What is sperm donation?
Fertility treatment by sperm donation assumes that there is no apparent cause of infertility on the part of the woman or that she is fertile. In addition to this, sperm donation is only examined when the man is diagnosed with azoospermia (or a condition similar to azoospermia) and sperm cannot be retrieved through intra-ovarian sperm retrieval (so-called TESE) or effective sperm for subsequent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cannot be retrieved.
Fertility Treatment with Donated Sperm in Japan
In Japan, infertility treatment using donated sperm is currently being performed as artificial insemination with donor’s semen (AID) at some medical institutions after strictly determining the indications for patients. The decision to perform the procedure is based on the ethical review standards of each institution, and is made after review by an ethics committee. On the other hand, the implementation of IVF-D (In Vitro Fertilization with donor’s semen) is not publicly approved by the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology due to its regulations. Therefore, almost none of the infertility treatment facilities in Japan have publicly announced the practice of IVF-D, except for a few facilities.
Issues with artificial insemination with donor’s semen (AID)
The biggest problems, except for the various ethical issues involved in the implementation of the procedure, are the low success rate (pregnancy rate) per procedure and the low availability of stable donor sperm. There are no official sperm banks in Japan. Although some private organizations operate non-profit sperm banks as non-profit organizations (NPOs), there are still challenges in securing a stable supply of donor sperm. The biggest problem with AID is the low pregnancy rate per treatment. The pregnancy rate per treatment for normal artificial insemination between spouses (so-called IUI treatment) is approximately 10%, and AID is said to have similar results. On the other hand, the high cost per treatment is also a problem. The price per treatment at a typical facility in Japan that publicly announces the implementation of AID is approximately 82,500 yen (as of August 2022).
Our treatment methods
We offer infertility treatment using donated sperm through a private sperm bank to couples who have undergone TESE with a diagnosis of azoospermia but have been unable to retrieve the sperm.To secure donated sperm, individual contracts are made between the patient and the sperm bank, and the sperm bank transports the cryopreserved sperm directly to our clinic.
We will inform you of the sperm bank necessary to secure donated sperm. (These facilities have a track record of treatment at our clinic.)
The fertility treatments available at our clinic using donated sperm are as follows.
- IVF with donor’s semen
- Artificial insemination with donor’s semen (AID)
Costs
Wife’s infertility treatment costs after sperm transport (equivalent to normal infertility treatment using frozen sperm (ICSI, artificial insemination))
(Patients are required to purchase sperm from the sperm bank in advance. Please pay the cost of purchasing sperm directly to the sperm bank.)
Sperm banks and patients who receive sperm donations must sign a direct contract to purchase sperm in advance. There is no relationship of interest between the sperm bank and our clinic. Therefore, please be assured that we do not receive any gratuities or margins from the sperm bank, nor do we receive any other costs incurred outside of the actual treatment.
Reservations & Inquiries
Please feel free to contact us for a consultation.
We will provide total support, including information on reliable and trustworthy sperm banks we have used in the past.
How to make an appointment
- Consultations are by appointment only.
- Please make your first appointment by phone or web appointment.
If you have any questions about our treatment methods, policies, or anything else, please feel free to contact us.