Dr. Amit Sharma

Donor Sperm

Couples use donor sperm (DI) when the husband/partner has no sperm or a very poor semen analysis (azoospermia, oligospermia, poor motility), or when there is a genetic problem which could be inherited from the male. Single women who want a biological child also use DI.

One must be psychologically ready to proceed with DI. Most doctors recommend that any patients considering DI see a counselor who is skilled at clarifying feelings about infertility, and about trying DI. It is essential that both partners feel comfortable with the decision and that all fears and questions be openly discussed. For some, it may mean dealing with various moral and ethical questions; for others, exploring questions about donor selection and whether to be open about the decision to do DI and whether to tell a child conceived by DI how they were conceived.

Success rates vary from 60-80% but achieving pregnancy may take many cycles.

Donor Selection

• Information about a donor’s physical characteristics, race, ethnic background, educational background, career history, and general health would be available. Many banks provide written profiles about the donors they have available. Some sperm banks are open to providing non-identifiable information about the donor (even photographs) as well as providing a service for adult offspring to obtain information about the donor.

• All donors should have tests for certain infections such as syphilis, hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus (CMV), gonorrhea, chlamydia, streptococcal species and trichomonas. All these organisms can be transmitted via semen to woman. Some can have grave effects on the fetus; others principally affect the woman. The donor’s semen should also be checked for the presence of white blood cells which can indicate an infection within the reproductive tract.

• Donors are excluded from a donor program if he or his sexual partner have experienced any of the following: a blood transfusion within one year, a history of homosexual activity, multiple sexual partners, a history of IV drug use, or a history of genital herpes.

• Before starting DI, a careful medical and reproductive history should be taken on the woman and a rubella titer, blood type, and antibody test for CMV should be done. If the woman tests negative for CMV, only a CMV-negative donor should be used. Some practices want to document normal ovulation patterns and many doctors order a hysterosalpingogram to document that the woman’s fallopian tubes are open.

• The DI procedure involves inseminating the woman as close to the time of ovulation as possible

• The highest success rates for DI are reported in women who have no infertility problems, are under 35 years old and whose partner/husbands have azoospermia (no sperm). Lower success rates are reported where there is a female factor (ovulation problem, endometriosis, DES, etc.) Or the woman is over 35.

Chlamydia is a very common STI caused by bacteria. Those patients who are suffering from chlamydia usually don't see the side effects in the early stages, which makes it that much more difficult to diagnose it. Chlamydia can bring about a lot of severe problems in the later stages. These include not being able to get pregnant later or causing dangers in pregnancies. This disease is often easily spread since it shows no noticeable symptoms and can be passed on the partner very easily. 75% of the infection in women and 50% of the infections in men cannot be noticed and are without any symptoms.

Symptoms: Since the side-effects are not always visible, when they do happen, they are normally recognizable within one to three weeks of contacting and include the following:

In women these are:

1. Vaginal discharge with strong odour
2. Abnormal bleeding during periods
3. Excruciating periods
4. Stomach pain with fever
5. Pain while engaging in sexual activities
6. Burning around the vagina
7. Pain during urination

In men:

1. Cloudy discharge from the tip of the penis
2. Excruciating pain while urinating
3. Burning around the opening of the penis
4. Swelling and pain in the testicles

Treatment: Chlamydia is easily treatable. Since it is bacterial in nature, it's treated with anti-infection agents. Following are some of the most common treatments for chlamydia in men as well as women:

1. Azithromycin is an anti-infection generally recommended in large dosage, yet the dosage may be spread out more than 5 days.

2. Doxycycline is an anti-microbial that must be taken twice every day for around one week. Your specialist may recommend different anti-infection agents.

Regardless of which antibiotic you are given, you should follow the dosage guidelines properly to ensure the infection is cured completely. This can take up to two weeks, even with the single-dosage medications.

Try not to engage in sexual relations while your treatment is going on. Unfortunately, you can get chlamydia again in case you're uncovered, regardless of the fact that you've had it and it was treated.

Women with extreme chlamydia infection may require hospitalisation, intravenous anti-microbial and painkillers. Your doctor might use a few tests to diagnose chlamydia. He or she will probably take samples from your urethra and cervix and then send it for further analysis. There are also other tests that include urine samples for presence of bacteria. Sometimes, even blood tests are taken depending upon your symptoms or in case the doctor is not able to diagnose it with previous methods and tests.

After taking the medication, individuals should get a follow-up on the treatment after three months to make certain that the disease is cured. This is highly important in case you are not sure whether your partner has been treated or not.