Dr Stephen Hwande, Managing Director, First Fertility Hospital, Makurdi, on Monday said that some fertile men might not be suitable as sperm donors.
Hwande told the News Agency of Nigeria in Makurdi that sperm donors were usually healthy, fertile men of normal intelligence, who had no history of mental disorders and genetic or inherited diseases.
According to the fertility specialist, sperm donors usually undergo complete physical and genital examinations which include checking for urethral discharge, genital warts and ulcers.
“The presence of any of the above will not make the donor acceptable.
“Donors are also screened for infectious and genetic diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis and gonorrhea, as well as sickle cell disease.
“The blood group and Rhesus factor of donors are also determined.
“Also, because some sperms die during freezing procedures, we usually insist that only men with a high number of motile sperms in the ejaculate are acceptable as donors,’’ he said.
Hwande said that donated sperms were frozen and stored for a minimum of six months as quarantine period, before they are tested again.
According to him, the retest is to detect infectious diseases, especially HIV, before the sperm is used.
The fertility specialist said that preferred donors were those within the ages of 18 and 55 years, who also preferably, had children of their own.
He stressed that counseling was very important in sperm donation.
He said: “One of the issues that donors need to know is that they have to renounce all rights to the donated sperm.
“Their identity and that of recipients are not to be disclosed, except if it is acceptable and agreed upon by both parties.
“In spite of these, one also has to pay attention to the ethical, psychological and moral issues involved in using a known donor,’’ Hwande said. (NAN)
BTT/VIV/MST
Edited by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman