Children conceived using sperm donors should be told of their origins at an early age, research suggests.

A Cambridge University team talked to 165 children conceived this way, and found those not told until the age of 18 often felt shock and anger.

But a European reproductive health conference was warned once children know, they may want to seek out their biological parent.

A UK patient group urged parents to be open from children from the start.

The study is one of the first to compare the views of the offspring of donor insemination told of their origins during childhood with those who only found out in adulthood.

The offspring, aged 13 to 61, were all on the US Donor Sibling Registry, which helps offspring search for their biological parent and any siblings.

The majority live in the US, with 2% living in the UK.

They were all asked to fill out an online questionnaire.

Assimilation

The results showed around 60% of children being brought up in single parent or same-sex parent families were told about their origins before the age of three, compared with just 9% of children of heterosexual parents.

A third of children of children in heterosexual parents only told their children after they turned 18.

Donor offspring who were told after the age of three were asked how they felt when they discovered how they were conceived, with those who were younger excluded as they would have been too young to recall their response.

The earlier someone was told, the better, the study found.

Over two thirds of those told when they were over 18 reported feeling confused, compared to a third of those told when they were aged four to 11.

Similar differences were seen in the numbers who reported feeling betrayed or anger at being lied to, shock and numbness.

A woman aged 30, who found out how she was conceived in her late teens said: “I would have appreciated revelation of this information much earlier in my life.

“Learning of my biological identity at 17 years of age was a traumatic event.”

However, a 13-year-old who found out aged four said: “I was so young I don’t remember feeling much more than interested and curious.”

Dr Vasanti Jadva, of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, who led the work, said: “It appears it is better for children to be told about their donor conception at an early age.

“This finding is in line with research on adoption, which also shows that children benefit from early disclosure about the circumstances of their birth.”

But she said it was important to recognise that telling children might trigger curiosity about their biological parent, and they may want to contact them.”

Olivia Montuschi, of the UK’s Donor Conception Network, said: “We advocate openness from the beginning, from before a child reaches five.

“We even encourage talking to babies about how they were conceived, not because they will understand, but so that parents can practice talking about the issue and get used to the language they want to use.”

She added: “If parents do it this way, there is no big revelation. It just becomes one of the things a child knows about itself.”

Details were presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Barcelona.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7493073.stm

Published: 2008/07/07 10:30:06 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

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What are the requirements?
The requirements for becoming a sperm donor are very high, and qualifying to be a sperm donor is not easy by any means. Most sperm banks will reject more than 95% of all donor applications for a myriad of reasons that most men would not think of. Of course you have to be in excellent physical health and normally between 18 and 35 years old, although many sperm banks do have donors up to 40 years old. You must also be free from any sexually transmitted diseases, not a heavy drinker or smoker, and free from any serious genetic disorders which may be transferred to your progeny. You will have to pass a physical examination and supply blood and urine samples, which will undergo further disease testing in the laboratory. The physical exams and testing process can take several months before a donor qualifies.

Your parents’ and grandparents’ medical history will be necessary along with yours of course. If your parents are deceased, then you will need to explain why and how it happened. If you were adopted as a child and do not have medical records of your biological parents, you may be disqualified because family history is important when selecting a donor candidate.

What about the commitment?
Being a sperm donor requires a serious commitment to the entire process. You must be willing to make visits to a fertility clinic or sperm bank 1 to 3 times per week for at least six months while your semen samples are tested, frozen, thawed and re-tested for conditions such as HIV and other diseases with an incubation period. You should expect to have at least an hour or more to dedicate to visits each week. Sperm donors must be re-evaluated through laboratory screenings, medical history updates and physical examinations at least twice a year.

What should I expect?
The first step in becoming a sperm donor is to complete the donor questionnaire from a sperm bank. where you must answer questions about your personal life and health habits. You can also expect to have to take a full physical examination and medical testing such as providing blood and urine samples. Donor candidates may be interviewed by trained counselors for information about their personality, behavior and health.

If your family and personal medical history are acceptable, then your provided samples will undergo an extensive evaluation and semen analysis. Your sperm are to be tested to ensure a suitable sperm count volume and other factors that will determine semen sample quality. Sperm donors must have a higher than average sperm count because the freezing process can affect a certain number of viable sperm cells. You may be asked to visit again for a follow-up exam in three or six months for various reasons such as incubation times for certain diseases or conditions.

You may be asked to provide photograph and you will need to decide if you want to remain anonymous or if you want to participate in an Identity Disclousure Program. You can expect to be reimbursed per specimen after approval.

Why should I do it?
As stated, there are as many reasons to be a sperm donor as there are sperm donors in the world, but many donors truly enjoy the experience and are happy to be able to help others build a family when they may not have ever been able to do so without a donor. You can read a donors story “Why I became a donor” in our previous blog post.

