Donor Sperm FAQ
FAQs about Donor Approval
Who can become a sperm donor?
Only healthy applicants with good sperm quality and no known serious hereditary diseases in their family history may be approved as donors.
Is everyone who applies accepted as a donor?
No. Only around 5–7% of all applicants complete the full screening and approval process and are ultimately accepted as donors.
Why are so few applicants approved?
Because donor approval involves strict medical, genetic and sperm quality criteria. Applicants must meet all requirements before they can be accepted.
What is checked before a donor is approved?
The approval process includes sperm analysis, review of family medical history, blood and urine testing, genetic screening, chromosome analysis, a medical consultation and a physical examination.
Why is sperm quality important?
Donor sperm must be of a quality that allows it to be cryopreserved and thawed while remaining suitable for use in fertility treatment.
Is testing of the donor only done once?
No. Donors are tested continuously during the donation period, and they also undergo regular medical follow-up checks.
Why is family medical history reviewed?
Family medical history is reviewed to identify possible hereditary diseases. This helps reduce the risk of passing on serious inherited conditions.
How far back is the donor’s family history checked?
The family history is reviewed across three generations.
Can screening remove all genetic risk?
No. Donor screening cannot eliminate all genetic risk completely. However, the risk is considered lower than in the general population because donors undergo extensive medical, genetic and family-history screening. If a patient wishes to reduce the risk further, additional genetic matching (GeneMatch) can be performed. This screens for more than 400 serious recessive conditions that both donor and recipient may be healthy carriers of.
Is a genetics specialist involved in the screening?
Yes. The donor’s family medical history may be reviewed in consultation with a specialist in clinical genetics.
FAQs about GeneMatch
What is GeneMatch?
GeneMatch is an additional option that compares the donor’s genetic results with those of the woman receiving treatment, or with an egg donor, to reduce the risk of shared recessive conditions.
The GeneMatch test screens for more than 400 serious recessive conditions that both donor and recipient may be healthy carriers of.
Why is GeneMatch offered if donors are already screened?
Because screening reduces risk, but does not remove it entirely. Genetic matching can reduce the risk further in some cases.
Who can use GeneMatch?
It may be relevant for women using donor sperm and for patients using both sperm donation and egg donation.
Does GeneMatch guarantee that a child will not inherit a genetic condition?
No, it cannot offer a guarantee. GeneMatch can reduce risk further, but no test can remove all genetic risk completely.
Why should I choose GeneMatch?
Some patients choose GeneMatch for extra reassurance. It can help identify whether donor and recipient carry the same recessive condition.
Where can I learn more about GeneMatch?
FAQ's about Choosing a Sperm Donor
Can I choose the donor myself?
Yes. The final donor choice is always yours.
Do I have to choose a donor on my own?
No. Many clients choose their donor themselves using the information in the donor profile, donor photos and our AI tool for matching personality and values, but we are happy to help if you would like a second opinion or more personal guidance.
How does donor guidance work?
We offer different types of support, depending on what you need. This may include photo matching, staff impressions and personal advice, as well as the option of GeneMatch.
You are always welcome to send us an email or call us. We are happy to help – and we know our donors.
Is photo matching included?
Yes. We offer free photo matching to help identify donors with a resemblance to you or your partner.
What are staff impressions?
Staff impressions are personal observations from team members who have met the donor. They can help add nuance to the donor profile.
Is personal donor advice free of charge?
Yes. Personal guidance and donor matching are offered as a free service.
Can you help me if I find the donor choice overwhelming?
Yes – that is very common. We can guide you, help narrow down your options, and highlight differences that may matter to you. However, the final donor choice is always yours.
Can you choose a donor for us if we only want to know a few basic details?
Yes. Some clients prefer to keep the information about the donor very limited and only wish to know a few basic details, such as e.g. height, hair colour or educational background. In that case, we can help select a suitable donor based on those preferences, without you needing to review a fuller donor profile.
FAQs about ID-release Donors
Are all donors at Diers Selected ID-release donors?
Yes. Diers Selected offers ID-release donors only.
What does ID-release mean?
It means that a donor-conceived child may be able to request identifying information about the donor once the child has reached the age defined by the law in the treatment country. Any personal meeting is completely voluntary for both the donor-conceived child and the donor.
Why are all Diers Selected donors ID-release?
Diers Selected has chosen to work only with donors whose identity may later be made available to the donor-conceived child under the relevant legal framework.
