Medicosnext
With over 800 sperm donors listed on its website as of August 2022, and offering delivery to over 100 countries, Denmark’s Cryos International is the largest sperm and egg bank in the world. Its establishment originated from an unusual dream its founder Olas Schou had back in 1981, which drove him to find out everything there was to know about frozen sperm. And, despite the fact that he was not a natural science scholar, he began to read every book and paper available on the subject. Combining his business acumen with his newly acquired knowledge about the process of freezing and storing human sperm, he established Cyros International and began collaborating with doctors and clinics.
Initially established as a service center only for frozen sperm storage, the company began the donor program in 1991, and later on, started specializing in egg vitrification technology, as well, in which cells are immersed directly into liquid nitrogen, cooling them so quickly to -196 ºC that they become “glass-like” (vitrified). Cyros has a large variety of donors of diverse ethnicities and phenotypes. The criteria for donor selection include their medical history, travel frequency, lifestyle habits, and sexual behavior. After collections, the sperm is processed in the lab to make sure that it is of high-quality and ready for use in fertility treatment. Then, depending on its motility and quality, the sperm is divided into either IUI or ICI sperm straws.
IUI straws contain washed and laboratory-prepared sperm to which a cryo-preservative is added after removal of the natural ejaculate fluids. ICI straws are unwashed/unprepared sperm containing all the natural fluids present in a normal ejaculate. Intra uterine insertion (IUI) treatment involves the direct insertion of sperm into the uterus, allowing more sperm cells to reach the egg. ICI straws are used for intra cervical insemination (ICI), where the sperm is inserted into the woman’s vagina through a syringe, and the motile sperm swims into the uterus.
The demand for donor sperm continues to grow due to reasons like heterosexual couples experiencing infertility, women planning to become single mothers by choice, or lesbian parents wanting to become parents. Clinics and private individuals can purchase the donor sperm online and have it delivered to a clinic or healthcare professional. As far as the cost is concerned, sperm quality, donor choice, and method of delivery are factors that affect the price. Sperm with high motility, which increases the chances of conceiving, costs more.