Where should I go?
You will have to find a local sperm bank where you can participate in their donor program. If you live in Georgia, try contacting Xytex about their donor program.

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The personality analysis is generated in the form of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS), first published in 1978 by Dr. David Keirsey. Since then, this 70-question personality instrument has been used by universities, employers and government agencies all over the world, and has helped people gain insight into themselves and the people around them.

These 15-page reports are available for select donors directly from the Xytex web site. Patients can easily see which donors have this informational option available by utilizing the advanced search tool on the site. They may then use the information in these reports to aid in donor selection and then keep the information to share with their future children.

Along with the personality evaluations, Xytex also offers childhood and adult photos for many donors, downloadable audio interviews with donors, as well as PhotoSpans, a series of five photos of the donor from infancy to adulthood. For more information, visit www.xytex.com.

About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells and is the parent company of Xytex Cord Blood Bank; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

For more information, please contact:
Sheridan Rivers
Director of Sales
Xytex Corporation
706-733-0130
srivers@xytex.com

###

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CMV may be transmitted in milk, saliva, urine, cervical secretions, semen, and transplanted tissue, including blood. The virus is not readily transmitted by casual contact. Most adult infections are asymptomatic, and the remainder (approximately 10 percent) have cold or flu-like symptoms or an illness similar to mononucleosis.

Approximately 1 percent of American neonates are infected with CMV. Congenital CMV infections almost always are a result of primary maternal infection, meaning the mother became infected with CMV for the first time while pregnant. Only rarely is it a result of reactivation of dormant maternal infection. Congenital CMV infections range from asymptomatic to severe and disseminated. Most of these are asymptomatic at birth, but over subsequent years significant psychomotor, hearing, ocular, or dental abnormalities will develop in 5 to 25 percent of these infants. Overt disease is present in approximately 5 percent of infected fetuses; of these, 30 to 50 percent develop brain development abnormalities.

Generally, after a person becomes infected with CMV, the virus goes dormant but remains in the body, similar to the behavior of the viruses that cause cold sores, genital herpes, and chickenpox. In certain circumstances, the virus may reactivate with or without symptoms, and during this time the person may be contagious. Tests for antibodies to CMV can distinguish between current (recent) infection and past (inactive) infection. Persons with current or recent infection have IgM antibodies to CMV in their blood; once the infection is over, these antibodies disappear from the blood. Persons with past infection have IgG antibodies to CMV; these antibodies remain in the blood indefinitely.

Xytex tests its donors for IgG and IgM antibodies to CMV at least every six months. Approximately 60 percent of our donors are IgG positive, in line with statistics in the general population. All of our donors are IgM negative; we do not accept semen from IgM positive donors.

Xytex urges you to discuss the issues of CMV with your doctor. After all, your doctor is the best person to explain how these issues pertain to your individual situation. Most likely, you are already seropositive (IgG-positive) for CMV. Even if you are seronegative, your risk of being infected with CMV from an IgG-positive donor (who is IgM-negative) is very slight. The CMV status of each donor is listed in his basic profile on the Xytex website.

–Dr. J. Todd Spradlin, Medical Director, Xytex Corporation

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1. Regulation: Sperm banking, which includes the screening and testing of sperm donors, is an increasingly regulated activity. Effective on May 25, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commenced its regulation of reproductive tissue banks (21 CFR Part 1271). The FDA’s regulatory focus includes standards for the screening and testing of donors and proper record keeping procedures. Since these regulations became effective, all major sperm banks have been audited for compliance by the FDA through on-site inspections. FDA inspections will be performed on a continuing basis.

In addition to federal regulation, most major sperm banks are also licensed and inspected by several states, particularly New York, California, and Maryland. Licensing by state agencies began as early as 1992.

Although not having the force of law, sperm banks also have conducted operations consistent with the guidelines and/or standards of professional organizations such as the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB).

Notwithstanding the regulatory oversight of government agencies and professional associations, most sperm banks have exercised self-regulation consistent with the highest medical and ethical standards. In fact, most major sperm banks were performing more than all the tests required by the FDA several years prior to the FDA’s effective date, and with greater frequency than required by the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

2. Statistics: The popular press often cites the number of anonymous donor inseminated births per year at 30,000. Although no industry-wide statistics are maintained, an unpublished survey conducted by the AATB suggests that a more accurate figure would be 4,000 to 5,000 donor inseminated births per year. (This is calculated based on 1.5 vials per insemination, a 10% pregnancy rate per cycle, and a 20% spontaneous miscarriage rate.) By extrapolating this annual figure, the total number of anonymous donor inseminated births is estimated to be less than 130,000 over the last 30 years.

