Sperm donation

Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

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Sperm donation enables many unintentionally childless couples to conceive. Either your husband can donate the semen or you can use someone else's semen from the sperm bank. Single and lesbian women often look for sperm donors in private. Read here who helps whom sperm donation helps, how sperm donation works and which requirements an official donor has to meet.

Who can donate seeds?

The individual situation of a couple determines which man is eligible for sperm donation. Theoretically, this can be the partner himself, a man from the private sphere or a donor from a sperm bank.

A great advantage of sperm donation is that the sperm can then be brought closer to their destination by means of artificial insemination, for example into the uterus (intrauterine insemination, IUI) or even directly into the egg cell (in vitro fertilization, IVF). It also minimizes the risk of disease transmission (such as HIV).

Homologous insemination

If the man uses the semen for artificial insemination, reproductive medicine specialists speak of homologous insemination.

Sperm donation from one's own partner makes sense if the man's fertility is limited, for example because his sperm are not mobile enough. Even if the problem of getting pregnant lies with the woman, sperm donation from the partner can sometimes help.

Heterologous sperm donation

If the man has a severe fertility disorder in which there are neither usable sperm in the ejaculate nor in the testicular tissue, or if he has an increased risk of hereditary diseases, couples must use the semen from a foreign donor for artificial insemination. In professional circles this is called heterologous insemination or donogenic insemination. In Germany, the so-called seed banks take care of the storage and distribution of the semen samples.

Private sperm donation?

For a long time, private sperm donation was the only chance for lesbian couples to have a child. Nowadays the legal situation is still not clear and depends on the federal state. However, some sperm banks also provide sperm donation to lesbian couples if they are married and sign an appropriate contract. Single women who want to have children in this country are dependent on private donors and then often carry out a so-called home insemination. This works roughly as follows: The private donor ejaculates into a cup. The ejaculate is then introduced through the vagina and placed in front of the cervix (using a special syringe, for example) during the woman's fertile days.

Sperm donation process

Official donors must deliver the semen sample directly to the reproductive medicine center or to the practice rooms of the sperm bank, as only a maximum of one hour may elapse between ejaculation and processing. The fresh sperm must be quickly processed, examined and frozen (cryopreservation) or, in the case of homologous insemination, immediately available for artificial insemination. Sperm donation can only be done at home in exceptional cases.

Many men feel uncomfortable at the thought of masturbating on demand in the practice rooms. The following information can be helpful and facilitate the procedure:

Privacy: The rooms provided for taking samples offer the necessary privacy and washing facilities.
Aids: Erotic books and films are usually on site, and support from the partner is also allowed.
Abstinence: A good result is more likely if you abstain from sexual intercourse about four days beforehand, but no longer than 10 days.
No lubricant: The substances contained damage the mobility of the sperm.
Cleanliness: Wash your penis and hands with warm water before masturbation to avoid contamination.
Quantities: The quantity is a quality feature. If all of the ejaculate does not end up in the cup, you should not withhold this information from the doctor.

Sperm donation for the sperm bank

Requirements for the sperm donor

Can you imagine helping a couple who involuntarily have no children with your sperm donation? Then you have to meet some requirements for it. The perfect donor can be summed up with the words "young, potent and healthy".

Age of childbearing: between 18 and 40 years
Super semen quality: a good semen analysis is a prerequisite
Best health: no severe allergies, no hereditary diseases, no rheumatism, no heart defects
Healthy lifestyle: no heavy smoker, no alcohol abuse, no drug use

Sperm donation process

We carefully check whether you meet all the requirements. First of all, you need to apply to a sperm bank. In addition to name, date of birth and address, many sperm banks also want a photo and information about school-leaving qualifications, occupation and hobbies. After the application, you will usually receive an invitation for a first sample donation with accompanying examinations:

First semen sample: It is used to check the quality of the sperm.
Second semen sample: It should confirm the first result.
Medical history and physical examination: They also include blood, urine, gene and chromosome analysis to rule out infectious and hereditary diseases (such as HIV, hepatitis, cystic fibrosis).
Legal information and contract with the sperm bank: If you are healthy and have been informed about your remuneration, rights and obligations, a contract will be presented to you for signature.
Regular sperm donation: once or twice a week (up to ten times) it goes to the sperm bank.
Last health check: Six months after the last sperm donation, another examination follows in order to rule out any infections that may have developed in the meantime.

The sperm banks are legally obliged to adhere to this procedure and the corresponding examinations.

Financial Aspects of Sperm Donation

Sperm donation will not make you rich. The desire to help childless couples should be paramount. As a sperm donor, however, you will receive a free health check with HIV and genetic tests as well as an examination of your sperm quality.

There is usually no money for the first sample donation. If you are healthy and your sperm is excellent, you can expect a maximum of 100 euros per sperm donation. The money is usually only available after the last blood test, i.e. six months after the last sperm donation. However, some sperm banks pay a small part immediately after each delivery and the rest if there are no infections after the blood analysis.

Men who do not deliver all agreed sperm donations or who terminate the contract prematurely do not receive the final payment and may have to pay an expense allowance to the sperm bank.

Legal situation with sperm donation

According to the Federal Court of Justice, heterologous insemination has no longer been allowed anonymously since 1989. But what does that mean? Does the sperm donor suddenly stand at the door or can the children born through sperm donation later claim maintenance?

Most of the eventualities following heterologous (donogenic) insemination are regulated by a donor contract. This also provides that the donor remains unknown to the future parents (regardless of whether they are married or unmarried) and, conversely, the parents remain unknown to the donor. In addition, the donor does not receive any information about the names or the number of children conceived with his semen. For couples who became parents with donor sperm, the donor not only remains anonymous, the contract also stipulates that they accept the resulting child as their own. It is also not possible for them to contest paternity (Section 1600 (2) BGB).

The current legal situation according to the Sperm Donor Register Act SaRegG of 01.07.2018 also excludes a child's claim for paternity of the donor. The donor can therefore never be used for maintenance. Despite isolated legal disputes, there has not yet been a case in which a man has been asked to pay for sperm donation.

After the age of 16, the child resulting from heterologous insemination has the opportunity to find its biological father.

Lesbian couples or single women who are considering private sperm donation should seek legal advice beforehand.

Genetic half-siblings

Genetic half-siblings should not accumulate regionally. Therefore, the donor is only allowed to donate his semen to one sperm bank, and the sperm banks are required not to father more than ten children with sperm from a donor. In order to limit the spread further, couples who wish to have more children after successful fertilization with sperm donation should be given the opportunity to "reserve" sperm of the same man for siblings.

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