Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
As Australia’s leading donor bank and selection tool, our commitment is to provide you with a unique, engaging, and simple-to-navigate experience.
With Addam, you can rest assured we’ll be here with you every step of the way, empowering you in your journey towards parenthood.
Things to consider
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- We understand that before you begin the search for your ideal donor, there is much to consider. To help you make an informed decision, we have put together a few essential points to help you get started. To learn more, click here
Searching for a donor
How do I select a sperm donor?
Selecting a donor is an important first step on your journey toward starting a family. During your donor selection process, we recommend that you create an account to gain access to the extended profiles of our sperm donors.
Your registration will provide you with unlimited access to detailed donor profiles, where you can find all the information you need to make your final decision. The registration is free and without commitment.
You can use our Donor Search Tool to help you find a donor that best matches your criteria by inputting some of your desired characteristics (eye colour, height, ethnicity, etc) and selecting profiles from the filtered results.
Types of donors
Known donor
When the donor and recipient know each other and have an existing relationship, this is known as a recipient-recruited donation. In this case, the recipient usually receives a donation from a friend, relative or family member.
Clinic-recruited donor
When a donor voluntarily donates their sperm to an unknown recipient, this is called a clinic-recruited donation. The donor and recipient do not know each other, and the donor can choose to keep their identity unknown; however, they must agree to provide identifying information to be revealed to a child conceived as a result of their donation once the child turns 18 or younger with counsellor approval.
What are basic and extended donor profiles?
A basic donor profile is a piece of information about the donor that shows to users who haven’t created an account with us. This information includes eye and hair colour, height, ethnicity and occupation.
An extended donor profile is a much more in-depth look at each donor and includes information such as personality type, interests and hobbies, detailed medical history, and much more.
How do I add a donor to my favourites?
To add a donor to your favourites, simply tick on the heart shape that is on the top right corner of each donor’s profile, if you are on the Addam website, or swipe right if you are using the Addam app.
Why is my donor no longer available?
A donor’s availability can fluctuate on a daily basis. This can be due to the donor’s family limit being reached, or all vials have been exhausted.
I am seeing CMV status listed for your donors. What does this mean?
- Cytomegalovirus, more commonly known as CMV. CMV is a member of the herpes family which includes chicken pox and cold sores. CMV manifests in cold or flu-like symptoms. Most adults will have been exposed to the virus as a child. Once exposed to CMV you will test positive for CMV antibodies.
- If you test negative for CMV antibodies and choose a CMV-positive donor, we suggest discussing this with your clinician. A waiver will need to be completed if choosing a CMV-positive donor if you are CMV-negative As there may be a small risk of complications.
To find out your CMV status please contact your Fertility Specialists or nurses at your clinic. You will need to have completed your initial pathology screenings in order to find out.
Requesting Donor Sperm
When should I order donor sperm?
Your order should be placed at least three weeks before the intended treatment date.
Please note you will need to make a reservation by Day 1 of your period, otherwise you will be required to wait until your next cycle.
We cannot guarantee the completion and delivery of orders placed later than this.
What happens after I select a sperm donor?
Once you have registered with us and selected your sperm donor preferences, you will receive an email with useful information on what will happen next. Our friendly staff will give you a call or email to organise everything for you. If you are a new patient, we will:
- Book a medical consultation
- Book pathology collection
- Counselling
- Patient education
How much donor sperm can I order?
You are only permitted to order one donor at a time, although you can order 1 – 2 vials from that donor. Often individuals will purchase 2 vials of the same donor as it may take more than one attempt to achieve a pregnancy, and many individuals wish to have sperm reserved for treatments to obtain a sibling. We may be able to procure additional sperm from a particular donor once our supplies have run out of stock but this depends on the donor’s availability at the time. If you are choosing an overseas donor (NSW and QLD only) the overseas provider may be able to be contacted. Ask your clinic for their recommendations.
According to Australian law, donors may be used to create up to 10 families in Queensland, 5 families in New South Wales, and 10 individuals in Victoria.
Can I purchase the whole donor?
Addam donors cannot exclusively be purchased for one recipient only.
Treatment
What are the treatment options available for people using donated sperm?
Donor Insemination (DI)
Donor Insemination using donated sperm is a fertility procedure in which treated sperm is inserted into a recipient’s uterus directly, to increase the possibility of conceiving
Donor insemination involves the use of frozen sperm from a donor. The method of artificial insemination most commonly used is Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI).
In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
In-Vitro Fertilisation involves the fertilisation of the egg by the donated sperm in an incubator outside the body before the embryo is transferred back into the recipient’s uterus.
Your specialist will discuss your IVF treatment cycle with you. The treatment type usually depends on an individual’s medical history, age, diagnosis and other related fertility factors.
Can I reserve the same sperm donor for a future offspring/ sibling?
Once your pregnancy is confirmed at an early pregnancy scan you have the opportunity to reserve 2 vials for a sibling pregnancy in the future.
If I am not successful in my treatment, can I have the same donor again in the future?
Yes, you can use the same donor again providing the donor has stock and the family limit has not been reached.
Do you have a vial exchange program?