We believe that openness and transparency are the most responsible approach to donor conception. With modern DNA testing and genealogy services, true anonymity can no longer be guaranteed in practice.
Will I know the donor’s identity when I buy donor sperm?
No. As a recipient, you do not receive the donor’s identity.
Can parents later request the identity of their donor?
No. ID-release does not mean that the recipient or parents receive the donor’s identity. It refers to possible access for the donor-conceived person when the legal conditions are met.
FAQs about Limits on the Use of Each Donor
Does Diers Selected have a limit on how many families one donor may help create worldwide?
Yes. Diers Selected has a global family limit of max. 50 families worldwide.
What does max. 25 or max. 50 mean?
These terms refer to the global family limits. Diers Selected offers donors with different global family limits, including max. 5, max. 25 and max. 50.
A max. 5 donor may be used in up to 5 families worldwide, while a max. 25 donor may be used in up to 25 families worldwide. And a donor with a max. 50 family limit may be used to create children in up to 50 families worldwide.
Who decides the wordwide family limit for a donor?
The donor decides this himself. At Diers Selected, each donor chooses whether his donations may be used for a maximum of 5, 25 or 50 families worldwide. This allows the donor to set a family limit that feels right for him from the beginning.
Are national rules still relevant if there is also a global family limit?
Yes. National rules in the treatment country still apply. A global family limit does not replace local legal requirements, and some countries have stricter national limits on the use of donor sperm. This means that both the worldwide family limit and the rules in the treatment country must be respected.
What is a pregnancy slot?
A pregnancy slot is a quota reservation linked to a specific donor. It is used to help manage donor limits and pregnancy reporting.
Can a donor become unavailable because a limit has been reached?
Yes. A donor may no longer be available if a national or global limit has been met.
Why is pregnancy reporting important after donor treatment?
Because outcome reporting helps maintain traceability, monitor family limits and ensure responsible donor use over time.
Why do family limits matter?
Family limits are intended to support responsible donor use, transparency and ethical practice. country. Any personal meeting is completely voluntary for both the donor-conceived child and the donor.
FAQs about Treatment, Pregnancy Chances and MOT
What are the chances of pregnancy with donor sperm?
The chance of pregnancy depends on factors such as age, fertility status and treatment type. Many patients need more than one treatment cycle before achieving pregnancy.
For a more realistic assessment of your individual chances, we recommend speaking with your fertility clinic.
How many treatment attempts do patients usually need?
There is no fixed number. Some conceive at the first attempt, while others need several cycles.
Do you recommend MOT10 or MOT20 sperm quality for IUI treatments?
For IUI treatment, MOT20+ is recommended.
All vials of Diers Selected donor sperm for IUI treatment have a MOT20+ quality.
Why is MOT20 preferred for IUI?
Because a higher number of motile sperm cells is generally considered more suitable for insemination treatment.
Our almost 20 years of experience has confirmed that MOT20 sperm units significantly increase the chance of pregnancy in IUI treatments compared to MOT10.
Can lower MOT units still be relevant in some situations?
Yes, for instance for IVF treatment. We recommend consulting your fertility clinic before ordering, as it depends on the treatment plan.
For IUI, our recommendation is MOT20 rather than MOT10.
FAQs about Storage, Shipping and Practical Planning
How many vials of donor sperm should I order?
This depends on your treatment type, your clinic’s advice and whether you want units for several attempts or future sibling treatment.
Can I buy units now and use them later?
Yes. Units can generally be purchased and stored for later use, subject to storage terms and availability. Contact us for more information.
Should I buy extra sperm vials if I hope for siblings in the future?
Yes. That is often worth considering.
If you wish to try for genetic siblings later, buying and storing extra units from the same donor is recommended, because future availability cannot be guaranteed, and the most popular donors sell out fast.
Can unused units be given or sold to another person?
No. Purchased units are not normally transferable to another recipient. However, within the first two years, Diers Selected may offer buy-back of unused units, provided the relevant conditions are met under our Terms & Conditions.
Can sperm units be moved from one clinic to another?
This may be possible in some situations, but traceability and formal handling requirements must always be respected according to our Terms & Conditions.
Can donor sperm be delivered to my home adress?
In most cases, no. Donor sperm for treatment is generally shipped to authorised clinics rather than private home addresses. Contact us for more information.
How quickly can sperm units be shipped?
This depends on paperwork, clinic approval and the destination.