IVF with sperm donation in Europe – guide
If you require treatment which is reliant on a sperm donor there are number of options you can choose depending on the country in which you have the procedure and the treatment provider.
Sperm donation abroad
Many larger IVF clinics will have their own sperm bank and can advise you from the moment a sperm donation is required.
If your treatment provider (IVF clinic) does not have its own sperm bank the clinic may have an arrangement with another treatment provider or may access sperm from one of a number of national and international sperm banks which exist.
We have provided below some information relating to sperm donation in the more popular European fertility destinations.
Sperm donation and IVF in Spain
Sperm donors in Spain are accepted under strict health and psychological testing and personal guidelines. Donors are screened for sperm quality and against genetic and sexual disease. The sperm donor may not be a friend or family member and can be anonymous or non anonymous. In Spain donors are selected by physical characteristics such as ethnicity, skin colour and height. IVF clinics in Spain will use donors from their own sperm banks if they have one or from a range of national and international sperm banks.
In Spain treatment using donor sperm can cost between €500 and €1,500 on top of the costs of an IVF program.
Sperm donation and IVF in Czech Republic
Under Czech law sperm donation, like in Spain, is anonymous. Donors tend to be aged between 18 and 35 and will have to undergo a series of physical and psychological tests to be considered as a donor. Many clinics will offer to match those things that might be important to the recipient such as height, hair and eye colour, blood type or even hobbies and interests. In Czech Republic treatment providers will use donors from their own sperm banks if they have one or from a range of national and international sperm banks. Under Czech law sperm donation is not offered to single women or couples in a same sex relationship.
In Czech Republic treatment using donor sperm can cost upwards of €200-500 on top of an IVF treatment costs.
Sperm donation and IVF in Greece
In Greece anonymous sperm donors are aged between 18 and 35 and donations can be used in IVF treatments for single women or women in a same sex relationships. Patients in same sex relationships will only have access to sperm donor treatment if authorised by a legal document and will be considered as a single person for the purposes of access. Many IVF clinics will offer to match those things that might be important to the recipient such as height, hair and eye colour, blood type or even hobbies and interests. IVF clinics in Greece will use donors from their own sperm banks if they have one or from a range of national and international sperm banks.
In Greece treatment using donor sperm can cost between €800 and €1,500 on top of the IVF treatment costs.
Sperm donation and IVF in North Cyprus
Sperm donors in North Cyprus are anonymous and have to be aged under 35. Treatments using donated sperm can benefit both single women and couples in same sex relationships. Sperm donors are screened for sperm quality and against genetic and sexual disease. Donors are selected by physical characteristics such as ethnicity, skin colour and height. IVF clinics in North Cyprus will use donors from their own sperm banks if they have one or from a range of national and international sperm banks.
In North Cyprus treatment using donor sperm can cost between €200 and €500 on top of an IVF program costs.
Sperm donation and IVF in Ukraine
Sperm donors in Ukraine are anonymous and have to be aged between 20 and 40. Treatments using donated sperm can benefit both single women and married (heterosexual) couples but not for same–sex couples. Donors are screened for sperm quality and against genetic and sexual disease.
In Ukraine treatment using donor sperm costs from €350 upwards on top of an IVF program costs.
Sperm donation and IVF in Russia
Sperm donors in Russia can be anonymous or non-anonymous and have to be aged under 35. Treatments using donated sperm can benefit both single women and married (heterosexual) couples but not for same–sex couples. Donors are screened for sperm quality and against genetic and sexual disease.
In Russia treatment using donor sperm can cost between €150 and €400 plus costs of an IVF cycle.
Sperm donation and IVF in Portugal
Sperm donors in Portugal are non-anonymous have to be aged under 35. Treatments using donated sperm can benefit both single women, heterosexual and same sex couples. Donors are screened for sperm quality and against genetic and sexual disease.
IN Portugal treatment using donor sperm costs on average €450 on top of the costs of an IVF program.
If you decide to undergo IVF treatment abroad which involves sperm donation you will have to be mindful of the legislative framework governing reproduction techniques in the country in which you intend to have treatment. For instance you may not be able to undergo treatment in a country which only works with anonymous donors if you purchase a non-anonymous donation from an independent sperm bank or vice versa.
It is essential therefore that you take some time in establishing what rules regarding known/unknown donations are prevalent in different countries before you opt for treatment. Armed with knowledge you can then make a decision regarding what type of donor you want, where you find them and finally where to undergo treatment.
Sperm Banks
There are a number of sperm banks which offer both anonymous and non anonymous sperm donors. Choosing an anonymous donor means you will never receive more information about them than that is contained in the donor profile provided by the sperm bank. It must be noted however that as DNA is found in sperm, donors and children could potentially be able to trace or be traced using a range of analytical tools.
If you choose a non anonymous donor your child will have the opportunity to find out identifying information about the donor when they reach a specific age, ordinarily at 18. This however does not guarantee that the donor would be amenable to any contact.
Sperm banks use a variety of profile mechanisms to allow you to choose a donor from a range of phenotypes including height, eye colour, blood type as well as ethnicity or even educational achievements. More comprehensive profiles offer information about the donors education, personality, family background and interests. They may also offer photographs of the donor as a child and/or adult or even a hand written message or audio recording.
When choosing a donor from a sperm bank you can request supplementary services for which there are additional charges. One example is the ability to buy the ‘exclusivity’ of a donor. Ordinarily, a donor can be the donor for children in more than one family however you can (if the donor hasn’t already donated) pay an additional amount to ensure that the donor’s sperm is not used to create another family and if required use additional donations from the same donor to create genetic siblings.
When calculating the costs for reserving and ordering donor sperm there a number of different elements you need to consider which will affect the price.
A list of these elements are indicated below,
- Donor: An identifiable donor with a more comprehensive profile is more expensive than an anonymous donor with a basic profile.
- Straw Type: Due to additional laboratory time IUI donations (straws) are more expensive than ICSI straws.
- Sperm Motility: Sperm quality will also affect the cost. The greater the sperm motility, the more expensive the straw.
- Reserve: Once you have chosen your donor and your straw type (ICSI or IUI) you might then be asked to reserve your selection which attracts a further cost.
- Delivery: Delivery and packaging method prices will vary – shipments made in nitrogen tanks for instance will be more expensive than dry ice and you may well be charged extra dependent upon the distance the shipment travels.
Once you are able to identify your specific requirements you will be able to obtain an accurate quote from an independent sperm bank and where possible, compare against the bank used by your treatment provider.
