Are you a man looking for an easy way to make quick money? If you want to earn a side income without much skill and experience, consider becoming a sperm donor.
Sperm banks and fertility clinics pay sperm donors decent money per donation. The collected sperm helps couples and individuals start their future families.
However, despite having little to no skill required, fertility clinics have high standards set in place to help families obtain quality sperm samples. You’ll need to properly prepare for the role and process to increase your chances of acceptance.
If you want to learn how to become a sperm donor, this guide will answer all your questions regarding the sperm donor program.
You will also learn more about the role of a sperm donor, the basic requirements, the screening process, and payment.
An Overview of Sperm Donors: A Primer
Sperm donation involves taking a semen sample from a donor via masturbation or surgical extraction to help couples and individuals build families.
In other words, a man donates a sperm sample to a fertility clinic or sperm bank after undergoing an extensive screening process.
Typically, sperm donors must meet basic requirements to apply. It includes being at the ages of 18 to 45 years old, having good health, and being allowed to work in the U.S.
Many clinics also prefer a college graduate or a man with professional experience. However, fertility centers with high standards usually look for professionals with a degree in law, medicine, and physical sciences from top universities.
Once a sperm donor applicant meets a clinic’s criteria, they undergo screening for the sperm donor program.
The potential sperm donor will undergo physical, psychological, and genetic screening. The qualification process also involves testing for any infectious disease, examining the family history, and taking further evaluations.
Potential donors must pass all screening requirements before getting paid to donate sperm. Clinics usually pay per sperm donation.
How Much Do Sperm Donors Make?
One sperm donor shared that he made $100 per session and had to go twice a week. As a result, he’d make about $800 to $1,000 monthly.
Meanwhile, The Sperm Bank of California pays donors $150 per acceptable sample. Sperm donors usually donate one to two times, allowing them to earn $700 to $1,200 monthly.
The Sperm Bank of California also provides $500 to donors when they return for a final blood and urine testing during the Exit Appointment six months after the donor program.
What You’ll Need to Become a Sperm Donor [& Associated Costs]
Check out the basic requirements to improve your acceptance rate and become a sperm donor:
- Internet-connected Device: You’ll need a smartphone, computer, tablet, or laptop with a good Internet connection to help you find nearby fertility clinics. It’ll also help you check the requirements, apply for the donor program, and communicate with the clinic.
- Within Age Limit: Sperm banks only accept men ages 18 to 45, making it a crucial requirement. Some clinics even have a lower maximum age for sperm donation, like 38 years old. Check the clinic if you fall within their required age.
- Excellent Physical Condition: Potential donors should demonstrate good health, meaning you don’t have any current or recurring illnesses. You must also be fit enough to undergo physical examinations during screening.
- Sound Mind: Part of the screening process includes testing your psychological well-being. Specialists will check for mental health issues, psychological history, lifestyle habits, and one’s motivation for donation. As a result, prepare yourself mentally to pass this screening.
- Medical History: The screening process also includes assessing your family history, medical records, and other further evaluations. If any, prepare and submit your medical records if the clinic asks for them.
- Availability: Potential donors must be available for the various tests and screenings. Meanwhile, accepted donors must commit to once or twice-a-week visits for at least six to 12 months, depending on the clinic’s donor program.
How Much Does it Cost to Become a Sperm Donor?
Clinics don’t require donors to pay anything during the process. However, sperm donors must bear travel expenses before and during sperm donation. Exact costs vary per person.
Naturally, a sperm donor who lives farther from the fertility center will pay for a higher bus fee, subway ticket, car fuel, or plane ticket than a donor living nearer.
Bear these expenses in mind before applying.
Is It Hard to Become a Sperm Donor?
Sperm donation can be easy and beginner-friendly, too.
However, many find the screening process for a sperm donor challenging. After all, only those who pass the intensive physical, genetic, and psychological requirements serve as sperm donors.
Some clinics have specific sperm donor requirements. For example, some prefer applicants to be at least 5’6″ tall or 5’4″ for donors of Hispanic or Asian descent.
Some donors also undergo an extensive background check to uphold the high standards set by clinics and collect quality samples.
Clinics conduct thorough screenings to ensure donors have good health and prevent prospective parents from receiving unhealthy sperm. As a result, sperm donation can be cutthroat.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Sperm Donor?
Application processes differ per clinic, and potential donors can expect to hear back from the center within days or weeks after they submit their applications.
Potential sperm donors then have to undergo the screening process that can take up to three weeks, depending on the center’s protocol.
