EDIT @ 2:30pm CST: Will be stepping away briefly, but keep asking questions and we will be checking in frequently with answers this afternoon, and over the next couple days!

Happy to be here answering questions! Our work here at Fairfax Cryobank focuses on sperm cryopreservation for our donation program or for long-term storage prior to military deployment, cancer treatments, HRT, vasectomy, and more.

We work closely with many reproductive clinics all over the world, and we also have mail-in specimen kits available for people who are interested in storing a specimen but are not local to one of our locations.

Feel free to ask any questions and we will do our best to answer them!

You can check out our website at BeASpermDonor.com if you are interested in learning about our program, and FairfaxCryobank.com for more information! We have locations in MN, VA, TX, PA, and CA, and are always looking to add new donors to the program, as well as assisting with any fertility needs.

Proof: https://twitter.com/beaspermdonor/status/1424398760185114625

Comments: 832 • Responses: 82  • Date: 

FB_Eat_Lasagna416 karma

Most western nations have single-digit limits on the number of births that can be from the same donor. Your clinic limits each donor to 25 families in the USA and 15 internationally, for a likely 40+ offspring per donor, before you account for siblings. You also rely on recipients to self-report the births, which means the clinic is likely unaware of many births. Do you think it is ethical to allow a so many people to be born to the same donor? Why do you run your program so differently from the established norms of most western countries and donor-conceived advocates?

fairfaxcryobank108 karma

We follow the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's guidelines. We also follow whatever local regulations there are internationally. Most family limits are calculated based on the population of a given country or state. I.e., in the UK one donor can be used to create 10 families. One family can be one or more siblings. The UK population is ~68million and they limit to 10 families. The US population is ~331 million and though there is no federal regulation, we limit distribution to 25 reported families, which is less than the number if we used the same population logic. We ask our recipients to report their births so that we can stop distribution at 25 families, and we promote disclosure of donor conception to the children so that openness and transparency are part of their birth story.

Shoopdawoop993378 karma

How much legal responsibility do you have to the kids, if they do a dna test or whatever and figure out who you are?

fairfaxcryobank436 karma

When a prospective donor completes the screening and is ready to officially become a donor, they review and sign a donor agreement. In that agreement they agree to relinquish parental rights to any resulting children. On the recipient side, they sign a Terms of Use documenting that they understand and agree that the donor has no parental rights.

umquhilespecter157 karma

Is this type of contract legal in a private way as well? Or is this something your company had to work out legally with the government as a middle man type deal?

Also are there qualifications to be a donor or a genetic test so your company knows exactly the "product" they are providing?

fairfaxcryobank95 karma

This is out of my realm of legal knowledge!

We perform intense testing on each donor including health screenings, genetic tests, blood tests, background checks, personality assessments, and more.

suture224233 karma

You mention multiple donations. What are your policies towards distributing the same sperm in a geographical location? There was a heart breaking story on Reddit where an engaged couple found out they were half siblings.

fairfaxcryobank121 karma

There are limits on the amount of "family units" a donor can have before they are required to stop to avoid situations like these. There are a number of regulations that must be followed!

ashrevolts48 karma

What is the limit?

fairfaxcryobank89 karma

We follow the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's guidelines. We also follow whatever local regulations there are internationally. Most family limits are calculated based on the population of a given country or state. I.e., in the UK one donor can be used to create 10 families. One family can be one or more siblings. The UK population is ~68million and they limit to 10 families. The US population is ~331 million and though there is no federal regulation, we limit distribution to 25 reported families, which is less than the number if we used the same population logic. We ask our recipients to report their births so that we can stop distribution at 25 families, and we promote disclosure of donor conception to the children so that openness and transparency are part of their birth story.

SaturdayHeartache183 karma

How do you confirm whether donors are telling the truth about their health history?

fairfaxcryobank170 karma

Donors are tested in a number of ways so we can cover as many bases as possible. We do blood and urine testing to cover infectious disease and genetic testing, as well as regular physicals by a contracted physician, psychological exams prior to joining, and a number of other checks to ensure health records are as accurate as possible.

ashrevolts74 karma

do you keep up with them over time? If a donor develops a medical condition later in life, that could negatively affect their biological children, what role do you play in passing along that information? Especially if the donor prefers to remain no contact when their children turn 18.

fairfaxcryobank78 karma

Donors complete annual updates to inform us of any changes to their medical information per their agreement upon starting. We keep track of this information over time to make sure that we are providing the most up to date information about each donor.

