Do you ever wonder how we select our donors? Here is a step-by-step description of how we select donors for our program.
1 The Phone Call
Potential donors may call prior to filling out a medical history packet. During this phone call, the potential donors are asked several basic questions about their height weight, age and educational background. Our donors must:
• Be between the ages of 19 and 39 (The American Association of Tissue Banks sets age 39 as the maximum age for donors).
• Have a BMI at or under 28
• Be a high school graduate or above (no GED)
• Be a St. Louis resident and available for at least the next 2 years
• Be able to provide the medical and genetic information on themselves and their family members as required by PCB.
We look for donor characteristics according to the requests of our clients.
2 The Application Process
If the potential donor meets all the initial criteria listed above, they will be asked to complete the Donor Medical History Questionnaire. The potential donor will then have several semen analysis performed to determine whether the potential donor’s semen meets our standards.
3 The Screening Process
If the potential donor's medical history and semen analysis’ meet our standards, they will be asked to come in for an interview and begin the screening process. During this period, a potential donor will meet with our medical director and laboratory director for interviews to carefully review the medical/genetic history questionnaire (the medical/genetic history is carefully evaluated for any birth defects or known genetic conditions), have a complete physical exam and have various laboratory tests, including testing for communicable diseases.
If both the medical director and laboratory director are satisfied with the man’s medical/genetic history and after the screening is complete and all tests have come back negative, the donor is accepted and can begin donating specimens for compensation. ALL DONORS must come in for repeat blood tests every 6 months.
The majority of potential donors are disqualified due to inadequate semen specimens. Because total motile sperm count will decrease during freezing and thawing process, a donor's fresh semen samples must meet certain minimum requirements.