3. Limitations on Donor Distribution: All surveyed sperm banks use some type of standard to limit the number of births attributable to any one donor. Some use the actual number of births while others use the number of family units. For example, one standard used is the guideline of the ASRM, which is currently 25 births/donor per 800,000 (1 birth per 32,000) in a circumscribed population, i.e., the population surrounding the location where donor inseminated births are reported as occurring. Another method to limit the number of donor inseminated births is to establish an absolute number of births per donor, e.g., 10. Reports of a donor having many offspring should be viewed in the context of such births typically occurring throughout the nation, and not in a limited area. Notwithstanding the standard used to limit the number of births per donor, sperm banks do not limit the number of births within a family unit, thereby permitting full siblings via donor insemination.

4. Donor Information: As part of the screening process to determine donor eligibility, sperm banks gather a great deal of family (3 generations) and personal medical history. In addition, while donating, donors are given physical examinations every six months, and are also tested for a wide array of infectious diseases at least every six months. Most sperm banks also perform chromosome analysis (karyotype) and test for many common genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis in the general population, and genetic conditions common to certain ethnic groups (e.g., sickle cell trait for African Americans). Donors are interviewed extensively to check for consistency and accuracy of reported information. In addition to the screening and testing of donors used to establish medical eligibility to donate, sperm banks also offer other “soft” information on its donors such as childhood photos, personality tests, audio interviews, staff impressions, and personal profiles. It has been said that the amount of medical and personal information on an anonymous donor greatly exceeds the knowledge most people have of a known partner. The FDA requires that donor information be maintained for ten years, although most sperm banks keep such information indefinitely.

5. Donor Anonymity: The maintenance of donor anonymity is essential to the availability and quality of donors. There are those who believe that the identity of all donors should be known, and such disclosure is, in fact, required in a number of countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia. But the consequence of this requirement has been a severe shortage of donors, since most donors do not want to be known. However, the industry is sensitive to the desire by some for “known” donors as an alternative to anonymous donors. Consequently, now most of the major sperm banks offer donors who have agreed to have their identities disclosed to their offspring at age eighteen. Interestingly, known donors are not selected disproportionately more than anonymous donors. Since it is clear that many want their donors to remain anonymous, sperm banks do not think it is wise to destroy the anonymous status for ALL donors. To do so would breach the contracts and representations made to donors and to those who selected an anonymous donor, and eliminate for a large segment of potential users of sperm donors the much wanted option to select a forever anonymous donor.

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However, if you’ve found your dream donor and won’t settle for anyone else, we do have a pending list available. A pending list is a list of people waiting on a specific sperm donor. These people will be contacted first when units are available. Although Xytex cannot guarantee that units will be released on a sperm donor, being on a pending list is your best chance of getting units. We would not be able to tell you the exact date of the next release, but can give you an idea if the sperm donor is still active. Typically once the donor’s blood is drawn, it takes three weeks to receive the completed and passing lab results and paperwork to start calling the patients on the pending list.

Depending on how many units are released will determine how many people are called. Each person called from the list will receive 24 hours to return the call and is able to purchase up to eight units. If you are on a donor’s pending list and you are notified of the donor’s availability but do not call back, your name is dropped from the list and the next person is contacted. If we do not make it to your name on the pending list, your name will remain until the next release. There is a $25 pending list fee that is charged when you make a purchase. If you do not place an order, there is no fee involved.

A pending list is also available for our retired sperm donors. Xytex sperm bank stores units on site for patients for months and sometimes years. Occasionally, a patient will have leftover units after her treatment has been completed. A patient may have a retired donor on reserve and then cancel her ownership of those units. These units would then be offered to the first name on the pending list. This has helped a lot of past clients fulfill their dreams of having a biological sibling for their child. If you are waiting on units for a second pregnancy, please inform the client relations specialist. Those who are trying for a second baby with the same sperm donor will have the opportunity to purchase units from their donor before those clients who do not already have a child with the donor.

I really hope that everyone is able to get their first choice sperm donor. Going through all the profiles and deciding who will be the biological father is a complicated and important choice. Xytex sperm bank is here to help you and wants you to feel comfortable with your selection. If you ever just need to talk through your selection or would like staff impressions, Xytex’s client relations specialists are eager to help. We will be happy to place you on a pending list for your sperm donor and contact you as soon as those units are available.

–Amber, Client Relations Specialist

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When I heard the radio spot about Xytex, I saw it as an opportunity to help. My wife and I had both talked about this in the past, specifically her becoming an egg donor.

Because others in our families had fertility difficulties, we had always considered donating if we could.  My sister was adopted and my parents had trouble conceiving me, and in my wife’s family, her uncle also had extensive issues conceiving. For us (because it was our decision), it was an opportunity for us to give back. Since we had no trouble with fertility, and we already had a family of three children, we decided to try and see if I could help others.

The first time I went to Xytex, I was very nervous and even had trouble sleeping the night before…I didn’t know what to expect. But the folks at Xytex put me at ease. 

