Using a Sperm Donor in Your IVF Treatment
IVF with sperm donation is an assisted reproductive technique where a woman’s eggs are fertilized with sperm from a donor rather than from her partner. This method is commonly used when male infertility issues exist or when a woman is attempting to conceive without a male partner.
Step-by-step IVF with Donor Sperm
1 - Consultation
Your journey begins with a consultation with one of our fertility experts, where we’ll discuss your goals, assess your fertility status, and create a customised plan.
2 - Selecting the Sperm Donor
After our doctor examines your tests and confirms the treatment option with you, we will ask you to fill out a Donor Recipient form to start searching for the best donor candidates for you. For donor sperm, we are working with Europen Sperm Bank and Cyros International. So once we get information about your physical characteristics and blood type, we will check for and send you the most suitable donor options so you can choose one. Our team will give you detailed information about the process.
3 - Ovarian stimulation phase
4 - Egg Retrieval
5 - Fertilization
Our embryologists fertilize the collected eggs with donor’s sperm. We use the ICSI method for the fertilisation procedure, injecting the selected sperm directly into the egg.
6 - Embryo cultivation until blastocyst stage (5th day)
After fertilization, the embryos will be kept in a particular culture medium in the laboratory for five days. Following embryo creation, the embryo divides and multiplies its cells over 5 to 6 days to become a blastocyst. (A healthy embryo will contain about 6 to 10 cells three days after fertilization. By the fifth or sixth day, the fertilized egg is known as a blastocyst — a rapidly dividing ball of cells) The embryo’s quality depends on the quality of the sperm and the eggs. Embryo cultivation until the blastocyst stage allows us to select the highest quality embryos with the highest potential to develop further. Embryos that survive this stage of development have a high implantation potential once transferred into the uterine cavity.
7 - Embryo Transfer
The highest-quality embryos are selected and transferred into the uterus at the end of the laboratory process. The number of embryos to be transferred is decided by our doctor with you, considering your age, general health, previous unsuccessful IVF attempts and the quality of the embryos. (If more than one embryo is transferred, the possibility of multiple pregnancies increases.) Based on the regulation in North Cyprus, we are allowed to transfer a maximum of three embryos at one transfer.
8 - Embryo Freezing
After one or two healthy embryos are transferred into the uterus, the remaining embryos are frozen for future use on the same day of embryo transfer.
In this way, your IVF cycle is completed. You will perform a pregnancy blood test after 12 days after the embryo transfer date and let us know the result.
Who Might Consider IVF with Sperm Donor?
IVF with Sperm Donation may be considered by,
- Couples facing male infertility issues, such as low sperm count or poor sperm quality.
- Single women who wish to become mothers.
- Same-sex female couples who want to share the experience of biological parenthood.
- If there is a high risk of passing on a genetic abnormality or condition on the male side.
About Donor Privacy and Confidentiality
We work with the European Sperm Bank and Cyros International to obtain sperms. All donors undergo comprehensive health screenings and genetic testing to ensure the highest level of safety by the sperm banks. Donor’s characteristic information is available on Sperm Bank’s website.
IVF with Sperm Donation can open new doors to parenthood, and we are here to guide you every step of the way. At our hospital, our commitment is to provide you with the highest standard of care, respect your choices, and help you achieve your goal of building a loving family.
Frequently Asked Questions About IVF With a Sperm Donor
How is a sperm donor selected?
Sperm donors are typically carefully screened and selected by sperm banks. Donors are evaluated for factors such as medical history, genetic health, physical characteristics, and personal attributes.
All donor sperm in our hospital’s bank are selected from donors who have undergone comprehensive health screenings and genetic tests by sperm banks.
Is sperm donation anonymous?
Sperm donation to sperm banks is done anonymously. Therefore, the identity of the donor cannot be shared.
Intented parents can only learn certain details about the donor, such as blood type, age, hair and eye color, weight and height, profession, hobbies, to help them in the selection process. Characteristic information of donors can be accessed on the websites of sperm banks.
What is the success rate for IVF with sperm donation at Cyprus IVF Hospital?
The success rates can vary each year depending on several factors, as per below;
- Age of the woman
- The quality of eggs
- History of previous pregnancy
- Uterine or endometrial Rreceptivity
- Lifestyle factors of the patient
The success rate in IVF with egg donation at our hospital is up to 72%, based on our 2022 operational results.
More information about our success rate can be found on our website in the link below.
Will the baby look like me?
Each child comprises a 50/50 mixture of genes from the egg and sperm. So, a sperm donor only has a 50% chance to influence appearance. The child’s physical characteristics may favour one parent, both or neither parent – everyone has seen a child that looks nothing like their parents.
In the case of sperm donation, if the woman’s eggs are used, the baby may look more like its mother anyway because she and the baby share 50% of her genes.
In the case of sperm donation, the appropriate donor is selected according to the father’s physical characteristics to increase the possibility that the baby looks like the intended father (The same is considered for the egg donor as well in the egg donation procedure).
What is the next step if the first embryo transfer fails?
Initially, the cause of the failure will be determined by our specialists, and the decision will be made for further protocols accordingly. If all the embryos are not used during the first transfer, the remaining can be used for future embryo transfer attempts.
What is the price of IVF treatment with sperm donation?
For detailed information about the pricing, please visit our webpage https://cyprusivfhospital.com/pricing/
