Having a child and starting a family is one of the biggest wishes at a certain point in life for many people. For some couples, pregnancy happens naturally after a period of time. However, it is also very common that a little extra help is needed to make the dream of a family come true. This may happen through fertility treatment and potentially by using a sperm donor or an egg donor.
Why use a sperm donor to get pregnant?
At Cryos, we can divide our private clients into three main groups and to each group there are a different answer to the question; why use a sperm donor? Read the answers here:
Heterosexual couples
After a year of unsuccessful attempts at getting pregnant, many heterosexual couples seek professional help to identify the reason why they are not conceiving. There may be several reasons for infertility. If the reason is that the sperm quality is not being good enough to obtain pregnancy, using a sperm donor may be a good solution. Here, you can read more about childlessness and how to cope with infertility.
Lesbian couples
For most lesbian couples, using a sperm donor is needed if they wish to have children who are genetically related to one of the two mothers. Luckily, more and more countries are opening up to give same-sex couples the same opportunities as other couples to start a family. Follow the link to read more about how lesbian couples can fulfil their dream of a baby.
Single women
An increasing number of single women use donor sperm to have the child or the children they have dreamt of. Some women may not have succeeded in finding the right partner to start a family with. Others may wish to have the freedom that can follow when raising one or more children by oneself. Luckily, more and more countries now offer fertility treatment to single women. Read more about becoming a Single Mother by Choice.
Today, children grow up in many different types of family, and according to Susan Golombok, Professor and Director of Family Research at the University of Cambridge, family structures matters less than we might think. She has studied different family forms including donor-conceived children, and her studies show that donor-conceived children are generally doing well. At Cryos, we are proud to help all people who wish to have their dream of a child come true – regardless of their sexual orientation or life style choices.
If you want to learn more about the different ways to use donor sperm on your way to parenthood, follow the link to our blog post on the subject.
The development in the use of donor sperm
When Cryos was first established in 1987, our primary clients were men who wanted to freeze their sperm, for example before undergoing cancer treatment, and heterosexual couples who needed help due to a problem with the sperm quality. Only a small percentage were lesbian couples and single women. The information which was available about the sperm donors at the time were only basic characteristics such as blood type, height, hair colour and eye colour.
Today, the greater part of our clients are in fact single women and lesbian couples. This development corresponds to the increasing occurrence of many different types of families. Creating a family is no longer equivalent to a mother, a father and children. A family can just as well be formed by a single woman, two mothers, two fathers etc.
Along with this development, we have experienced an increasing interest in knowing more about the sperm donors. For example his interests, values and hobbies, his emotional intelligence as well as seeing sperm donor profiles with pictures of themselves as adults. Moreover, an increasing percentage of our clients today want to use an ID Release Donor to give their donor-conceived child the opportunity to reach out to the donor at a later stage in life. That being said, the choice between a Non-ID Release and ID Release Sperm Donor or a Basic or an Extended Sperm Donor Profile is still very individual, and everybody has their own personal reason for their choice. In addition, the country of treatment can also influence the choice, as different countries have different legislations with regards to fertility treatment.
Frequently asked questions about the use of a sperm donor
Why use a sperm donor?
There are several reasons for using a sperm donor to get pregnant. For heterosexual couples experiencing male infertility, using donor sperm might help overcome infertility and become parents. For lesbian couples, a sperm donor is necessary to conceive, and for single women, the use of a sperm donor makes it possible to have and raise a child on their own terms without having to find a man.
Who uses a sperm donor to get pregnant?
The three main groups of people purchasing donor sperm from Cryos are Single Mothers by Choice, lesbian parents and heterosexual couples experiencing infertility.
If you are about to enter fertility treatment and wish to increase your chances of getting pregnant, then we recommend you follow the link to our blog post on the subject.