Procedure for prospective parents

At the beginning of fertilisation through sperm donation - known as "donogenic insemination" in technical jargon - there is usually a consultation with a specialist who will advise you on the legal, medical, and social aspects of this procedure. You can have this discussion with your gynaecologist or, of course, at a fertility centre of the TFP Group.

In order for artificial insemination to be carried out with a sperm donation, the doctor usually signs a written agreement with you, which regulates the rights and obligations of the parties involved as standard. In addition, a notarized contract is often necessary, which, above all, secures the rights of the child resulting from fertilisation.

Both agreements are not directly related to the order of sperm donation, but in Germany, they are necessary to carry out the subsequent treatment. In other countries, there are very different regulations.

Our catalogue currently includes over 100 active donors with their characteristic features - from physique and hair and eye colour to blood group and rhesus factor to profession. As the only sperm bank in Germany, we also offer the possibility to select according to ethnic origin. The number of sperm donors listed with us, and thus the choices available to interested couples, is growing continuously.

We are happy to advise you on the selection of a donor profile. We consider physical characteristics such as eye and hair colour, skin type, facial shape, and features. We can also discuss the character traits of the donor together. This counselling can take place in person at our institute or by telephone and e-mail - whatever works best for you.

In order to find a suitable donor for you who meets your criteria and wishes, we need you to send us the criteria form (see below) - by e-mail, fax or post. To complete the selection process, we also ask you to send us the signed TFP Sperm Bank Agreement by post. We will then arrange a telephone consultation to introduce you to potential donors carefully selected according to your wishes. We will also send you the corresponding donor profiles by e-mail so that you can think about the donor selection in detail.

First, decide how much of the selected donor semen you would like to order and in which quality. The "Halmart" distinguishes the degree of preparation of the semen, and the quality/motility "MOT" corresponds to the number of motile sperm per millilitre. We supply the donor semen in so-called "straws" with a volume of 0.3 ml each.

NF - Native Frozen:

With this type of semen, the donor sperm is frozen unprocessed directly after the examination. Therefore, it must be processed in the laboratory of the fertility centre before use. Here, you can also choose whether the material should be tested for CFTR. This relatively common, hereditary metabolic disorder can lead to cystic fibrosis, a chronic disease of the respiratory tract.

Depending on the natural starting values of the semen, NF straws are offered in motilities between MOT 5 and MOT 40.

For IUI, we recommend 2 straws MOT>16, 3 straws MOT 10-15, or 4 straws MOT<10.

For IVF, we recommend 3-4 straws, and for ICSI, 1 straw is sufficient.

RTU - Ready-to-use:

RTU is significantly more complex to produce but easier to use. RTU straws are prepared before freezing and can be used for insemination immediately after thawing. RTU straws are always CFTR-tested.

For an IUI, we recommend 1 straw MOT>9 or 2 straws MOT 5-9. For an ICSI, we recommend 1 straw.

Next, let us know which donor and which sperm quality and quantity you have chosen so that we can plan the processing and scheduling of the further procedure.

You will find information on the corresponding costs under costs.

In order for us to be able to send the delivery, we need the signed CDB agreement (see below) sent by post to the address given there. As soon as we have this and the order has been paid for, a specialised company will deliver the sensitive cargo, cooled down to -170 degrees Celsius. An accompanying letter with all the important information about the seed material and its use is enclosed.

We contact your designated fertility centre beforehand to ensure smooth logistics.

This process usually takes 3-4 weeks from the time of order.

Furthermore, we would like to point out that the instrumental transfer of sperm from a donor can only be carried out by a regional gynaecologist. Accordingly, the donor sperm is not delivered to private individuals but to fertility practices where the treatment takes place. These have concluded a cooperation agreement with us.

To ensure that your fertility treatment runs smoothly, we ask you to coordinate the course of treatment with the time of dispatch of the sperm samples.

We recommend that you do not plan your fertility treatment until you have received confirmation that the sperm samples have been sent.