How Sperm Donation Works as an Infertility Treatment at Our North Houston Fertility Clinic
In our previous blog post about the causes of infertility, we explained that it is estimated that 30-50% of couples are struggling to get pregnant due to male infertility. In other cases, though, both the man and the woman are struggling with infertility. In both scenarios, using a sperm donor is a viable option to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby. Here is how sperm donation works and whether it might be right for you.
The Process of Using Donor Sperm to Overcome Infertility
Fertility Testing
Before undergoing any treatment at our North Houston fertility clinic in The Woodlands and Kingwood, couples should undergo fertility testing. This will tell you, your physician, and our team what is causing your infertility, and if infertility is, in fact, the reason why you and your partner are struggling to conceive. Whether you should consider sperm donation or other fertility treatments will depend on what the results show.
Look Into a Sperm Bank
If sperm donation does turn out to be a good option for you and your partner, our fertility doctors will help you locate FDA-approved sperm banks. Through this sperm bank, you will pick an anonymous donor from a book, which will give you information on appearance and other details.
Egg Fertilization
Once you’ve taken the time to select a sperm donor, we will proceed with fertilizing the woman’s egg, but don’t worry–the sperm is thoroughly washed so as to prevent infection.
How we go about fertilizing will vary. For example, if you choose IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), our fertility specialists will inject the semen directly into the uterus. If, on the other hand, you choose North Houston IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), then we will fertilize the egg outside of the body with the semen. This may be done in the even that sperm has a hard time reaching the egg because of female infertility. Once it becomes an embryo and reaches the day 5 (blastocyst) embryo stage, we will implant it in the woman’s body.
HART Fertility Clinic in The Woodlands and Kingwood Will Offer Support, Guidance, and Education
Our North Houston fertility specialists take pride in helping couples conceive and deliver healthy babies. If you are considering using a sperm donor for IVF or IUI, then please request an appointment so we can get started with fertility testing and deciding on a viable treatment plan. We look forward to supporting you and guiding you the entire way.
