At Ingenes we have a sperm bank designed to collect, select, and store semen samples to give couples with special cases of male infertility and single women who want to be mothers, the possibility of starting a family through Assisted Reproduction treatments.

Our sperm bank has a wide variety of samples from people of different races and characteristics.

In our bank, the selection and evaluation of sperm donors is carried out under the parameters established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the World Health Organization, in addition to what is established by the competent Mexican authorities.

Additionally, we provide men seeking to preserve their fertility the option of freezing their samples for future use in Assisted Reproduction treatments.

Sperm donation

Many children are conceived each year thanks to sperm donation, which gives couples, with special cases of male infertility and single women who want to be mothers, the possibility of starting a family through various Assisted Reproduction treatments.

Sperm donation is a vital resource for:

• Couples who do not have sperm capable of giving rise to a healthy embryo due to conditions such as azoospermia (absence of sperm in the man's semen) and who have unsuccessfully attempted sperm retrieval through epididymal aspiration or testicular biopsy
• Men with severe sperm motility and morphology problems
• Prevent the transmission of genetic disorders through sperm
• Single women who want to realize their dream of having children

At Ingenes we have a sperm bank made up of samples from carefully evaluated and selected donors. These are mostly university students under 30 years of age who have decided to be donors for altruistic reasons and go to the bank selflessly.

The selection and evaluation of donors is carried out under the parameters established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the World Health Organization, in addition to what is established by the competent Mexican authorities. Likewise, the handling of samples is closely supervised by the National Transplant Center (CENATRA) and only a small percentage of men willing to be donors are accepted into our program.

Potential sperm donors undergo extensive medical and psychological testing, as well as a detailed survey about their background, lifestyle, and family medical history.

Likewise, it is verified that the semen sample freezes and thaws appropriately and is subjected to a chromosome analysis to verify that the donor's karyotype is normal.

Following the recommendations of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and given that the AIDS virus can remain latent for up to six months, semen samples are frozen and kept in quarantine during this period to confirm its absence.

Sperm donation is anonymous. Our patients can specify the physical characteristics of the donor they are looking for, however, they are advised that these are similar to their own, those of their partner, or their other children. In addition, the couple's blood group is taken into account to assign the most suitable donor.

At Ingenes we provide semen samples with concentration, mobility, and morphology conditions higher than those required by the World Health Organization. We have enough samples to meet the demands of our patients and a wide variety of donors with diverse physical characteristics. Likewise, we constantly renew our sperm donor base and limit the number of pregnancies achieved with each sample to avoid the risk of inbreeding between children of different patients with a common donor.

Once a donor is chosen, semen samples can be processed by our experts for use in any Assisted Reproduction treatment, in which the chances of pregnancy will depend mainly on the age of the patient and the number and quality of their eggs.

Our sperm bank staff is ready to work with you to determine the most appropriate Assisted Reproduction procedure for your circumstances, the type of donor you require, and the appropriate number of samples. It is important that patients considering sperm donation feel comfortable with the decision. Therefore, at Ingenes we have an emotional support unit to accompany them in the process, as well as qualified personnel willing to answer any questions they may have.

Semen storage

Semen banking is useful in a wide variety of situations:

• This allows men with cancer who must undergo toxic treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy (which carry the risk of losing fertility) to preserve their sperm and thus have the possibility of becoming fathers once the disease is over. Sperm must be stored before the process begins, however, it is possible to collect semen samples during the first days of chemotherapy or radiation treatments, since although these can affect the genetic material of developing sperm, mature sperm are resistant to damage
• Freezing semen is also of great help in cases where a man must take medications that affect his sperm production or undergo any surgical procedure that could damage his testicles or prostate.
• It is also recommended for men with diseases that can affect their ability to ejaculate, such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
• It is common for patients undergoing a vasectomy to decide to bank sperm before the procedure to keep their options open in case their life circumstances change.
• Semen freezing is useful when the man has undergone sperm recovery techniques such as epididymal aspiration or testicular biopsy and requires preserving his sperm for future Assisted Reproduction treatments.
• Finally, it is recommended that men who are about to undergo Assisted Reproduction treatment and who must travel frequently for work reasons, since this increases the risk that they will not be present at the time when it is necessary to carry out The procedure

At the Ingenes bank, we do a complete analysis of your semen before storing it. We also perform a freezing test to determine the survival rate of your sperm and help you decide how many samples you need to freeze. Depending on the quality of the sperm and the Assisted Reproduction method that could be used later, it is recommended that you store one or two samples for each pregnancy you wish to achieve.

Thanks to techniques such as In Vitro Fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which a good quality sperm is enough to fertilize the egg, it is convenient that you freeze your semen even if it only has a few viable sperm.

Semen can remain frozen indefinitely as long as freezing conditions remain constant. In addition, you can be sure that your samples will not be confused or mixed with those of other patients thanks to the fact that at Ingenes we have a rigorous system of labeling, identification, inventory, and storage of samples.