A_P66694 karma

Do you have race, height, etc requirements for your donation program?

fairfaxcryobank101 karma

Most requirements deal with the applicants medical history and family medical history. We do a number of other checks on each potential donor (genetics, background check, etc.) and look for all around healthy individuals, physically and mentally. Race does not affect the program requirements and height would only be checked if it was something extreme.

aznanimality37 karma

[deleted]

fairfaxcryobank92 karma

Extreme would be referring to something that could represent an underlying condition (height to weight ratio far off from normal, over 7' or under 5' sort of extremes)

AlexHimself14 karma

What about genetic disorders that can be filtered out? Such as Lynch syndrome?

fairfaxcryobank37 karma

We test donors to see if they are carriers for hundreds of genetic conditions, and only a handful are automatic rejections. We have a program where the buyer can fill out a release and get genetically tested for the same condition to make sure both parents are not a carrier. It is highly regulated to eliminate any issues in the future.

lakerboy152-1 karma

I’m also wondering this

fairfaxcryobank3 karma

Race does not matter, height is only important if related to underlying conditions!

macconnolly77 karma

One day I'd like to breed my dog - can you freeze canine sperm?

fairfaxcryobank75 karma

Just human sperm at our company! However, the field of cryogenics is always evolving so the possibilities in the future are endless!

7V3N77 karma

How do we know you are not witches trying to steal our semen?

fairfaxcryobank37 karma

I guess you have to trust us! But we do pay donors well, so it's a win-win for all!

WilliamBott8 karma

How much do you pay?

fairfaxcryobank11 karma

Donors make an average of $4000 every six months, with occasional chances for bonuses here and there.

AccountGotLocked6954 karma

How long/reliable can you freeze sperm?

fairfaxcryobank77 karma

Current knowledge is that a specimen can be frozen indefinitely. There are samples that have been frozen for decades and still have the expected results when thawed.

Herobrinedanny42 karma

Brb about to book an appointment and request it be frozen for at least a hundred years old

fairfaxcryobank42 karma

Storage fees might be rather expensive for a hundred year storage, but go for it!

Swayyyettts14 karma

Is there a market for “older samples”? Imagine if for some reason someone wanted sperm from “the greatest generation”.

If anything, I think maintaining older samples would be great for human genetics posterity

fairfaxcryobank16 karma

The market for all samples is the same! It all comes down to what traits the recipient prefers in their donor, so if an older donor is what matches, then that is the right choice.

collin300054 karma

When I tried to donate sperm a decade ago in Seattle they said that I wasn't eligible because "My sperm didn't freeze well" and they said that was the case with about 75% of men's sperm. Just wonderingm did I misheard them, or isthat was their nice way of saying "we don't want your genes here", or is that true?

fairfaxcryobank84 karma

Only about 50% of motile (swimming) sperm will survive the freeze thaw process, so most sperm banks are looking for donors whose samples are well above what the World Health Organization deems a "healthy sample"

fairfaxcryobank43 karma

That could be true! We have very high requirements for donor samples so a person can be fertile, but their sample does not meet the requirements.

AugustineBlackwater52 karma

How is sperm frozen without the cell being damaged? I've always thought human cells can't be frozen because the ice/water ruptures it when it becomes solid but know eggs and sperm are frozen quite routinely.

fairfaxcryobank90 karma

Love a science question! We add a freeze media that contains glycerol. Glycerol replaces some of the water in the cell and minimizes the ice crystals that water would normally form, which would break or disrupt the cell membrane. It is a harsh process which is why only ~50% of the sperm survive. For eggs, the standard is now vitrification-which is when cells are frozen quickly to bypass the ice state to a "glass state" . Very cool process (pun intended)

volkmasterblood50 karma

What kind of money can people get for donating sperm?

fairfaxcryobank72 karma

Typically a donor will earn around $4000 every six months. This can vary slightly, but that is the amount based on the average donor who schedules regular appointments.

Mcginnis102 karma

You're telling me this whole time I've been doing it for free, when I could have been paid for my morning routine?

matrixreloaded54 karma

bro, you heard those stories of sperm donors fathering like 10-100+ kids right? you getting paid for the possibility of that lmao not just getting a nut off

fairfaxcryobank35 karma

Modern regulations are very strict to keep the number of children documented and within set limits!

fairfaxcryobank16 karma

Correct! Head to BeASpermDonor.com for more information!

