This is how a man becomes a sperm donor

Due to marriage for all, sperm is becoming scarce in Switzerland. Sperm banks report a real rush of lesbian couples since July 1, when not only marriage but also sperm donation was open to them.

“In 2021 we had 80 couples in treatment, and now we have 40 more in one fell swoop,” says Peter Fehr of the OVA IVF clinic in Zurich. This presents the seed bank with a huge challenge. Until now, the donor pool consisted of about 45 men, which is no longer enough. In addition to the five to ten donors that are sought annually because sperm can only be stored for five years, another 15 new donors now had to be recruited to meet the increased need. “And we need more,” says the doctor. In Zurich, there is a waiting list for couples who want children.

Per ad for donor search

The clinic does not have to actively recruit donors. Men who could envision becoming sperm donors kept coming forward, says Fehr. The vote on marriage for all drew the attention of many men to the subject and the number of surveys increased sharply. “We’re going back to that list now.”

Different in Western Switzerland. Donors are also sought through advertisements, for example, says Daniel Wirthner of the CPMA center in Lausanne. There, the number of requests for sperm donation has doubled since July 1. Neither the Zurich clinic nor the Lausanne clinic use donor sperm from sperm banks abroad.

A donor costs more than 10,000 francs

Not everyone in Switzerland can become a sperm donor. Sperm banks select their donors very carefully – the quality of the sperm, the health, but also the appearance, education and motivation of the donor are decisive. Recruiting a new donor costs more than 10,000 francs, says Fehr of the OVA IVF clinic in Zurich. That’s why you pay close attention to which men fit into your portfolio in terms of height, hair color or eye color.

In Zurich, interested men deliberately wait a while to see if they are still interested in becoming a sperm donor after a few months. If they are still willing and have the insider knowledge that is currently being sought, they will be invited to an information meeting. What follows is a so-called spermiogram, which shows how many sperm cells a man has and how mobile they are.

The clinic writes on an information page that it is not uncommon for someone willing to donate to be told that there are not enough mobile sperm cells to freeze them.

Blood and genes are also examined

Whose semen meets the quality requirements is questioned and examined for previous illnesses and operations. The blood is also analyzed and a genetic test is done to exclude that someone is a carrier of a hereditary disease. Only those who pass all these tests are considered donors.

The donors receive compensation for the entire procedure, in Zurich that is about 2,000 francs. There is no salary, it is forbidden in Switzerland. No one should become a donor for financial reasons – but purely out of generosity.