So now, I’m making the 20-mile roundtrip drive to Xytex, watching my intake of caffeine and generally taking care of myself. We use the compensation I receive for activities for our children, all of whom are very involved in extracurricular activities. While the schedule can be difficult, I enjoy knowing that I’m helping people, and I’ve also enjoyed the company and friendship of the group at Xytex.

More recently, I’ve begun wondering if I have any children and what they’re doing and how they’re doing. My wife and I felt strongly that it’s only fair that any children are able to find out information about me once they reach the age of majority. The whole concept of being born and growing up in a situation where offspring are misled about who they are or resent when they can’t find information about their donor isn’t something I support. So, it was any easy decision to become an ID-release donor.

I suspect that most people view sperm donation as college kids out for a quick buck, and maybe that is why some men contribute, but there is more.   Most of the people I have met seem to have other reasons beyond money on why they are there.   I know I do, and as for the radio spot I heard, I asked the counselor at Xytex about it, and she chuckled and told me they only ran that spot once.

Donor 9877

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Even though she’s officially known as one of Xytex’s client relations specialists, Caroline Calloway knows that her real job is being a cheerleader, a helper, a listener and a friend.

For the past five years, Caroline has been one of the friendly voices that clients talk to when they call Xytex Corporation to ask about a potential donor, how to place an order and how orders are shipped. But even more than that, Caroline and the rest of the team provide encouragement, support and a willing ear when clients need someone to turn to. “What I love is knowing that I’ve helped someone who may have been upset when they first called but who are laughing or telling me, ‘Thank you for taking the time to listen’ by the time we’re finished,” said Caroline.

In Xytex’s busy office, Caroline can answer up to 100 calls and emails a day. And she admits sometimes getting teary right along with patients who call her. “But every time we send out an order and get that call three weeks later from a mother saying, ‘I’m pregnant!’ it’s a blessing. This job is my pleasure, it’s all of our pleasures.” One of her greatest thrills is when she can add another baby photo from a happy mother to her already crowded bulletin board.

While she’s been in the business of helping families, Caroline says her job has in fact helped her own family. A mother (and soon-to-be young grandmother) to three children, 19, 17, and 16, Caroline calls her role at Xytex “an answer to prayer” since it has allowed her to spend more time with her growing children. When she’s not working, she’s busy with her family—whether it’s cheering them on during games, applauding during school band concerts or relaxing on the weekends. “I think because I’m a mom, I understand that desire when you’re trying to become a parent, and it makes me that much more helpful,” said Caroline. “We all want to have a family and be happy, and that’s what Xytex is here for.”

We understand that choosing a donor can be a very personal and sometimes difficult decision. If you have questions or need a friendly voice to talk to, please contact Caroline or our other Client Relations Specialists at 800-277-3210, or visit our website, www.xytex.com, to experience our interactive messaging function. We’re here from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

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Here at Xytex, we work every day to bring the joy of children into people’s lives. Now, with Xytex Cord Blood Bank, we continue working with families to help ensure your children’s future health.

By banking your child’s umbilical cord blood stem cells, these cells are readily available should your child or a related sibling need them to treat a disease in the future. This could be particularly important for children born through third-party reproduction who have only one genetically related parent. It is also important in those families with a history of cancer or other diseases.

Thanks to stem cells, scientists believe that one day nearly every disease known to man could be treated and cured. Currently stem cells are being used to treat more than 80 diseases, including cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, genetic diseases and immune deficiencies.

As a part of the Xytex family, we’d like to offer you special savings off our standard costs. For expectant mothers pregnant through our donor sperm as well as XTS clients, we are pleased to offer 50 percent off Xytex Cord Blood Bank’s processing and testing fee. You will receive:

• One-time enrollment, including the collection kit
• Processing and testing (at a 50 percent discounted rate)
• First-year storage

But while standard first-year costs total $1,475, your first-year costs are $875 as a thank-you for being part of the Xytex family.

To take advantage of this offer and enroll in the Xytex Cord Blood Bank program, please call 800-277-3210 to request a free information kit or visit www.xytexcordblood.com to learn more about the benefits of banking your child’s umbilical cord blood stem cells.

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Augusta, GA — If only the Tin Man had known about this.

Thanks to stem cells found in a baby’s umbilical cord blood, scientists believe that one day nearly every disease known to man — including the need for a heart transplant — could be treated and cured. It’s a future that Xytex International foresees for families as it launches the area’s first cord blood bank in spring 2008.

“When parents choose to bank their baby’s cord blood, they are choosing to make an investment in their family’s future,” said Dr. Ying Song, Director of Research at Xytex International, the parent company of Xytex Cord Blood Bank. “Cord blood currently has the ability to treat numerous diseases — including cancer, genetic disorders and immune deficiencies — but research is finding more applications every day, with especially promising work in the field of regenerative medicine.” In regenerative medicine, new blood vessels, tissues, even organs like the heart or liver could be regrown from a baby’s cord blood stem cells and later transplanted without fear of rejection.

