Donor Eligibility Criteria
INDUSTRY GUIDANCE
Donors at Cascade Cryobank are screened based on a variety of factors, including a wide variety of both physical and mental health characteristics that are determined by both the Food and Drug Association (FDA) and the American Society for Reproductive Health (ASRM). You can find links to either organization’s guidance on sperm donation eligibility:
ASRM Guidance Regarding Gamete and Embryo Donation
An onsite medical professional will do a comprehensive physical of each donor prior to determining their eligibility. In this physical examination we are looking for any present health issues, including infections diseases, hereditary genetic markers, cardiac health and a three-generation family health history.
Below is a list of many of the genetic factors we will be screening for:
Huntington’s Disease
Neurofibromatosis type 1
Marfan Syndrome
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (BRCA mutations)
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
Hereditary Hemochromatosis
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Spinocerebellar Ataxia
Hereditary Spherocytosis
Hereditary Multiple Exostoses
Stickler Syndrome
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Retinoblastoma
Tuberous Sclerosis
Myotonic Dystrophy
Achondroplasia
Hereditary Angioedema
Familial Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm/Dissection
Hereditary Pancreatitis
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Brain/Spine: Encephalocele, Spina Bifida, Anencephaly
Eye: anopthalmia/micropthalmia
Heart: septal defect, coarctation, truncus arteriosus, double outlet venticle, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, interrupted aortic arch, valve atresia or stenosis, Ebstein anomaly, single ventricle, tetralogy of fallot, transposition of arteries
Mouth/face: cleft lip or palate
GI tract: esophageal atresia or fistula, anal or intestinal atresia
Muscle/bone: clubfoot, diaphragmatic hernia, gastroschisis, limb defects, omphalocele
Autism spectrum disorder (personal or 1st degree relative)
Intellectual disability (personal or 1st degree relative)
Cerebral palsy (personal) or 1st degree relative without perinatal anoxia
ADHD: case-by-case, consider severity, inform potential recipients
Mental Illness: bipolar, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, major depression
Medical Conditions: requiring lifelong medical prescriptions, frequent follow-up (diabetes, idiopathic epilepsy, severe hearing loss, vision loss, cardiac conduction abnormalities, asthma, glaucoma, severe hypertension, coronary artery disease, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, chronic kidney disease, cancer susceptibility, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid diseases, vitiligo)
Family History: Multifactorial conditions in 2+ 1st or 2nd degree relatives, young age of onset, severe symptoms, significant impact on life, low prevalence in population.
