How much does it cost to buy sperm online ?

If you’re planning to have a baby via sperm donation, you probably have tons of questions. One of them may be how much buying sperm costs online. The price of a sample depends on several factors, the main ones being the place you’re purchasing the sperm from and the method of conception, as well as your fertility.

What are the costs to consider when you purchase sperm online?

Costs will depend on where you buy the sample from, whether this is a sperm bank, a fertility clinic, on a website dedicated to sperm donation, on social media (Facebook or other), etc. The price also varies depending on whether you opt for an anonymous or a non-anonymous donor.
If you purchase sperm in a fertility clinic, all sperm donors are guaranteed to have undergone a series of tests to verify that their sperm is of good quality (sperm count and motility). They are also tested for STDs, infections and any genetic abnormalities that they could pass on to the child.

Things are a little different when you choose a known donor via a private arrangement. If your donor hasn’t yet undergone these medical checks but you want them to get tested (which is highly recommended), they might ask you to cover any fees. Additionally, take in to consideration travel and accommodation fees if your donor lives far away from you and you agreed to reimburse these expenses.
The price also depends on the method of conception you are opting for, whether that be artificial insemination at home, in a clinic or IVF. As in vitro fertilization involves several medical visits, medication and even minor surgery, this is the most expensive fertility treatment.

Finally, costs can also sometimes be affected by the number of attempts needed in order to become pregnant. Most women don’t get pregnant during the first cycle of insemination or IVF. There is a chance that you might need to try several times before successfully conceiving. The more attempts needed, the more expensive the treatment is going to be (as you will need more sperm, additional cycles of IVF or insemination, more medication, more medical visits, etc.). If you opt for a private arrangement, you may be asked to cover the additional expenses of the donor (travel and accommodation).

Buying sperm from a bank online

There are several ways to find sperm donors online. One of them is to purchase sperm from a sperm bank online and have the sample delivered to your home or your clinic.
The first fee to consider is the price of a vial of sperm. Depending on the bank, the donor type (open or anonymous) and the method of conception, you can expect to pay about $400 to $800 for a vial of sperm. An open donor will be more expensive than an anonymous donor, as they are consenting to contact with the donor-conceived child once they reach the age of 18. Additionally, a vial for IUI costs more than for ICI.Other costs to consider are storage fees. For many, it takes a few cycles to get pregnant and, therefore, you might need to store sperm for later use. Some banks offer the first month(s), but you can, on average, expect to spend about $450 per year.

If you want to have your sperm delivered, you will have to consider the shipping fees. The fee can range from $100 to $300 per vial, depending on the delivery option chosen (shipped overnight is more expensive than a 2-Day delivery), as well as where you are located.
Other services that need to be taken into consideration include registration fees: ($100-200), and whether you use washed or unwashed sperm (it’s more expensive when washed). If you use a bank, you can pay for additional information about the donor, such as childhood photos, a personality test or an audio recording.

How can I reduce the costs of sperm donation?

Getting pregnant with fertility treatments and sperm donation can be expensive. Luckily, there are solutions to drastically reduce the costs. For example, you can obtain sperm privately (not through a fertility clinic) and perform the insemination at home.
An option is to look for a donor around you, for example, a close friend, willing to help you become a parent without asking you to pay. You can also look online and select a donor from a forum, social media or a website specialized in sperm donation.

At CoParents.com you can find free sperm donors online. These sperm donors are offering to help women and couples to have a baby without asking for money in return. Many of them are happy to donate their semen at no cost to you at all. Some sperm donors might ask you to help them cover certain expenses such as travel and accommodation fees if they come a long way to deliver the sample however. You may also be asked to help them cover the costs of any required medical tests. Regarding these tests, it’s very important to ask your donor to provide you with medical documentation proving their good health to ensure that you aren’t putting yours and your baby’s wellbeing at risk.

Additionally, if you choose to look for a sperm donor online through a sperm bank, you must know that some banks offer discounted prices. They may buy back unused sperm for cheaper, which allows you to purchase less costly sperm. Semen can also get cheaper if you buy bigger quantities. Moreover, as it often takes a few cycles to get pregnant, you can purchase fertility treatments packages that include several cycles and services at a reduced price.

How much does at-home insemination, IntraUterine insemination and IVF cost with donated sperm?

At-home insemination is the less expensive option. Once you’ve found your donor, the additional costs to consider are any items needed to perform the insemination, such as a sterile insemination catheter, a syringe (or baster or cup), samples containers, vaginal speculums, ovulation kit to help you track your cycle and improve your chances of pregnancy, etc.
You can find a simple catheter for $10. As for insemination kits, prices range from $20 to $140 depending on the items you need and the method of insemination. Ovulation predictor kits cost between $21 for simple strips to $230 for a fertility monitor. If you buy these online, don’t forget to consider the shipping fees. To reduce the costs and avoid delivery fees, you can buy most of these items at your local drugstore.You can also opt for IntraCervical insemination (ICI) performed in a clinic. This technique involves the injection of unwashed sperm near the woman’s cervix. This method of insemination is one of the cheapest, about $200-$350 per cycle.

IntraUterine Insemination (IUI) costs around $865 per cycle. This is more successful than ICI and this involves the injection of sperm directly into the uterus. To improve the odds of conception, sperm is washed, which means that chemicals are removed, and the healthiest and fastest individual sperms are selected.

IVF is the most expensive of the fertility treatments, but also the most effective. This technique is recommended to those with fertility issues or above the age of 35.
In the USA, expect to pay between $8,500 and $12,000 for one cycle of IVF, without including the cost of anesthesia and medication (the latter usually costs around $3,000 to $5,000). Most clinics charge for each service individually (monitoring visits, ultrasounds, egg retrieval, pregnancy test, etc.), which can significantly increase the total cost of IVF. On top of that, this price concerns only one cycle. Many women will need to try a few more times before successfully conceiving, which will once again raise the price.