While saving cord blood is a personal decision that is different for every family, certain families may want to consider the question even more carefully. These include families with:

• A history of cancer or genetic disease. As cancer rates continue to rise, this disease is a risk even for those without a family history. But by storing your child’s cord blood stem cells, families can help ensure a viable treatment option down the road, should it ever be needed.
• A child with cancer or genetic disease. Sibling to sibling donations of cord blood stem cells, particularly in the cases of children with leukemia, are often a perfect match. And a New England Journal of Medicine study has found that the one-year survival rate for recipients of cord blood from related donors is 63 percent, compared to only 29 percent for recipients of cord blood from unrelated donors.
• A child with only one genetically related parent (via surrogacy or reproductive tissue donation) or if a parent was adopted. In this case, cord blood stem cell storage may offer the best opportunity for a perfect match.

Research in the use of stem cells has often focused on embryonic stem cells, raising multiple ethical issues. In contrast, cord blood stem cells are obtained from the umbilical cord following a baby’s birth and are free of ethical issues. “Birth is the one chance to save and store these valuable stem cells that more often than not are simply thrown away,” said Dr. Song.

After they are collected and processed, cord blood stem cells are cryogenically preserved and stored at Xytex’s Augusta site. With no “expiration date,” these stem cells are readily available whenever they are needed.

“Many would-be parents may be completely unaware that they have the option to save their child’s cord blood,” said Dr. Song. “Our goal is to help educate our community on the benefits of cord blood banking so they can make the best choice for their family.”

For more information on how to store your child’s cord blood, please visit www.xytexcordblood.com.

About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells and is the parent company of Xytex Cord Blood Bank; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

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Parish joined the company in 2002 and is responsible for all corporate finance matters including financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, financial operations, divisional finance, internal audit, and international finance. Along with providing the vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives in alignment with Xytex’s business strategy, he has overall responsibility for the planning, delivery, and maintenance of cost-effective technology solutions needed to support Xytex’s various business groups.

Previously, Parish was Finance Director at the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, Director of Finance at Augusta Regional Airport and Controller/Human Resources Director for Progress Rail Company’s Augusta Division. He is a Certified Professional Manager by the Institute of Professional Managers at James Madison University and is a Certified State Financial Manager by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. He has earned the Certified Management Accountant designation from The Institute of Management Accountants.
 
About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells and is the parent company of Xytex Cord Blood Bank; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

###

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Wong Moores
Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications
Xytex International
706-733-0130
dmoores@xytex.com

Sheridan Rivers
Director of Sales
Xytex Corporation
706-733-1030
srivers@xytex.com

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Dr. Spradlin is Chief Medical and Laboratory Director at Xytex International and also chairs the Xytex Medical Advisory Board. After graduating from St. Andrews College in North Carolina, Dr. Spradlin earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University. He completed a three-year internal medicine residency at Emory University-affiliated hospitals in 1998. From 1998 to 2000 he worked along with three other physicians in Chattanooga, Tenn., to establish satellite offices for a large multi-specialty group practice while serving as a staff physician in internal medicine. Beginning in 2000, he joined the staff of Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Spradlin has served as Medical Director of Xytex Corporation since 1997 and is responsible for providing medical oversight of its sperm donor program and to assist in development of related policies.

Dr. Tucker is Scientific Director and Co-Founder of Georgia Reproductive Specialists in Atlanta. He is also Laboratory Director at Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center in Rockville, Md.; Off-site Laboratory Director at the Mississippi Fertility Institute in Jackson, Miss.; Off-site Laboratory Director at Reproductive Associates of Delaware in Wilmington, Del.; Scientific Consultant at IntegraMed America in Purchase, NY; Scientific Consultant at Reproductive Science Associates in Mineola, Long Island, NY; Scientific Director at Fertility Centers of Illinois in Chicago, Ill.; and Off-site Laboratory Director at Maine Reproductive Health Center in Portland, Me. Dr. Tucker has published more than 125 peer-reviewed papers and speaks internationally on the topic of infertility and IVF. His research interests include assisted reproductive technologies and IVF, as well as oocyte and embryo cryopreservation.

About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells and is the parent company of Xytex Cord Blood Bank; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit http://www.xytexinternational.com/.

####

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Wong Moores
Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications
Xytex International
706-733-0130
dmoores@xytex.com

Sheridan Rivers
Director of Sales
Xytex Corporation
706-733-0130
srivers@xytex.com

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• Xytex Xtra Summer 2006 Part I (0)
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A basic definition for sperm bank comes to us from the WordNet Search tool at Princeton.edu which defines “sperm bank” simply as “a depository for storing sperm”. Of course thats overly simplified and most sperm banks provide much more than cryopreservation services for sperm.

