# confused



## Guest (Jun 3, 2008)

Hello everyone

I am currently looking for donor sperm and hoping to import from the US.  However, i am a little confused.  Cryobank.com said they dont import to the UK because their donors are anonymous and the UK want the names of the donors.  However, on their site they list donors as being open which seems to contradict what they are saying.  Has anyone else managed to import from Cryobank since the law changed?

Sheri


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## olivia m (Jun 24, 2004)

Hi Sheri
In order to import sperm from abroad donors need to fulfill ALL UK conditions, and US donors, even open ones, fail on this by being paid for their donations.  In the UK donors are only allowed to receive receiptable expenses.
Not what you wanted to hear but hope it helps you to understand.
Olivia


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2008)

the LWC said they could import Xytex.com, so I assume these donors are not paid?


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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

At Xytex, sperm donors are paid $65 for each acceptable specimen. At Cryobank donors are reimbursed $75 per specimen.

Doesn't sound like a lot of difference to me! (Also sounds like a very lucrative side-line of work).  

The HFEA state that, when importing sperm from abroad the following requirements need to be met:

    * The clinic from which the transfer is being made is licensed or accredited in accordance with the Directive
    * The donor of the sperm, eggs or embryos:
      - is identifiable,
      - has consented to the transfer of their sperm, eggs or embryos to the UK and
      - has been made aware of the legal position in the UK on identifying donors (including the implications for the donor).
    * The donor of the sperm, eggs or embryos must have only received reasonable expenses or reimbursement for loss of earnings. No inconvenience payments should have been made to the donor.
    * The sperm, eggs or embryos to be imported must meet the UK requirements on screening as set out in HFEA licence conditions and the Code of Practice


Perhaps they see $65 as reasonable, but not $75...??  
In the UK expenses and loss of earnings for donors is around £23 (around $46 these days) and are asked to donate twice a week for 6 months. The National Gamete Donation Trust state donors may also claim compensation for earnings lost during gamete donation, up to a daily maximum of £55.19, with an overall maximum of £250 per cycle of sperm donation.

So, this hasn't really helped has it? If you can be paid up to £55.19 for loss of earnings (around $110) plus expenses in this country, why would you not be able to import from a clinic in the US that pays $75 to donors? 

This hasn't really helped, has it? Why not contact LWC and ask about importing from Xytex and te HFEA rules on payment of donors?


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## Nai&#039;a (Mar 11, 2005)

Just wanted to add one more thing to what Pabbo wrote about requirements for the donor:


HFEA also like the use of the donor sperm to be limited to 10 families i.e. the sperm for that donor can only be used to get 10 different women pregnant.

In the US the sperm banks tend to allow the donor sperm to be used in as many women as request it until there is none of that donor left in the sperm bank.

It's not impossible to import sperm from the US, but it is very difficult to find a donor that meets the strict HFEA requirements in particular with payment and number of other people who have used that same donor. I imported sperm from the US just as the HFEA changed the importation rules and they backdated the rules on to us as we hadn't yet been approved. It took several months to get it all sorted, and I do know that they were being a bit lenient to us as the rules had just come in after we put in for an importation licence.

Good luck.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2008)

Nai'a said:


> Just wanted to add one more thing to what Pabbo wrote about requirements for the donor:
> 
> 
> HFEA also like the use of the donor sperm to be limited to 10 families i.e. the sperm for that donor can only be used to get 10 different women pregnant.
> ...


Hi did you do it yourself or did the clinic do it on your behalf? LWC dont seem to think there will be a problem and that a licence takes about 6 weeks and the Bridge work with Fairfax in the US. I may have to start looking at going to the US which i didnt want to do. however, i would want an open donor since i believe a child has a right to know both parents.


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## Nai&#039;a (Mar 11, 2005)

We worked together with our clinic. The clinic pointed us towards a sperm bank, we approached the sperm bank ourselves and requested further details for 1 or 2 donors we were really interested in. When we had settled on a donor we brought a number of vials from the sperm bank which they kept stored for us whilst our clinic filled in the appropriate paperwork to apply for the importation licence, and then chased up the HFEA for us when they were being so slow to sort themselves out.

We were the main ones dealing with the sperm bank, and my clinic were the main ones dealing with the HFEA. But different clinics probably work differently.

Although now that the rules are so tight, I would make as sure as you can before parting with any cash to the sperm bank that you are likely able to get an import licence from the HFEA for donors from that sperm bank.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2008)

Nai'a said:


> We worked together with our clinic. The clinic pointed us towards a sperm bank, we approached the sperm bank ourselves and requested further details for 1 or 2 donors we were really interested in. When we had settled on a donor we brought a number of vials from the sperm bank which they kept stored for us whilst our clinic filled in the appropriate paperwork to apply for the importation licence, and then chased up the HFEA for us when they were being so slow to sort themselves out.
> 
> We were the main ones dealing with the sperm bank, and my clinic were the main ones dealing with the HFEA. But different clinics probably work differently.
> 
> Although now that the rules are so tight, I would make as sure as you can before parting with any cash to the sperm bank that you are likely able to get an import licence from the HFEA for donors from that sperm bank.


Hi which London clinic did you use?


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## Nai&#039;a (Mar 11, 2005)

I'm not in London, I used ISIS which is in Essex.


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