The sperm reach the laboratory

When should the semen sample be collected?

After oocyte retrieval, the male is asked to produce a semen sample. The sample is collected by masturbation into a sterile container labeled with his name. The semen sample is then transferred to the laboratory where it will be processed for the IVF procedure.

What procedure is followed when donor semen is required?

Our team will allocate a suitable sperm donor for the couple or, in its case, for a single woman or a lesbian couple. Frozen donor sperm samples are usually obtained from our own sperm bank. If the required semen samples were not available, they will be ordered from another sperm bank.
On the same day of the egg retrieval, the sperm from the selected donor will be processed for the IVF procedure.

Does the semen require any special preparation?

Yes. Semen samples, either obtained from the male partner by masturbation or, in its case, from the sperm bank, need to be processed by density gradient centrifugation before they are used for IVF.