We are given a more expanded definition of what a sperm bank is and quite a lot more about what sperm banks do on the Sperm bank page at Wikipedia which states:

A sperm bank or cryobank is a facility that collects and stores human sperm mainly from sperm donors, primarily for the purposes of artificial insemination.

Thats a bit more helpful but still overly simple. Do sperm banks only collect and store sperm or do they offer any other services? How do they store sperm at a sperm bank? Do they only accept anonymous donors and where do the sperm donors come from? These and many other questions are asked about sperm banks each and every day and the answers are never really that simple. A reputable sperm bank should provide these services and more, they should publish a list of services offered and the steps they take in providing them safely.

Most USA sperm banks not only store sperm but they collect donor samples from pre-screened sperm donors and match clients to donors based on the characteristics their client desires in their sperm donations for use in artificial insemination or invitro fertilization. Invitro fertilization has become a popular option in the case where a woman’s male partner is infertile or where he carries a transmittable disease or genetic disorder and is therefore unable to impregnate her. In vitro fertilization is also becoming increasingly more popular as an option for single or lesbian women without male partners to procreate with.

Most sperm banks not only collect and preserve sperm from anonymous donors for use in artificially inseminating female clients who are unable to conceive with a male partner but they collect sperm from male clients that want to preserve their sperm for various medical reasons. As an example men about to enter chemotherapy treatments for cancer will often store a semen sample for possible use at a later time in order to preserve the sperm in a healthy state before the chemo procedures.

The steady growth in the use of anonymous donor sperm or sperm secured from an identifiable or known sperm donor through a sperm bank is directly related to the fact that the procedure has been accepted as a safe and reputable method of achieving a pregnancy in couples with fertility issues. A sperm bank should take a number of steps to ensure the quality and health of the semen samples which it supplies it’s clients. Most sperm banks place stringent requirements on sperm donors to be certain they secure only the highest quality semen samples. Some sperm banks advertise “genius sperm” secured from top level donors such as doctors, professors and other “geniuses” but studies have not shown that use of sperm from highly intelligent donors will produce highly intelligent children.

More important than a donors accomplishments or intelligence quotient is the need for the donor sperm to contain a high number of viable sperm cells because the cryopreservation process will damage or destroy a high percentage of available sperm cells and having a high sperm count helps ensure proper insemination when the samples are ready to be used. Donor sperm with a low sperm cell count is less likely to produce a pregnancy during the invitro fertilization process and the huge expense in collecting and storing sperm requires that all sperm samples meet minimum sperm cell counts before being preserved.

Sperm donors are not only tested for a range of diseases and disorders to provide the highest quality semen samples possible but they will also test the sample quality to ensure that the sample is able to be stored and used in an invitro fertilization procedure some time in the future. Not only must the sperm donors undergo the stringent testing requirements before making a donation but the secured sample has to be re-tested after select time frames to ensure sample quality. As an example all semen samples are tested after six months of storage for HIV virus which causes AIDS and may go undetected in fresh samples. Only after a sample has passed these additional tests can it be considered as viable sperm for artificial insemination in a client.

Sperm samples are stored in a cryopreservation technique that allows the sperm to be thawed at any point in the future and used for the artificial insemination process. The cryopreservation procedure is a lengthy and detailed process that we will tackle in future articles. For now understand that all sperm samples are protected from “freezer burn” during the freezing process to ensure top quality semen samples and offer a better chance at securing a pregnancy when the sample is used.

Many sperm banks also offer egg donor programs and human egg storage as well as cord blood storage and other cryopreservation or sperm bank patient services. Matching donor sperm samples to the traits or characteristics desired by a client is one of the top services offered by sperm banks online today. Sperm donor profiles with photographs from both childhood and adulthood, a donors family medical history, educational background and of course physical traits are ever more important in the donor selection process. More parents today are becoming concerned not only with having a healthy boy or girl but they desire certain characteristics such as hair and eye color so the child appears more like their own family or blood type for better family medical matching or even educational background where a parent hopes to have an intelligent college bound child through the use of sperm from intelligent college graduate donors. Sperm banks provide these donor selection services at additional costs to the client and the selection process has become as financially important as the donor sample services.

Think you understand what a sperm bank is now? Got any questions on what a sperm banks does? Let us know and we’ll see if we can answer them for you in our forums. Visit this topic in the Sperm Banks Discussion Forums today!

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About Xytex International:

Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

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For more information, please contact:
Danielle Wong Moores
Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications
Xytex International
706-733-0130
dmoores@xytex.com

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Augusta, GA – When it comes to certain infertility treatments, you only need a few good sperm.

That’s the thinking behind Assisted Reproductive Technology vials, which Xytex Corporation, a Georgia-based reproductive tissue bank, is debuting this month. Only a few sperm banks offer this option for patients undergoing infertility procedures where fewer cells are needed. These procedures include in vitro fertilization (IVF), where eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where embryologists select and inject individual sperm into an egg.