Mister_IR21 karma

What is considered “regular”? Every month? Week?

fairfaxcryobank29 karma

Donors are required to have 72-120 hours of abstinence between ejaculations for appointments, so donors will schedule 1-2 times per week. We have a minimum number of appointments required, but donors can schedule until their inventory reaches its limits.

LanEvo768541 karma

72-120 hours? Yeah that's where you'll lose 90% of potential Reddit supplier

fairfaxcryobank14 karma

Some choose not to join because of that, but we can honestly tell by the sample when they are not keeping proper abstinence. The 72 hours makes a huge difference!

shadowpawn-1 karma

Tax Free?

fairfaxcryobank0 karma

We don't apply any tax to payments, but donors sign a W9 and report their taxes as such independently!

thirdactjack47 karma

Have you found that policies and attitudes regarding confidentiality have changed since the the advent of companies like 23andMe? Have you found it more difficult to convince prospective donors to participate (given that anonymity is less expected)?

I'm sure that plenty of people who donated in the past may not have been prepared for how accessible they became to their offspring. Are there any concerns about this moving forward, or have you found that today's donors are more realistic about the possibility of future life drama?

Thanks for having this AMA.

fairfaxcryobank60 karma

Great question. Yes, now that commercially available direct to consumer genetic kits exist and are being used older donors are being identified. We offer counselling sessions with a mental health provider to help donors who didn't plan to be identified navigate the process. We counsel our donor applicants about future contact during the screening process. We do not use the term anonymity anymore because in reality, anonymity doesn't really exist. We do stand by our privacy and confidentiality policies, and ask that everyone involved respect the others' desires.

Rebelgecko44 karma

How many gallons do you have in stock at the moment?

fairfaxcryobank38 karma

Our unit of measurement is milliliters!

Rebelgecko48 karma

How many milliliters do you have in stock at the moment?

fairfaxcryobank20 karma

Not sure on a specific number, but a lot!

thewholerobot47 karma

Almost a gallon?

fairfaxcryobank41 karma

Significantly more than a gallon!

TipYourDishwasher42 karma

I had to store some genetic material prior to a surgery, which was a good idea because I now have retrograde ejaculation.

What exactly is my sperm being stored in? Is it just in a plastic cup or some sort of high tech, sci-fi device?

fairfaxcryobank41 karma

The samples are collected into cups, then evaluated and treated with special media to assist with the freezing process. We then place the sample into cryogenically safe vials that are labeled and carefully documented. The vials are rather small and can only hold about 1mL of sample.

Bzello-40 karma

Is the sexual orientation of the donor something that matters or no?

fairfaxcryobank123 karma

This is a great question. We do not ask the applicants to identify their sexual orientation. That said, we are FDA licensed and must follow the their regulatory requirements. One of the exclusion factors is male sex with a male within the preceding five years. This is similar to the regulation that did not allow queer men to donate blood. When the FDA changed their policy/deferral for blood donation they did not change it for gamete (sperm) donation. Our Director has, over the years, worked with various elected officials and contacts at the Human Rights Campaign to try to get the FDA to change this, but to no avail.

Our Director recently reached out to Senator Booker because he and Congresswoman DeLauro re-introduced the Access to Infertility Care and Treatment Act.

My best advice is for individuals to reach out to their local elected officials and ask them to work to “urge the FDA to remove the ban on MSM in CFR 1271 for sperm donation.”

Bzello-34 karma

Thank you very much for the information

fairfaxcryobank25 karma

You're welcome!

ZurrgabDaVinci75840 karma

How practical is it as an individual to get your sperm frozen, then have a vasectomy? so you can have the contraceptive benefits while still being able to have genetic children in the future.

fairfaxcryobank51 karma

We have a number of clients come in for that exact reason!

dontsuckmydick9 karma

About how much does that cost?

fairfaxcryobank25 karma

It can vary slightly, but processing and freezing is between $350-$460, and we offer various storage terms depending on how long you plan on freezing for.

rai1ed36 karma

If you say you have samples frozen for decades, how do you choose which samples to use when you have so many. Do they have like a sheet that has all the info to choose from?

33yr Caucasian / Kansas, played football in college

27yr Hispanic / Mississippi on math team in high school

24yr African American / Boston, runs 5ks in spare time

fairfaxcryobank35 karma

We have an online donor search where clients can view the information for each specific donor. Internally, all samples are well documented and labeled to ensure that the correct samples are chosen when shipping out!

SlothRogen7 karma

Is there a maximum age for donors?

fairfaxcryobank12 karma

Donors must be 18-39 years old when donating.

