See Fairfax Cryobank Specimen Quality Standard

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. 

See details of donor availability based on pregnancy limits and units sold

Donor Categories:

Fairfax Cryobank donors are separated into four categories, each defined below. Please check the fee schedule for differences in prices between the categories. All donors have undergone the exact same intensive screening procedures of Fairfax Cryobank which includes a multi generational family history, physical examination, and extensive genetic and infectious disease testing.

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.

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 at a discounted rate. In 2008 we reevaluated this donor category so as to include more donors. Some of the donors in this group were in and out of the program before we started gathering extensive personal information. Other donors are in this group in order to balance our inventories. Summary and medical profiles are available for all donors in this group, and several of them have additional information available. Donors will rotate into and out of this category as our inventory requirements dictate.

ID OPTIONS  donors agree to allow Fairfax Cryobank to share identifying information with registered offspring, 18 or older, conceived by donor insemination with their semen specimen. Adult offspring who have been registered 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 Options Donor’s full name, date of birth, last known telephone numbers and addresses, and other personally identifying information that the ID Options Donor has agreed to release and that Fairfax Cryobank chooses to release. ID Options Donors stay in contact with Fairfax Cryobank and update information regularly. Although donors agree to participate in the ID Options Program, they are not obligated to meet their offspring. Patients can decide to complete the birth registration at a later time or not at all, while waiting to see what their family situation dictates they should do. To protect patient confidentiality, donors can never access the names of offspring and their parents through Fairfax Cryobank. Regardless of the patient's choice to register their child for the program or not, they must still agree to sign a consent form and have it notarized before any semen samples can be purchased and shipped. As with our anonymous donors, ID Options Donors will have no legal relationship, rights or obligations to any offspring born using their donated semen. Parents and offspring understand that the ID Options program is not intended to create family relationships between the ID Options Donor and their offspring. Yet the opportunity to one day contact their donor offers an empowering choice that families and offspring can now make once they reach adulthood.

For more information about our privacy policy that reviews our guidelines on donor anonymity, see Privacy Policy. Please check the fee schedule for IUI, ICI and IVF specimen pricing for each category

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 Standard:

Fairfax Cryobank provides 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.  Fairfax Cryobank provides that each specimen will meet or exceed these stated quality standards.  See details of Specimen Standard.

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. Physicians offices have 10 days from the time of the thaw to contact us about a quality complaint so a full or partial refund can be processed.