by washing the fresh ejaculate specimen to remove the seminal plasma contents prior to freezing. ICI and IVF specimens contain seminal plasma and require additional processing if used in procedures other than intracervical insemination. The specimens are resuspended and frozen in an egg yolk citrate (EYC) cryoprotectant buffer. Fairfax Cryobank specimens are color coded to indicate the specimen type. IUI-ready specimens are color coded with an ORANGE cap, ICI specimens are color coded with a RED cap, and IVF doses are color coded with a WHITE cap.

Availability:

The number of donors with IUI, ICI, and IVF specimens and the quantity of doses available on any individual donor will vary from month to month. Typically, 1-2 vials are used per procedure or cycle. However, it is best to consult with your physician as the number you will need may vary. To ensure donor availability, we advise purchasing and storing units for future use. As a courtesy, Fairfax Cryobank does offer waitlists for donors whose doses are currently sold out and have additional doses held in quarantine. Upon the release from quarantine (see: Donor Screening) we contact all individuals on the donor's waitlist first and offer what is available. The best way to ensure donor availability is to purchase and store units for future use.

Geographical Restrictions:

Each geographical region based on population size will have a specified number of pregnancies allowed per individual donor. Our geneticist gathers and reviews pregnancy information provided by doctors' offices, considers each geographical location, and informs our Customer Service Representatives when a donor is restricted for sale due to pregnancies achieved. The determining numbers are not disclosed.

Donor Categories:

Fairfax Cryobank donors are separated into four categories. Family Solutions, Fairfax, Fairfax Doctorate and ID Consent. A definition is provided below for each category. All donors have undergone the exact same intensive screening procedures of Fairfax Cryobank which includes a three generation family history, physical examination, and extensive genetic and infectious disease testing. For more information on guidelines for donor anonymity, please see our Privacy Policy. Please check the fee schedule for IUI, ICI and IVF specimen pricing for each category.

The Fairfax category is the largest category of anonymous sperm donors. Donors in this category will have extensive personal information available; personal profiles, photo matching, donor essays, audio interview CDs and childhood photos in addition to summary and medical profiles.

The Fairfax Doctorate category is comprised of anonymous donors who are in the process of earning, or have completed, a Doctorate degree. These donors include: medical, dental, chiropractic, law (Juris Doctorate), veterinary, optometry, pharmacy, and Ph.D. students and graduates. The products and services available on Doctorate donors are identical to the products and services available from the Fairfax category.

Family Solutions from Fairfax Cryobank was initiated in 1998 to offer anonymous donor sperm from pregnancy proven donors at a discounted rate. Most of the donors in this group were in and out of our donor program before we started gathering extensive personal information. Summary profiles and medical profiles are available on all donors in this group, and a limited number of donors in this category may have additional information available.

ID Consent donors agree to allow Fairfax Cryobank to share identifying information with any offspring, 18 or older, conceived by donor insemination with their semen specimen. Adult offspring will be the ONLY individual(s) with the authority to request identifying information and to have access to the identifying information. Identifying information is defined as the ID Consent Donor’s full name, date of birth, last known telephone numbers and addresses, and other personally identifying information that the ID Consent Donor has agreed to release and that Fairfax Cryobank chooses to release. ID Consent Donors stay in contact with Fairfax Cryobank and update information regularly. Although donors agree to participate in the ID Consent Program, they are not obligated to meet their offspring. To protect patient confidentiality, donors can never access the names of offspring and their parents through Fairfax Cryobank. Patients agree to sign a consent form and have it notarized before any semen samples can be purchased and shipped. Once an offspring conceived by an ID Consent Donor is born, parents must complete required registration information on that child. As with our anonymous donors, ID Consent Donors will have no legal relationship, rights or obligations to any offspring born using their donated semen. Parents and offspring understand that the ID Consent program is not intended to create family relationships between the ID Consent Donor and their offspring. Yet the opportunity to one day contact their donor offers an empowering choice that offspring can now make once they reach adulthood.

Processing, Packaging and Freezing:

All donor sperm specimens are produced onsite at the Fairfax Cryobank facility and tracked with a 3-part tracking label to verify the donor of origin. All specimens are processed using methods to provide protection from contamination of the specimen during processing.

Before freezing, a cryoprotectant buffer containing antibiotics (gentamicin or a combination of penicillin and streptomycin) is added to the specimens to protect the sperm cells and membranes during the freezing, storage, and thawing process. Fairfax Cryobank bioassays each lot of cryoprotectant to determine its suitability before use.

After processing and addition of the cryoprotectant buffer, 0.5 ml aliquots of the specimen are packaged in individual vials for ICI and IUI-ready specimens, IVF specimens are processed with volumes of 0.5-1.0 ml aliquots. All vials are color-coded and labeled with the unique donor number, freeze date, and a code for the facility of origin.

After freezing, the specimen vials are stored at -196 degrees Centrigrade in liquid nitrogen tanks for 6 months quarantine. The donor is subsequently retested for infectious disease before the specimens are released for use. The liquid nitrogen tanks are specifically designed with automatic fill and alarm systems for safety and security of the specimens.

Fairfax Cryobank Specimen Quality Warranty:

Fairfax Cryobank provides a warranty that each specimen will meet our established quality standards. Each shipment contains a report of the actual post-thaw analysis for each specimen, which will be equal to or greater than our standard. Specimens stored outside Fairfax Cryobank longer than 60 days are not eligible. Our specimen quality post-thaw standard for both IUI and ICI specimens is 20 million total motile (active) cells (TMC) per milliliter concentration (10 million TMC/vial). The IVF quality standard is 5 million TMC per vial. The post-thaw motility quality standard for all specimens is 35%. Fairfax Cryobank provides a warranty that each specimen will meet or exceed these stated quality standards. See details of Specimen Warranty.

In the rare event that the post-thaw analysis of a specimen indicates that it is below our quality standards, we recommend that the physician’s office immediately contact Fairfax Cryobank. Our professional and courteous staff is available to work with you and your physician to ensure an equitable resolution.

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