Solo Parent Options

For women planning fertility treatment as a single women, this will often involve the use of donor sperm via fertility treatments such as insemination or IVF.

We will start with an initial appointment. You will need some initial investigations performed which encompass blood tests, urine test and a pelvic ultrasound.

In NSW all patients wishing to use donor eggs or sperm are required to have counselling prior to treatment, as per the NSW Reproductive Act. This can help you to make informed decisions about your care with full confidence. You will be referred to an accredited counsellor who is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors’ association (ANZICA).

Donor Sperm

The two primary sources of donor sperm are:

A known donor - this may be a friend or acquaintance who is wishing to donate sperm to you on a altruistic basis, for your fertility care
A de-identified donor - via a sperm bank. This is the more common scenario.

Through my affiliation with Monash IVF there are a number of options for to help you access de-identified sperm. This may be via local NSW sperm donors who donate directly through Monash IVF. Additionally Monash IVF maintains an exclusive affiliation with the Californian Cryobank (CBB) that allows improved access and options for donor sperm. Importantly, there is no waitlist for donor sperm treatment with 20+ sperm donors immediately available at any one time via Monash IVF and the CBB.

About the Donor Sperm Process

All sperm donors are thoroughly screened for significant personal history, family medical history and genetic disorders.

Mandatory testing includes:

Infection screen (including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma),
Karyotype and Genetic Carrier Screening
Semen testing - to ensure sperm is of good quality

Each donor completes a detailed questionnaire including if they have children already, interests, occupation, and the highest level of education achieved. The donor must also undergo mandatory counselling before donating sperm. This is aimed at helping the donors understand the implications of being a donor.

The NSW Reproductive Act is strictly followed. The donor must understand that he can be contacted by any offspring created using his sperm when the offspring turns 18 years. All donor births are recorded in a Donor Registry.

The (deindeintfied) donor cannot contact the offspring or the parent (donor sperm recipient). Likewise, the donor sperm recipient cannot contact the donor.

Once a potential sperm donor is given clearance to proceed as a donor, samples of their is then frozen and quarantined. After the quarantine period, the donor is again tested for infections. If all results are negative, the sperm can be used in a treatment cycle.

The Monash IVF NSW Donor Support team are available to answer all your questions. They can help in choosing the right donor for you. You can contact them directly on +61 2 9154 1170 or via email donor.nsw@monashivf.com