Finding the Right Donor

Rainbow Fertility operates a sperm donor program to give recipients (and their partners, if applicable) who need the assistance of donor sperm the opportunity to become a parent. Choosing a sperm donor is one of the first things an individual or couple undergoing fertility treatment with donor sperm will need to do.

Types of donors

Sperm donors are classified as either “known” or “unknown” depending on the type of relationship between donor and recipient.

Known sperm donor

If the recipient already has an existing relationship with the donor, this is called a known donation. Usually a friend or family member, known donors have an existing relationship with the recipient and their donated sperm will only be used by them.

Clinic-recruited or unknown sperm donor

When a donor makes the decision to provide sperm to an individual or a couple not known to them, this is known as a clinic-recruited sperm donation. In this situation, the recipient has never met the donor, and the donor has the choice to remain unknown to the recipient. When a child is conceived this way, they will be able to access identifying information about the donor when they reach 18, or acquired sufficient maturity to appreciate the significance of the request (NHMRC 2007).

At Rainbow Fertility if you already have a “known” donor we will be happy to work with them. Alternatively, we have a large range of clinic-recruited donor sperm available with no wait times.

Finding and choosing clinic-recruited donor sperm

To help couples and individuals find their ideal donor, Rainbow Fertility in partnership with City Fertility has launched a new initiative, Addam Donor Bank.

Addam Donor Bank is Australia’s leading donor sperm bank which was created with the sole purpose of helping couples and individuals who require donor sperm to fulfil their dreams of parenthood. With a large range of donors to choose from, Addam allows users to find their ideal donor in the privacy and convenience of their own home in three simple steps – search, match and request.

To learn more, visit our Addam Donor Bank page.

Please note clinic-recruited donors from Australia are able to donate to up no more than 10 women in VIC and QLD and 5 in NSW (this includes the donor and any current or former partner of the donor). If you want to use the same donor for both partners, it is important to let the clinic know as we will try to help you select a donor with whom this is possible.

After starting the family-building process with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), some people may discover they, or their partner, need the assistance of donor eggs to conceive. As a consequence, Rainbow Fertility operates a comprehensive egg donor program to give individuals requiring donor eggs the opportunity to have a baby.

Types of donors

Egg donors are classified as either “known” or “unknown” depending on the type of relationship between donor and recipient.

Known egg donor

If the recipient already has an existing relationship with the donor, this is called a known donation. Having someone you know undergo IVF procedures to provide the eggs offers several benefits, including knowing the genetic origin of the eggs and reduced wait times.

When a known donor is over 35 years of age, the recipient is advised of the increased risk of medical issues, including miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities. If the recipient chooses to use an egg from a donor in these circumstances, this will be at the clinician’s discretion.

Clinic-recruited or unknown egg donor

When a donor makes the decision to provide eggs to an individual or a couple not known to them, this is known as a clinic-recruited egg donation. In this situation, the recipient has never met the donor, and the donor has the choice to remain unknown to the recipient. However, it is mandatory for a donor to agree to release identifying information (name, date of birth, address) to a child conceived as a result of her donation once the child turns 18 or younger with counsellor approval.

Finding and choosing clinic-recruited donor eggs

Rainbow Fertility in partnership with City Fertility has joined The World Egg Bank (TWEB) in a partnership to provide individuals who do not produce eggs or cannot use the eggs they produce, with the opportunity to become a parent.

This partnership means Rainbow Fertility patients now have two options when considering using an egg donor, either wait for one from our Australian egg donor service or they select from The World Egg Bank. This not only increases the number of donors available to choose from but also has the potential to dramatically reduce waiting times.

For more information on our partnership with The World Egg Bank and the options we have available for you, please visit our The World Egg Bank web page.

Alternatively, if you would like further information regarding our egg donor program, please contact us.

Please note access to The World Egg Bank is only available in Queensland and New South Wales.

Rainbow Fertility also operates an embryo donor program to assist individuals and couples to achieve their dream of parenthood.

Types of donors

Embryo donors are classified as either “known” or “unknown” depending on the type of relationship between donor and recipient.

Known embryo donor

If the recipient already has an existing relationship with the donor, this is called a known donation.

Clinic-recruited or unknown embryo donor

When a donor makes the decision to provide embryos to an individual or a couple not known to them, this is known as a clinic-recruited embryo donation. In this situation, the recipient has never met the donor, and the donor has the choice to remain unknown to the recipient. However, it is mandatory for a donor to agree to release identifying information (name, date of birth, address) to a child conceived as a result of her donation once the child turns 18 or younger with counsellor approval.

People of all ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds can become clinic-recruited donors at Rainbow Fertility. This includes people of different heights, shapes and sizes, as long as they meet the criteria below:

• Sperm donors must be between 18 and 45 years of age (18 to 45 in Victoria). All clinic-recruited sperm donors must have a semen analysis, anti-sperm antibody test and trial freeze/post-thaw analysis to ensure their sperm is suitable for donation.
• Egg donors must be aged 18-32 years. All clinic-recruited egg donors must have an AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) blood test (which is generally a good indicator of the ovarian reserve) and pelvic ultrasound to ensure they will be suitable as donors.
• Donors must be in good health and have no history of hereditary disease. Donors will not be accepted if they suffer from an illness, disease or genetic condition that poses an unacceptable risk of being passed on to any child conceived from the donation.
• Donors must have a low risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. All donors and their partners are screened for infectious diseases.
• Donors must provide a family medical history.
• Some people in the community may not be able to donate because their lifestyle puts them at greater risk of contracting diseases that could infect the recipients and any children conceived. All donors must sign a lifestyle declaration.
• All donors (and their partners) must complete two counselling sessions.
• All donors must consent to release their identifying details to any possible offspring when they reach the age of 18 years.