Protecting the privacy and anonymity of our sperm donors is extremely important to Seattle Sperm Bank. This includes men who are open identity (or open ID) donors, which is the option SSB strongly encourages, and which most of our donors currently are. Open ID donors agree to have at least one form of contact with any donation-born offspring once the child turns 18. This initial contact is facilitated by SSB, but what happens beyond that first connection is then up to the donor and the adult...

  One of the best ways to improve your sperm production is also one of the simplest: keep your testicles cool. And the type of underwear you choose plays a major role in this. Thirty years’ worth of studies has shown that chronically elevated scrotal temperatures can negatively affect sperm production. Now, a recent study highlighted in the journal Human Reproduction offers further proof. Published on August 8, 2018, the study focused on the effects of underwear worn by men on sperm...

July 25th marked the 40th birthday of the first “test tube baby,” Louise Brown. In late 1977, Brown was conceived outside the womb using in vitro fertilization (IVF) when scientist Dr. Robert Edwards and gynecologist Dr. Patrick Steptoe united sperm and egg in a petri dish before implanting it in Louise’s mother, Lesley Brown. At the time, the development stoked fears that children born from IVF would be deformed or unhealthy. However, the more than eight million children who have followed...

It was a perfect, sunny afternoon on July 14th and more than 40 donor children and their extended families (140 people in all) gathered at the Seattle Aquarium for the 5th Annual Seattle Sperm Bank Family Picnic. Old friends came together, and new friends were made, as everyone enjoyed a picnic, face-painting, coloring books, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery. SSB Managing Director, Greg Moga, calls the picnic his “favorite day of the year — like New Year's Eve, the 4th of July,...

Leaders from Seattle Sperm Bank are currently in Barcelona, Spain attending the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. At our exhibitor’s booth we are talking with and educating physicians, clinicians, and medical administrators about the benefits of working with SSB to help their patients using donor sperm to conceive. We’re also here to learn. With fertility and reproduction experts from around the world in attendance, it’s a great opportunity to hear...

    For women free of fertility issues, artificial insemination at home can be a reliable and affordable way to start a family. This method offers convenience and comfort since it can be done in your home on your schedule. As with all fertility decisions, choosing at home insemination is a highly personal choice that should always be discussed with your doctor first. At Seattle Sperm Bank (SSB), we only offer at-home insemination shipments after you have discussed this procedure with...

Seattle Sperm Bank first wrote about the Zika virus in February 2016 as it was rapidly spreading from Brazil to other parts of the Americas. Though the issue has been out of the news for a while, scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have continued to research the virus. Now, in a study released in the April 12, 2018 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the CDC is planning to reassess the current guidelines for protecting against the sexual...

Recent reports of fertility clinics experiencing cryotank failures that resulted in potential damage to thousands of stored oocytes and embryos have left patients asking what went wrong — and how these failures can be prevented in the future. While the causes of the tank failures are unknown, and the extent of the damage still undetermined, Seattle Sperm Bank wants our clients and potential clients to know our processes and equipment are set up to prevent such scenarios. And these processes...