If you purchase sperm through Addam Donor Bank and no longer require it, a refund of the reservation fee will not be offered.
Can I purchase sperm from Addam and transport it to another clinic?
To ensure family limits can be accurately tracked and are not breached, a donor’s sperm can only be used at our City Fertility or Rainbow Fertility Clinics. If embryos are created from donor sperm, the embryos are able to be released to other IVF providers.
Can I purchase sperm from Addam and use it for home insemination?
Artificial insemination at home is a great option for those who want to start their journey to parenting in a private, familiar environment. Our partner insemination clinic, InSem, offers at-home insemination using Addam donor sperm with their InSem Kit. For more information or to discuss at-home insemination with a fertility nurse, please visit the InSem website.
Why do I need to see a City Fertility/Rainbow Fertility specialist and have a treatment plan prior to reserving sperm?
Not all donors are suitable for all treatment types. Your clinician will advise you which treatment option is best for you.
What is Extended Genetic Carrier Screening?
- Donors recruited after September 2019 now complete an Extended Genetic Carrier Screening test which consists of 176 genetic conditions.
- A donor will either be:
– Positive (The donor is a carrier of a genetic condition)
– Negative (The donor is negative to all 176 conditions tested) or
– Not Performed (If the screening wasn’t performed and carrier status is unknown) - If the donor is positive for one or more conditions, this does not mean the donor has the condition; merely that he is a carrier. It is advised that you also complete the genetic carrier screening test to ensure you are also not a carrier for the same condition. If you and the donor were both carriers of the same condition, there is a higher chance your child could be born with that genetic condition.
- You can waiver the genetic carrier screening test, but counselling with a geneticist is required before proceeding with treatment so any risks can be explained to you.
- Please advise your treating clinician if you wish to be tested.
How many vials can I reserve?
You can choose to reserve between 1 to 2 vials of sperm. Only one reservation can be in place at any given time.
About Addam Donors
Who can donate sperm?
Individuals of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds are welcome to become sperm donors if they meet these criteria:
- Aged 18-45
- Healthy with no history of genetic disease. Donors will not be accepted if they suffer from an illness, disease or inherited condition that can be passed on to a child conceived from their donation
- Low risk for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS
- Able to provide a family medical history
- If married or in a de facto relationship, the partner must consent to the donation.
- Clinic-recruited donors must have a permanent address whilst donating and be contactable for follow-up tests. They must be able to provide three identifiers and proof of permanent address (driver’s licence, photo ID and passport)
- A lifestyle declaration must be signed.
What screening do the donors undergo?
- All sperm donors are tested for infectious diseases before donations commence. Donors recruited after September 2019 now complete an Extended Genetic Carrier Screening test which consists of 176 genetic conditions.
- Three-month quarantine period applies to all clinic recruited sperm donors.
- City Fertility Sperm donors may not have been screened for Fragile X Syndrome and Spinal Muscular Atrophy prior to July 2014.
Are the donor's details available to my child?
At the age of 18, any child born from donor gametes is entitled to know their genetic origin. Counselling is required before the donors identifying information is provided.
Why don’t you offer adult photos of your donors?
Under Australia regulation, we are unable to provide the recipient with any information that may identify the donor.
How often does the list of available donor’s change?
The donor’s availability list can change daily due to either all stock being exhausted or family limits being reached. To avoid disappointment, it is imported to place your reservation in a timely manner and have more than one option on your selection form.
Can shipping sperm from overseas, harm the sperm?
There is no evidence to show that shipping sperm between clinics or from overseas will have any effect on sperm quality.
About the Addam App
How do I download the app?
You can either download the app from your App Store (if you have an iPhone) or from Google Play if you have Android. Be sure to check the IOS app store or Google Play store for mobile device compatibility.
Download on the App Store Download on the Play Store
Is your app available for any types of phones?
You can download our Addam app from any device from Android, to iPhone. The only mobiles our mobile does not work on is for Microsoft devices. If you have a Microsoft phone, please note you can still navigate through our website and select donors you like – our website is mobile friendly and it has all the information you need to browse your favourite donors.
Post-treatment
How do I report a birth?
- A City Fertility nurse will follow up throughout your pregnancy. To ensure family limits are adhered to and are not breached, it is a legal requirement in Australia for any live birth created with donor gametes to be reported.
- In Victoria, births will be reported to VARTA
- In New South Wales births will be reported to the Ministry of Health.
- If an overseas sperm donor was used, the live birth will be reported to the provider in addition to state reporting.
I’ve achieved pregnancy using a donor, and I would like to try for a sibling pregnancy.
What if all stock of that donor has been exhausted, what are my options?
- If a local donor was used, we can reach out to him to see if he would be willing to re-donate.
- If your donor is from one of our overseas providers, we can reach out to the sperm bank to see what remaining stock they have available.
Removing or deleting an account with Addam Donor Bank
How do I delete my Addam account?
Deleting an Addam account is permanent. After going through the process, all of your preferred donors and matches will be erased.
To remove your Addam account, simply email us at contact@addamdonorbank.com.au and we will send you an email within 2 business days to confirm your account has been deleted successfully.