At Xytex, each ART vial sample meets a guarantee of at least 15 million per milliliter, compared with 30 million per milliliter for samples used in intrauterine or intracervical insemination. Patients benefit since ART vials can be provided to patients at a lower cost but are still available from many of Xytex’s regular donors.

“As infertility treatments become both more specialized and more mainstream, reproductive tissue banks are following suit by offering more products to meet the needs of patients,” said Dr. J. Todd Spradlin, medical director of Xytex Corporation. “By offering numerous options, banks help patients and families make an informed decision that is right for them.”

Along with ART vials, Xytex provides patients with options like identity disclosure donors, baby and adult photos, photospans, audio files, photo matching and more.

For more information on Xytex ART vials, please call 800.277.3210 or email Xytex@xytex.com.

About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

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For more information, please contact:
Danielle Wong Moores
Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications
Xytex International
706-733-0130
dmoores@xytex.com
 

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Augusta, GA – Melissa Jacobs recently joined Xytex International as a staff accountant.

 She is responsible for completing various accounting functions related to posting and reviewing general ledger entries, reconciling accounts, assisting with budget preparation and preparing financial statements. 

Previously, Jacobs was the assistant controller for Neff Rental, Inc.’s Atlantic region and the office manager and accountant for PHC Weight Loss & Wellness Centers and BNJ, Inc.  She has more than 16 years of accounting experience.

About Xytex International:
Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com.

###

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Wong Moores
Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications
Xytex International
706-733-0130
dmoores@xytex.com

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Available at a lower price and from many of our regular donors, ART vials are prepared for assisted reproductive procedures such as IVF or ICSI, which require fewer motile cells per sperm sample. Xytex guarantees at least 15 million per milliliter in each ART sample (compared with 30 million per milliliter for IUI and ICI samples).  The volume of the ART vials will be .5mL, the same as all other Xytex samples. 

The intended use of these specimens is for ART procedures.  However, if you’re planning to undergo intrauterine insemination (IUI) or intracervical insemination (ICI), and there are only ART vials available for the donor of your choice, you do have the option of purchasing two ART vials for your physician to combine and wash (if necessary) prior to your insemination.  You will want to first discuss this option with your physician.

For answers to your questions and for specific availability, please call one of our Client Relations Specialists at 800.277.3210 or email Xytex@xytex.com.

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Q&A…

Chuck Lanier, an estate and business-planning principal with Lanier Financial Services, joined the Xytex International, Ltd. Board of Directors in 1991 at the urging of friend and Xytex founder Dr. Armand Karow. When Dr. Karow passed away in February 2007, Chuck stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. We caught up with Chuck to find out a little more about his vision for Xytex’s future and his interest in reproductive medicine.

Xytex: How have things changed since you joined the Xytex Board of Directors in 1994?
Chuck: Those were still the developmental years for Xytex, and we struggled as we grew. It has been rewarding to watch Dr. Karow’s vision for Xytex flourish and become a reality. Now, Xytex Corporation is well positioned to help many more families as we continue to add services and develop new programs. A great part of that is also due to our 30-plus years of experience and the fact that we meet or exceed all governmental regulations, both here and abroad.

Xytex: What other services does Xytex offer?
Chuck: In addition to donor semen, Xytex offers tissue storage through Xytex Tissue Storage, or XTS. The future is bright for the storage of semen, ovarian tissue and eggs for those who are having to undergo cancer treatment. Many of these would have become sterile in the past, but recent developments in fertility preservation will enable us to preserve their fertility. The work of Xytex is also supported by Xytex Research, a cutting-edge lab exploring innovative ways to improve fertility and health, which is led by Dr. Ying Song, an accomplished cryobiologist with years in the field.

Xytex: What new programs is Xytex planning?
Chuck: The storage of umbilical cord blood has tremendous potential—probably even beyond what we currently believe the potential to be. Medical science continues to make rapid advances, and stored stem cells will be so important to future medical treatments that I doubt we can even fathom the future of medicine. Xytex plans to be a part of that high-tech future.

If you are interested in inquiring about Xytex Tissue Storage, please contact Angela Beausejour at 800-277-3210 or visit www.xytex.com and click on the logo at the bottom of the page. Look for more information about Xytex’s plans for cord blood in our upcoming issues and on www.xytex.com.

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It was the eye color that decided it for Rene and Trayce. Like many couples, they had decided to savor their time together for a few years before having a child. But they knew they always wanted kids. So when the time was right, the couple chose Xytex. “A friend used Xytex and had a wonderful experience, giving birth to a healthy baby boy,” said Rene.