Rudabegas35 karma

What does your waiting room smell like?

fairfaxcryobank51 karma

Like a normal waiting room! Our locations are typical medical facilities so they are professionally cleaned regularly.

GMane2G29 karma

How do you feel about kids coming of age and showing curiosity to know who their biological father is but being denied that? Not for money reasons but for, ya know, not being denied knowledge of who an entire half of them is?

fairfaxcryobank29 karma

We offer donors free a counseling session prior to starting the program to cover these situations if they have specific feelings or hesitations they want to discuss, as each person may have a different opinion on this matter!

A sperm donor is not a father, they are providing the sperm to help someone build their family and we recognize the significance of that contribution. Because the donor is an important part of a donor conceived (DC) person's history we provide many items that allow a DC and the recipient a lot of information about the donors. Most importantly, the full medical profile, but also detailed personal profiles, photos, audio interviews, essays, staff impressions, etc. For those who use ID donor, they will have the option of future contact.

Sebbyready27 karma

I’m a child of a sperm donor from the Fairfax Cryobank, if I know the donor number and with my birth mother’s permission, how would I go about finding info on my sperm donor beyond their public donor profile?

fairfaxcryobank14 karma

Give our customer service line a call with your information and they can assist to see if the donor is able to be contacted.

automatic4skin27 karma

Is there a dress code at your clinics?

fairfaxcryobank26 karma

Donors wear normal clothes! Our clinic is similar to most medical facilities.

teafer43025 karma

How do you collect the sperm?

fairfaxcryobank39 karma

Donors are required to collect onsite in our collection rooms. Clients storing for themselves can either collect onsite, or order a mail-in specimen kit which is sent back overnight with a preserving media.

Dry_Path_710823 karma

What’s the strangest interaction you’ve had with someone about donating sperm?

fairfaxcryobank19 karma

Most interactions are pretty normal! We are a typical medical facility so applicants and clients are treated professionally. There are a handful of interactions where the applicant may have been nervous about the process, but nothing too memorable! We try to make it as comfortable as possible for anyone who wants to provide samples.

MindlessVegetation20 karma

How regularly do Donors experience performance issues?

fairfaxcryobank29 karma

Applicants and donors are aware of what they are signing up for, so performance is rarely and issue! It is a very professional environment so appointments are nothing to stress about.

megustarita13 karma

How much volume of semen is required per donation?

fairfaxcryobank16 karma

A number of parameters are checked such as volume, concentration, motility, etc. so it is the overall sample we look at!

There is not a simple answer for this. The volume X the concentration of the sperm is what is important. So you could have a low volume, say 1 mL but a high concentration, or a higher volume, say 5 mL, and a slightly lower concentration.

Sunset_Bleu9 karma

Do sperm donors get notified if their stuff was successfully used, or if they get to meet their non-legal offspring? Sorry, tried to word that vaguely.

fairfaxcryobank11 karma

Donors can inquire about the use of their samples, but we will never release identifying information about the recipients or the resulting children to the donor. All contact is initiated by the offspring once they reach the age of 18.

exploited8 karma

Can you get paid for your sperm?

fairfaxcryobank17 karma

Yes! Average donors earn around $4000 dollars in 6 months. Check out BeASpermDonor.com for more information!

DerangedGinger7 karma

Have gingers ever become a fad or are we still persona non grata?

fairfaxcryobank4 karma

All types of donors are welcome! Everybody has their preference of donor, so we just like to provide as many options as possible.

mostie20165 karma

Would you take Chris Chan’s sperm?

fairfaxcryobank3 karma

Would not pass the background check or medical history, so nope!

Chainarmor7125 karma

Does being on the autism spectrum affect a donor’s ability to get approved?

fairfaxcryobank10 karma

Yes, applicants with autism would be rejected for medical history.

Supernothing473 karma

I once attempted to donate blood but was turned away. The reason they gave was since I lived I Europe during the early 90’s, there was fear of transmission of mad cow disease. Would that be the same for donating sperm?

fairfaxcryobank6 karma

Current regulations would not prohibit you from donating sperm due to this reason.

fuktnow2 karma

Do you think companies like alcor and cryonics are legitimate, do you think we will be able to successfully thaw them in the future?

fairfaxcryobank3 karma

I cannot speak to whether they are legitimate, however with the speed at which technology is evolving, it is definitely possible for the future!

Skipjack6662 karma

If someone who had a vasectomy, tried to con you and 'donated' what would the procedure be?

