In view of the risks that exist in relation to the sale of sperm from semen banks in other countries via the Internet, I have prepared a Decalogue to receive semen donations with guarantees.
It is necessary to remember that home artificial insemination is not covered by the Spanish regulations on human reproduction (since it does not guarantee the anonymity of the donor and also allows to choose his physical features), so it deprives patients of the health guarantees needed to undergo assisted reproduction treatment.
These guarantees include gynecological control, evaluation of the quality of the semen prior to insemination, its practice in an accredited center with the quality and safety required by Spanish and European law, as well as the existence of liability insurance.
Likewise, the president of the SEF, Dr. Agustín Ballesteros, assures that they are working in collaboration with the Association for the Study of Reproductive Biology (ASEBIR) and the Spanish Association of Andrology (ASESA) to put an end to this “very risky practice, which does not guarantee pregnancy and which only works in 1 out of 20 cases and carries risks”.
How to choose a sperm bank
- The sperm bank must be accredited by the Administration, since approved centers guarantee the quality and safety of the process.
- It must have qualified and experienced technical personnel.
- It must ensure the correct handling of frozen semen samples, since liquid nitrogen is dangerous.
- It must offer a guarantee of the biological safety of the semen sample.
- It must have semen samples with an adequate number of motile spermatozoa to achieve gestation.
- The anonymity of the donor and the patient must be respected. Otherwise, the child’s filiation is at risk.
- The traceability of the sample must be maintained.
- The donors accepted in the Bank must pass a series of medical tests that guarantee an adequate state of physical health, as well as a previous psychological study.
- The selection of a suitable donor must be carried out by a medical team, based on both physical and clinical characteristics.