The Ultimate Guide to buying sperm – 5 tips

In this guide, we will cover the 5 most important steps when buying sperm from Cryos, to make sure that you begin your journey to parenthood as smoothly as possible. However, before we jump to the 5 steps, let us start with the very basics of purchasing sperm:

• What is the price of buying sperm online?
• How is the process of buying sperm?

What is the price of buying sperm online?

At Cryos, the cost of donor sperm for one round of fertility treatment starts at EUR 148 (VAT not included). This is the price of IVF-ready donor sperm from a Non-ID Release donor with a Basic Profile.

However, the price of donor sperm can vary significantly based on the level of information you require about the donor. In other words, the more detailed information or access you want to have about the donor, the higher the cost will be. Follow the link to see our sperm bank prices.

1. The process of buying sperm

When discussing the process of buying sperm, the first and most basic thing to clarify is that you can purchase sperm online. We know that this comes as a surprise to some people, as donor sperm is perhaps not something you would associate with a webshop. Nonetheless, being able to buy donor sperm online from home is not only safe and convenient.

When you have found the sperm donor you prefer, simply add the straws you need to the basket, and complete your purchase. The order will be delivered to a fertility clinic of your choice. If you need help finding the right fertility clinic for you, then follow the link to our blog post on the subject. If you want a more visual explanation of how to buy sperm, we can recommend the video below.

2. Choose a sperm donor with your preferences

At Cryos we have a large selection of sperm donors, that are all presented on our website with a donor profile. The purpose of the donor profile is to give you an idea of the man behind the sperm donations and hopefully help you choose a sperm donor that feels right to you. The sperm donor profiles can be either Basic or Extended, depending on how much you would like to know about the sperm donor. They do not include any identifying information but – as a very minimum - describes different aspects of the donor’s physical appearance and include his test results provided by our medical team, who thoroughly screens each donor.

As the world’s largest sperm and egg bank, we have a lot of sperm donors for you to choose from. If you are looking to purchase sperm and you have certain criteria or wishes regarding the donor’s physical appearance, ethnicity, etc., you can use filters, just as you know from other web shops, to narrow down your search results.

Why using a free donor might be a bad idea

If you are looking to purchase sperm, it is recommended to use a sperm donor from a licensed sperm bank. Using a free sperm donor is a bad idea. A licensed sperm bank ensures that the donor has been thoroughly screened for any diseases or health issues that could be passed on to you or the child, thus minimizing the risks associated with using donor sperm.

3. Choose the right amount and type of donor sperm

Once you have selected a donor, it is time to add the needed sperm to your basket. Donor sperm is kept in small straws of 0,5 ml (or sometimes 0,4 ml), which is usually what you will need for one treatment. The sperm straws come in two different types: IUI or ICI, which is a matter of how the sperm has been processed. Which type of sperm you will need depends on the type of treatment you are having, as well as your clinic’s preferences. The same goes for motility, which is an expression of sperm quality. In this context, the higher the better is not necessarily true, which is why we recommend that you talk to your clinic about which type of sperm straw they prefer before you buy sperm. You can see Cryos’ general recommendations regarding sperm motility here.

Important: Depending on your country, we might add a Quota Reservation when you add sperm straws to your basket. A Quota Reservation is required in some countries in order to help ensure that the national limit of how many families one donor can help is not exceeded. You can learn more about Quota Reservations here. 

4. Consider making a reservation of donor sperm for later

When you buy sperm at Cryos, you will be asked whether you need it within the next four weeks or if you want to reserve it for later. If you already have a fertility treatment planned, you will probably need the sperm within a matter of weeks, but it may be a good idea to consider also making a reservation.

You may be lucky and become pregnant on the first attempt, but you never know how much sperm is needed to become pregnant and many women need a few tries before achieving a pregnancy. As a general recommendation, you should expect 5-6 tries when you are having fertility treatment, such as IUI treatment. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that there will be sperm in stock from your chosen donor if you return to purchase sperm for another treatment unless you have made a reservation. Making a reservation of donor sperm means that you buy sperm but keep it stored at Cryos until you need it for another attempt or if you want more children in the future.

5. Buy sperm and have it delivered to your clinic

Once you have added sperm straws to your basket, we will ask you to provide some details, including when and how to deliver your order. Be aware that when you buy sperm from Cryos, we need 1,5 working days to process and ship your order after you place your order online. If you make a last-minute order and need us to ship your order even sooner, we will charge you a late order fee.

How long it takes from the moment we ship your order until it arrives at your fertility clinic depends on where your clinic is located:

• In Europe: 1-3 weekdays (Monday – Friday)
• The rest of the world: 2-5 weekdays (Monday – Friday).

Once your order arrives at your clinic, the staff must carefully transfer and keep the sperm safe until use. You can learn more about the shipping and delivery of donor sperm here.

Can you buy sperm for home use?

Due to Danish legislation, Cryos International Denmark, a Danish sperm bank, cannot ship donor sperm to private addresses for home use. Distribution of donor sperm is only allowed to approved tissue centres, fertility clinics, hospital departments, and authorized healthcare professionals.

Relevant articles for people buying sperm

• Can I pay to see more information about sperm donors?
• What are the success rates when using a sperm donor?
• Can you buy donor sperm for home insemination in the UK?

We hope this guide has helped you understand the process of purchasing sperm. If you are about to buy sperm for fertility treatment, we wish you the best of luck on your way to becoming a parent. When you become pregnant with help from a sperm donor, it is important that you let us know. Learn more about why and how to report your pregnancy in this blog post.

Do you need any help with your purchase?

We hope that this guide has provided you with useful insights into the process of purchasing sperm. If you are planning to buy sperm for fertility treatment, we wish you the very best of luck on your journey towards parenthood. However, if you have any queries about how to proceed with your purchase, we are always here to assist you. You can find the contact information for your local representative on our website, and we would be more than happy to provide you with further guidance and support.