Do you verify the sperm before payment and refuse monies or take legal action?

fairfaxcryobank8 karma

Each donor provides semen samples prior to being accepted into the program so we know that the quality of their specimen meets our requirements!

HummusDips1 karma

How is the work environment for the donors?

fairfaxcryobank6 karma

It is a very professional environment! Rooms are cleaned after each use and we provide a number of sanitary and entertainment materials.

360walkaway1 karma

Do you guys work with ranch owners who want to preserve various animal seed (race horses, rodeo bulls)?

fairfaxcryobank10 karma

Our company deals with human samples only, however I have heard of labs that do work with bull semen (unsure about the nature of that work, however)

lunkavitch1 karma

I have a mild case of ulcerative colitis and I've heard that because the conditions qualifies as an autoimmune disorder I'm not a candidate for donation. Is that true universally?

fairfaxcryobank2 karma

Unfortunately, any chronic illnesses that has a genetic component that makes the likelihood of an affected child higher than if the sperm provider doesn't have the disease would be cause for disqualification.

matrixreloaded1 karma

How often do donors who donate actually end up having a child out there in the world? Aka, if I were to donate, how likely would it be that it’s successfully births a child?

fairfaxcryobank2 karma

Almost all of our donors' samples result in at least 1 family being created.

man0steel931 karma

So I've recently found that sperm preservation companies only accept samples from men who are tall or some shit? Why is that? Do you guys do that?

fairfaxcryobank2 karma

Not true! We cannot accept the donor if a trait of theirs could be related to underlying medical conditions, but typically most phenotypical traits are fine! We look at the overall donor and not just that one factor.

apathyontheeast1 karma

Regarding donations, do you turn away LGBT individuals?

I had tried to donate in college, but was turned away for being a gay male.

fairfaxcryobank3 karma

We do not ask the applicants to identify their sexual orientation. That said, we are FDA licensed and must follow the their regulatory requirements. One of the exclusion factors is male sex with a male within the preceding five years. This is similar to the regulation that did not allow queer men to donate blood. When the FDA changed their policy/deferral for blood donation they did not change it for gamete (sperm) donation. Our Director has, over the years, worked with various elected officials and contacts at the Human Rights Campaign to try to get the FDA to change this, but to no avail.

Our Director recently reached out to Senator Booker because he and Congresswoman DeLauro re-introduced the Access to Infertility Care and Treatment Act.

My best advice is for individuals to reach out to their local elected officials and ask them to work to “urge the FDA to remove the ban on MSM in CFR 1271 for sperm donation.”

wcwe1 karma

Can you still donate if you’ve had the covid vaccination?

fairfaxcryobank2 karma

Yes! The Covid-19 vaccine only requires a 48 hour deferral period from the time it was received.

Lindvaettr1 karma

What are the practical requirements for donating sperm? I've often read that people are very choosy when it comes to selecting sperm (for understandable reasons), so if you're under 6 feet tall, don't have a postgraduate degree, don't have a prestigious-sounding job, etc., you're unlikely to qualify. Is this true?

fairfaxcryobank2 karma

The requirements can be found here:

https://www.beaspermdonor.com/sperm-donor-qualifications/

Typically we base the acceptance off of medical history, background, family history, and overall health. Height is less relevant unless related to a medical condition, and donors can apply with only a high-school degree!

Alastor30 karma

Can I give sperm if I have a chronic illness like Crohn disease?

fairfaxcryobank4 karma

Unfortunately, many chronic illnesses like Crohn's disease do have a genetic component that makes the likelihood of an affected child higher than if the sperm provider doesn't have the disease. Crohn's tends to cluster in families, or cluster with other autoimmune diseases in families.

uttabonk0 karma

What's the current state of supply when it comes to sperm? Is there a strong need for more donors?

fairfaxcryobank5 karma

Yes! Demand is higher than ever and we are always looking to build our donor pool and to diversify with more ethnicities represented.

The_Maroon_Moose-1 karma

You seem like the experts that can finally answer this question for me: Why does the sweat from my balls smell different than the sweat from my armpits?

fairfaxcryobank4 karma

Unfortunately we are sperm experts, not sweat experts! But I applaud your curiosity!

SpxUmadBroYolo-7 karma

How do you prevent some degenerates with felonies from participating in this? Or is it just free game, you gotta dick that can cum here's 4k? What procedures do you guys use to screen these people before hand? I'm sure if a future mother is getting a sample in the future they wouldn't want some drug addict or criminal.

fairfaxcryobank7 karma

We complete both a criminal background check and a psychological screen called the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) on all prospective donors.