Once accepted, a donor program can last six to 12 months, depending on the clinic’s requirements.
How to Become a Sperm Donor in 5 Simple Steps
Follow these steps if you decide to become a sperm donor:
Step 1: Find Sperm Banks and Meet the Basic Requirements
Start by looking for sperm banks or fertility clinics in your area and learning about each clinic’s donor program.
While checking for clinics, read about their detailed sperm donor requirements, and see if you meet them before you submit an application.
Each clinic has its preferred criteria, but generally, a potential sperm donor must:
- Be between the ages of 18 to 45 years old.
- Be a college graduate or have professional experience.
- Have good health, physically and mentally.
- Provide their medical and family history.
- Produce a sperm sample.
In contrast, clinics automatically disqualify men with physical ailments, mental illnesses, sexually-transmitted diseases, other infectious diseases, and drug experience.
Step 2: Submit Your Sperm Donor Application
If a sperm donor applicant meets the basic requirements, the person may apply as a donor to the clinic.
Note that the U.S. doesn’t have regulations on sperm donation, only guidelines set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
If you plan to apply to multiple sperm banks, check the clinic’s policy first to see if they allow donors to donate to other centers simultaneously or in the future. However, the ASRM recommends limiting donors to 25 live births per population area of 850,000.
Also, potential sperm donors should discuss this decision with family and friends to help them understand and prepare for the process and its implications.
Step 3: Complete Various Screenings
Once the fertility clinic receives your application, they’ll invite you to undergo a rigorous screening process to determine if you have any illness or infectious disease that might pass on to the offspring.
The screening process includes physical examinations, blood screening, psychological tests, genetic analysis, and interviews on sexual behavior and family background, among others.
You must pass all the tests and interviews before donating sperm and getting paid for it. The process can take weeks to months, depending on the sperm bank’s protocol.
Step 4: Undergo the Donation Process
After potential sperm donors meet the standards and requirements of the clinic, they may now donate sperm under the clinic’s donor program.
Sperm donors may donate once or twice a week for six to 12 months. The length depends on your clinic’s protocol or your agreement with them.
During sperm donation, you’ll be inside a private room with pornography materials. Then, you must ejaculate semen into a container provided by the staff.
Some centers allow sperm donors to produce the sample at home and bring it to the clinic within an hour since the semen must remain at body temperature.
Step 5: Receive Payment and Finish the Donor Program
Most clinics pay per sample. You get paid every time you drop by the clinic to donate. If you donate twice a week, you can earn more in a month.
However, clinics recommend donors leave a gap between donations and don’t donate too often. You can only donate a maximum of twice a week.
Note that this takes time, effort, and commitment as a donor since you’ll be doing this for at least six months. If you can’t commit to this arrangement, reconsider becoming a sperm donor.
Reasons to Consider Becoming a Sperm Donor
Consider the perks of donating your sperm to others:
- Change lives: Many men donate sperm to help couples and individuals start their families and make a difference in their lives.
- Earn decent money: Each sperm sample pays about $100 to $150, allowing you to earn $400 to $600 a month if you go once a week.
- Receive free medical screening: Take this opportunity to get tested for any infectious disease, mental health disorder, genetic screening, and other illnesses.
- Get paid with little to no skills: You don’t need to learn any skill or gain any experience to become a sperm donor. You can pass as long as you have good physical and mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Cost of Sperm?
According to a Forbes article, a sperm vial costs $400 to $2,000, depending on your location. Besides this, prospective parents may pay for fertility treatments, registration, sperm storage, shipping, and other process fees.
Who Donates Sperm and Why?
Most sperm donors include men aged 18 to 45 looking for side income. Besides earning extra money, men donate sperm to help others build a family and have the opportunity to undergo various medical tests.
Similar Gigs to Check Out
If becoming a sperm donor doesn’t work, consider exploring these alternative gigs.
- How to Become a Plasma Donor: Try donating your plasma to help change lives and earn money.
- How to Become an Egg Donor: Women get paid to donate their eggs to help other women and couples get pregnant and give birth.
- How to Become a Testicle Donor: Learn how to become a testicle donor for an altruistic cause.
Wrapping Up
Becoming a sperm donor allows men to help other men and couples create their families while getting paid for each sperm donation.
Overall, sperm donation offers a great gig for men looking for extra money with little to no skill required.
Hopefully, this guide will help you prepare as a sperm donor, meet the requirements, and pass the qualification process.
Will you become a sperm donor? Let us know your thoughts about this side gig in the comments.
Also, if you found this helpful, feel free to share this article with other men who may need an extra earning opportunity.
