"Selection for donors is like recruitment for cosmonauts": the Russian told in detail how he became a sperm donor

We have already written about the everyday life of baby makers, about the meetings of numerous children of a sperm donor and about the love story of an anonymous father from a test tube. Obviously, this topic is interesting to many. Skyrain's picabushnik dedicated his post to an unusual topic and immediately attracted a lot of attention. He decided to write the history of his sperm donation, describe everything in detail — how exactly this happens in an ordinary Russian clinic. Next — the words of the author.

Curiosity and the temporary absence of work pushed me to this, but my ambitions for easy earnings, gleaned from films, were destroyed by the harsh reality. After reading the information on the Internet, I realized that you can't just come to the hospital, jerk off in a jar and get money — you need to pass an interview and a long examination. And the selection of donors resembles the recruitment of astronauts, you need to have the appearance of Apollo, good health, genetics and pedigree.

Choosing one of the reproductive clinics (the first one I came across), I filled out a questionnaire on the website and waited. In the questionnaire, you need to specify your full name, contact details, age and lifestyle. Two weeks later, I got a call and was invited to an interview. Now the selection can be divided into stages. At each stage, potential donors are screened out.

1. Face control. I was received by a young nurse who became my supervisor. I sat down with a feeling of shame and waited for an awkward conversation and all sorts of mockery, but the conversation turned out to be serious and to the point. They took my passport data, asked about my education, work, lifestyle. I spoke honestly, because if you lie, then everything will be found out during the tests. I go to fitness, I don't drink, but I smoke.

The curator described my appearance (physique, height, weight, eye and hair color, body and face proportions), nationality of parents and grandparents. People with unattractive appearance or with body pathologies are eliminated. They asked me if I often change sexual partners, I said rarely — I lied, in fact never. In general, I was recognized as cute and invited to the 2nd stage - a spermogram.

I felt very uncomfortable, I disdained to take magazines: I had to watch a movie. When I started the business, I was faced with the problem of getting the seed into a small jar, in the movies they are bigger. Somehow I was able to get into this jar, but mostly by, I had to wash the cabinet. But next time I'll know how not to miss. Then I put the jar on the sink, washed my face and, leaving the office, saw several patients who were standing in line to see the doctor, their grins could not be hidden. With a sense of shame, I reported to the curator and waited for the results within a week.

Now a few facts: the donor's sperm should contain more than 80 million spermatozoa in 1 ml of ejaculate, more than 50% of which should be active and have the correct shape. Next, the sperm is frozen and thawed and they look at how many spermatozoa remained alive and retained their activity, they should also be more than 50%. A week later, they called me and told me that I was fit and was going to the next stage.

4. Psychologist and narcologist. Here everything is according to the standard, as when applying for a job: I came, paid, passed a survey-examination and the condition is registered at the dispensary.

5. Therapist. On the appointed day, I went to the doctor, he examined me, listened, checked and concluded that I was healthy and there were no contraindications for donation.

6. Urologist. I was preparing for a serious examination of my dignity, but it turned out that he was just making a general conclusion about all the previous test results and the conclusions of other doctors. Although I had to answer a couple of questions about my family.

According to the contract, I can come at least every 3 days (because at least 3 days of sexual abstinence), and I can never come in 2 years. With the best option, it turns out 10 times a month, but in fact less, because the clinic is not always ready to accept you. Some samples will be rejected from you: you got sick, ate something wrong, drank alcohol or smoked before delivery (this affects the quality of the ejaculate), did not observe sexual abstinence (affects the number of sperm), therefore, you will not be paid for them.

For donation, I will need to be tested for STDs every 3 months and undergo doctors again every year. Some go to donors to undergo a free medical examination, which is quite expensive, but no one will give you the results, they will just tell you whether you are healthy or not. It took 3 months from filling out the questionnaire on the website to signing the contract.