Open Sperm Donors
What is an Open Sperm Donor?
The primary difference between California Cryobank's (CCB) Open and Anonymous Donors is that our Open Donors are committed to one contact with each offspring resulting from their semen donations. This contact can only occur after the offspring reaches the age of 18. At this time the adult offspring may contact CCB and request contact with his/her donor. In turn, CCB will inform the donor of the request and facilitate contact with the adult offspring. The contact may be in the form of an email, standard letter, phone call, or in-person meeting. The type of contact is mutually decided by both parties.
Donor Confidentiality
Open Donors are identified on the CCB donor catalog by a 5-digit number - just like our Anonymous Donors. Neither Anonymous nor Open Donors are under any financial or legal obligation to support any children conceived using their sperm. CCB does not disclose any donor's name, or any other identifying information to our clients or their children.
Why Do We Offer the Option to Become an Open Donor?
Many of our sperm donors express an interest in meeting adult offspring conceived from their sperm. Offspring born from CCB donor sperm also contact us regularly with additional questions about their donors. We feel that this program helps bridge the gap between a child's natural interest in learning more about their biological heritage and the donor's right to ongoing confidentiality.
Links
- A Huffington Post article discussing protecting donors' identity in the digital age
- The American Fertility Association discusses gamete donation findings on disclosure and anonymous sperm donation
- An article from Single Mothers By Choice discussing how kids feel about their sperm donor origins
- CCB Client Stories Video - grateful families talk about their experiences using a sperm donor
If you have any questions about becoming an Anonymous or Open Donor, feel free to email us at recruitment@cryobank.com.