Donor sperm can make pregnancy possible for many patients

Erika Munch MD often meets with women and men who need infertility treatments and donor services to conceive. Donor sperm is among one of the most common options for third-party reproduction using in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI). We can help you explore the process, find a donor to provide sperm, and start the process of growing your family with donated sperm.

Our San Antonio infertility doctor guides intended parents through the process of having a baby using a sperm donor. She can provide tips for selecting a donor and explain every step of the treatment process from start to finish.

Donor sperm can help many different types of patients

Our San Antonio infertility doctor may recommend donated sperm as a fertility treatment for couples and individuals in certain situations.

• Male infertility. When a male partner cannot produce enough high-quality sperm, Dr. Munch may recommend infertility treatments usingsperm donation.
• Single women. A woman who wants to conceive without a male partner can rely on a donor to become a mother.
• Same-sex female couples. If a same-sex female couple wants to welcome a baby, they can use sperm from a donor to make parenthood possible.

The process starts when you find a donor

The first step of using sperm donation to conceive is selecting a sperm donor. A donor can be someone the patient knows or an anonymous donor from a sperm bank, which is the most popular option. If intended parents are using a sperm bank, they can review extensive information about each man’s education, appearance, interests and medical history prior to making their selection.

Regardless of whether the donor is known or anonymous, all of them must pass rigorous screening and blood testing before being able to donate.

With anonymous donors from a sperm bank, the donor will undergo testing for communicable diseases and an initial semen analysis to ensure he has enough high-quality sperm to freeze. If the sperm bank selects him, it will wash and prepare multiple sperm samples before freezing them for at least six months. After this time, the donor will undergo testing for diseases again. If his results are still negative, his sperm will be available for intended parents to use.

Once you find a donor to provide the sperm, the next step will depend on your personal situation. When patients are ready to conceive using sperm donation, our San Antonio infertility doctor will either recommend IUI or IVF.

• IUI involves placing the sperm in the female partner’s uterus around the time of ovulation. Dr. Munch may also recommend that the woman takes fertility medications as part of this treatment in order to raise the chance for pregnancy.
• IVF requires the female partner to take fertility medications and undergo egg retrieval. The IVF lab then combines the sperm and the eggs to achieve fertilization. Then, Dr. Munch transfers a healthy embryo into the woman’s uterus.

Dr. Munch will review your unique situation before recommending the best treatment option for you and your family. Contact us to learn more about building a family using donor sperm, or to find a donor and start the process.