Fairfax Cryobank donors live in the local communities surrounding our collection facilities in Fairfax, Virginia (metro Washington DC), Austin, Texas, Dallas, Texas and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We draw heavily from the colleges and graduate programs in those areas, as well as recruiting successful professionals to become sperm donors. Men who are interested in becoming applicants must be between 18-39 years of age, healthy and have no other significant risk factors. (See information about the screening process below) Of those who originally apply, fewer than 1% actually are accepted as sperm donors for Fairfax Cryobank, indicative of our intensely rigorous screening processes.
During the required face to face interview with our experienced staff, donors often express the desire to help those who are unable to have children of their own. They may have observed similar experiences with family or friends and are therefore looking for a way to make a difference. This interview process is ongoing and allows us to get to know the donors as well as being an effective way to review information the donors provide about themselves and their families.
Donors are required to fill out a health history questionnaire with detailed information about themselves and their families, providing information about educational background and academic testing. They must also undergo a physical exam and extensive blood work to test for an array of disorders. Sperm samples are put through intensive scrutiny and must pass a minimum standard to be considered for the program. Once a donor has been accepted into the program, he is tested for infectious diseases on a recurring basis and must maintain a minimum sperm quality. Donors typically contract with Fairfax Cryobank for at least 6 months and will visit the Cryobank on average twice a week to provide specimens.
Donor Categories:
Fairfax Cryobank donors are separated into four categories, each defined below. Please check the fee schedule at our Canadian Distributors for differences in prices between the categories.
FAIRFAX GRADUATE category is the largest category of anonymous and ID Option sperm donors. All donors in this category are in the process of earning or have completed a post college graduate degree. These donors include: masters level degrees, medical, dental, chiropractic, law (Juris Doctorate), veterinary, optometry, pharmacy, and Ph.D. students and graduates. The products and services available on Graduate donors are identical to the products and services available in the Fairfax category.
FAIRFAX category is comprised of anonymous donors who offer extensive personal information, personal profiles, photo matching, staff impressions, donor essays, audio interview CDs and childhood photos in addition to summary and medical profiles.
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 OPTION 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. For more information and to download the ID Option Patient Agreement, please click here.
Not all ID Option Donor Programs were Created Equally!
ID Option sperm donors are sperm donors who agree to be contacted by offspring who were conceived with their samples. Usually this is after the offspring reach the age of 18.
Fairfax Cryobank offers ID Option donors: donors who have signed a contract with us that they agree to have identifying information shared with the offspring when the offspring reaches the age of 18.
Most sperm banks have programs for ID Option donors, and these programs vary between the various banks. Therefore, if finding an ID Option donor is crucial in your decision making process, it is imperative that you research the programs at the different sperm banks and, most importantly, ask questions! Before you purchase an ID Option donor, be sure to have all of your questions answered so you your child does not run into any difficulties later when attempting to contact the donor.
Questions to ask?
1. Will my donor's identity and contact information be released when my child turns 18 years old?
2. Does the donor have the option to change his mind later in life (about being an ID Option donor)?
3. Will you provide my child with the donor's contact information when my child contacts you or do you mediate contact with the donor?
4. What specific information will my child receive when he/she contacts you?
Fairfax Cryobank answers those questions:
1. Fairfax Cryobank will release the donor's contact information to a child of that donor once the child turns 18 years of age (as long as the child's birth was registered using our Birth Registration Form)
2. Once a donor opts to become an ID Option donor, he will honor that contract until the end. In other words, once he becomes an ID Option donor, he will remain an ID Option donor infinitively.
3. Fairfax Cryobank believes that the child should be given the opportunity to contact the donor him or herself; therefore, we will release the donor's contact information to the child (as long as the child's birth was registered), we do not mediate contact.
4. When your child turns 18 years of age, Fairfax Cryobank will release the donor's full name, date of birth, last known telephone number(s), email address, physical address, and other personally identifying information that the donor previously agreed to release.
Other sperm banks may state that they have ID Option donors; however, they may either make the sharing of information voluntary on the part of the donor when the time comes, or they will mediate the interaction between the donor and offspring to protect the donor's identity. Offspring could call one of these other sperm banks at the age of 18 and not receive the donor's name and/or contact information.
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