It was also Xytex’s wealth of information that helped them make their decision. “Many places only offered baby photos, and while it’s helpful to see what those baby features look like, it’s even better to see what those baby features will become. And the information was so detailed, right down to whether there are attached or detached ear lobes!” said Rene. “I was able to get an audio interview with our donor, and we also chose an open donor. It’s not necessarily a big deal to us, but our child might have questions, and it would give the option when our child became 18 so we could try to locate the donor.”

Another thing that Rene and Trayce liked was when the question of eye color came up. “People always ask me what color my eyes are, and I always tell them hazel,” said Rene. “But Trayce always says they’re not hazel, they’re blue. When I called the donor counselor to ask if there were any updates to this potential donor, she said that he had changed his eye color from hazel to blue! It was just a funny coincidence that like me, his eye color was actually somewhere between hazel and blue, and it helped us know that we had made the right choice.”

Erykson Riley was born on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. His parents report that his eyes are a bright blue. “We love just watching him grow and learn to do things, watch him experiencing things for the first time,” said Trayce. “When I see Rene and Erykson together, even the bad days when he’s fussy aren’t so bad. Life just takes on a different meaning when you have a child.”

If you are interested in having your story or photos featured in Xytex Xtra, please contact Danielle Wong Moores at dmoores@xytex.com or call 800-277-3210.

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Moores Named Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications for Xytex International

Augusta, GA — Danielle Wong Moores was recently named Director of Marketing, Sales and Corporate Communications for Xytex International.

 She will be responsible for overseeing all marketing and public relations functions for Xytex International, including developing new initiatives, establishing and maintaining relationships with physicians, clinics and patients, and overseeing special events.

Previously, Moores was Media Relations Manager for MCG Health, Inc. She has more than five years’ experience in health care communications.

Xytex International has been enhancing lives through cellular ingenuity since 1975. A worldwide leader in reproductive tissue storage and research, Xytex International is made up of Xytex Corporation, which provides donor semen; Xytex Tissue Storage, Inc. (XTS), which provides long-term safekeeping of reproductive cells; and Xytex Research, which works to improve reproductive tissue technologies. For more information, please visit www.xytexinternational.com

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The ability to have children is something many of us take for granted, until that ability is taken away. More than six million Americans today are affected by infertility, and their struggles to have children have resulted in a number of advances in medicine. Especially for couples struggling with male factor infertility or otherwise unable to have a child by traditional ways, single women wishing to have children and those diagnosed with cancer or other diseases that could affect fertility, reproductive tissue banks have become a viable option. 

This article is provided in PDF format. Please click here to view/download the full article.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Xytex Corp. Offers Exclusive Sperm Donors

AUGUSTA, GA –Xytex Corporation is proud to announce the launch of its Exclusive Donor Program on Sept. 12, 2006. Xytex, an international sperm bank which is known for developing cutting edge programs, products and informational options, has developed this program to provide a specific donor’s samples to only one recipient in order to create children through assisted reproduction.

The Exclusive program’s “donor list” currently contains four donors. All units of donors who are offered in this select program must be purchased as a “package,” meaning that all the donor’s available units must be procured by the recipient. Currently, the number of available donors’ units range between seven and 29, so the cost will depend on each donor’s individual inventory. Cost for these units, because of exclusivity, will be approximately 30 percent higher than regular unit fees, which are $100 more for Identity Disclosure Donors than for Anonymous Donors. At this time the Exclusive donor list boasts both Identity Disclosure Donors and Anonymous Donors.

“At Xytex we are always looking to develop programs that meet the demands of our clients. There are many prospective recipients who would ideally like exclusive rights to a
sperm donor, so our new program should appeal to a large number of future patients,” said Sheridan Rivers, director of Sales, Marketing and Corporate Communications.
If you are interested in more information about the Exclusive Donor Program please contact Xytex at www.xytex.com or at 800-277-3210.

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Recognized in his field as one of the world’s top ten scientists in early human reproduction, Dr. Tucker is widely known and respected for his breakthrough achievements in assisted reproductive technology. A full-time clinical embryologist since 1983, he pioneered the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) birth in the United States, the nation’s first birth resulting from a testicular biopsy, the world’s first birth from frozen donor eggs, and the first pregnancy in the world from immature eggs that were matured after thawing in the IVF lab.

Since 1983, Dr. Tucker has been scientific director and chief embryologist at major fertility centers in London, Hong Kong, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Rockville, MD, and Jackson, MS and served as a scientific consultant in more than 50 clinics worldwide. His current research interests include pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, egg and embryo freezing, blastocyst cultures, embryo growth and selection, and gamete/embryo micromanipulation.

Dr. Tucker is a zoology and physiology graduate of Bedford College, University of London. He earned a doctorate in reproductive physiology from the University of Birmingham in the UK and is a Fellow of London’s Royal Institute of Biology. A frequent speaker internationally and locally, he also serves on the advisory board of Child of My Dreams, an online resource for adoption and infertility.

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