How much sperm does it take to get pregnant? See Cryos' recommendations
Only one sperm cell is needed to fertilize an egg and create a pregnancy. Even though an average ejaculation contains 200–300 million sperm cells, most cells never reach the egg. This is why many turn to donor sperm. The amount you should order depends on your chosen fertility treatment. In this post, we share our recommendations for ordering donor sperm for each type of treatment.
How much sperm is needed for each treatment type?
The amount of sperm you need to get pregnant depends on the treatment you plan to use. Here are our recommendations for the amount of sperm needed for each treatment type:
- IUI with donor sperm: 1 x IUI unit MOT10 or higher
- IVF with donor sperm: 1 x IUI unit MOT5 or higher
- ICSI with donor sperm: 1 x IUI unit MOT2 or higher
- ICI with donor sperm: 2 x ICI or IUI unit MOT10
Let us find the right option for you
Every fertility journey is unique. Contact our friendly Customer Care Team to ensure you order the right amount of donor sperm for your treatment. We are happy to help.
3 important things to know when ordering donor sperm
1. What is a sperm unit?
A sperm unit is a small tube containing 0.5 millilitres of sperm and is used to store and transport the sperm. At Cryos, we offer two types of sperm units:
- Unwashed sperm (ICI): The sperm contains ejaculate fluid and can only be used for ICI unless your clinic prepares and washes it before use.
- Washed sperm (IUI): The ejaculate fluid has been removed, meaning it is ready for IUI, IVF, and ICSI.
Your treatment type and clinic preferences determine which to choose.
2. What is sperm motility (MOT)?
Sperm motility measures the number of active sperm cells per millilitre. A high MOT means a high chance of success. We offer 5 different types of MOT, depending on your fertility treatment:
- MOT2: A MOT2 unit contains at least 1 million motile sperm cells and is used for ICSI.
- MOT5: A MOT5 unit contains at least 2.5 million motile sperm cells and is used for IVF or ISCI.
- MOT10: A MOT10 unit contains at least 5 million motile sperm cells and is used for IUI or ICI.
- MOT20: A MOT20 unit contains at least 10 million motile sperm cells and is used for IUI or ICI if a higher chance of success is wanted.
- MOT30+: A MOT30+ unit contains at least 15 million motile sperm cells, often more, and is used for IUI or ICI if a higher chance of success is wanted.
3. How many units do you need?
Our recommendations are based on the amount of sperm needed for a single treatment cycle, not for a successful pregnancy. It often takes multiple cycles to achieve pregnancy, so planning ahead is important depending on your treatment goals.
Tips for planning ahead
- Multiple cycles: Since most people require more than one treatment cycle to get pregnant, we recommend considering ordering enough units for the entire treatment.
- Future siblings: We also recommend reserving units for future treatment to ensure that possible future children can be born using the same sperm donor.
Other articles you might find relevant on your journey
What determines the amount of sperm needed to get pregnant?
The amount of sperm you need to become pregnant depends on different factors like your fertility and choice of fertility treatment. Female fertility plays an essential part in fertility treatment and is a determining factor in the number of sperm units needed to get pregnant. The most defining characteristic in terms of fertility is age. Once women become older, their number of eggs and their quality decreases.
The other factor is the type of fertility treatment you will use. There is a significant difference between IUI and ICSI treatment in terms of the procedure, cost, and the number of units needed. Read below how much sperm you should order for each treatment type.
Your fertility treatment type plays a role
When ordering donor sperm for fertility treatment, you receive the sperm in units of 0.5 millilitres, so the question we are going to answer is how many sperm units you must order and not how much sperm it takes to become pregnant.
On our page regarding payment and price of sperm, it is possible to see examples of how much sperm for different types of fertility treatment costs.
The number of units you need for each fertility treatment to become pregnant depends on the type of treatment you are going to receive. Each fertility treatment is different and requires another type or MOT of sperm. The quality of each sperm unit is determined through its MOT (motility) level, which shows the number of active sperm cells per millilitre of sperm. It is possible to choose between MOT2, MOT5, MOT10, MOT20, and MOT30.
How much sperm is needed for IVF?
For successful IVF, a MOT5 unit is recommended. You can also use 1 x IUI MOT10 unit or higher if your preferred donor only has those options available. If your fertility clinic prefers to prepare the sperm, you can also choose ICI sperm. If you order ICI sperm, we recommend the following options per treatment: 2 x ICI sperm with MOT10 or 1 x ICI sperm with MOT20.
The number of sperm units needed to become pregnant with IVF or other fertility treatment differs from one person to another. It is possible to become pregnant with IVF treatment by only using 1 sperm unit, but expect 5-6 treatment cycles per pregnancy if you are treated at a fertility clinic. Follow the link to read more about IUI vs IVF and what the difference actually is.
How much sperm do you need for ICSI?
Since ICSI is one of the most effective types of fertility treatment 1 x IUI MOT2 unit is recommended. When purchasing donor sperm for ICSI treatment, it is possible to use both IUI and ICI sperm, if your clinic can prepare the ICI sperm before treatment.
How much sperm is used for IUI?
For IUI, we recommend ordering 1 x IUI unit MOT10 or higher. Like IVF treatment, some clinics have other preferences, and they might choose ICI sperm. If your clinic prefers ICI sperm, we recommend you choose either 4 units with MOT5, 2 units with MOT10, or 1 unit with MOT20.
How much sperm do you need for ICI?
ICI treatment is the simplest type of artificial insemination with donor sperm, and it is also the type of fertility treatment used for home insemination. We recommend using 2 x IUI or ICI units MOT10 or higher for ICI treatment. Because the sperm is inserted in the vagina, we do not recommend you purchase MOT5 units for ICI treatment.
If you are ready to order, you can see the video on how to complete the ordering process below.
Ask your fertility clinic
The main takeaway from this is that clinics may have different preferences and therefore, it is always a good idea to talk to your clinic before you order the donor sperm.
We hope that the article was helpful. If you have more questions before you order from our Sperm Donor Search, you are always welcome to contact Cryos’ Customer Care. We are ready to guide you. If you have not found the perfect fertility clinic for your treatment, we can recommend you read this guide on how to find the right fertility clinic for you.
Frequently asked questions about the amount of sperm needed
How much sperm is in a unit?
A unit contains 0.5 millilitres of sperm. Whether the sperm has been washed or not depends on the specific type of unit. You can choose between ICI and IUI sperm units, where IUI units have been washed, and ICI units have not.
What is a unit of sperm?
A sperm unit is a term used to describe the container used in fertility treatment with donor sperm. The sperm is packed, stored, and shipped in units of 0.5 millilitres, to create the simplest process for every party involved.