Legacy vs. a sperm bank

Legacy is a sperm testing and freezing company that offers sperm preservation for individuals and couples for personal use. What’s the difference between Legacy and a traditional “sperm bank”? Let’s explore.

Key takeaways: 

• “Sperm banking” refers to the freezing and storage of sperm for future use.
• Legacy offers sperm freezing services for individuals to preserve their own sperm.
• Legacy does not sell donor sperm, or facilitate sperm donation.

What is a sperm bank?

The term “sperm bank” can have two common meanings: a sperm freezing facility like Legacy, or a company that offers frozen donor sperm.

Sperm cryobank

This type of sperm bank is a facility that specializes in freezing and storing sperm for later use. Legacy falls under this definition of sperm bank. People may choose to freeze sperm for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Delayed parenthood: Someone who wants children in the future but isn’t ready to start a family yet can freeze their sperm as a form of future fertility insurance.
• Medical intervention: Treatments for cancer, certain surgeries, or chronic illnesses can impact fertility. Sperm banking allows individuals to preserve their fertility before undergoing such procedures.
• Military deployment: Active military personnel facing deployment may choose to freeze their sperm for peace of mind. Learn more about sperm freezing for members of the military.

Donor sperm bank

This type of sperm bank provides sperm from donors for individuals or couples seeking assisted reproduction. Typically, the donor sperm is purchased in a vial or vials, and recipients can choose based on the sperm donor’s ethnicity, physical attributes, or affinities. Donor sperm from a sperm bank is typically anonymous, although there’s no absolute guarantee of anonymity.

Sperm donation can be a valuable option for same-sex couples, single women desiring parenthood, or couples facing male-factor infertility diagnosis.

Is Legacy a sperm bank?

Yes, in the first definition — Legacy specializes in freezing sperm for individuals to preserve their own fertility for future use. Legacy does not sell donor sperm or facilitate sperm donation.

Why freeze your sperm?

Our clients choose to freeze sperm for many reasons. Some of the most common include:

Sperm banking before medical treatment. If you are facing a medical procedure that could potentially impact your fertility, sperm banking allows you to preserve your sperm before treatment begins. This could include:

• Sperm banking before testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)
• Fertility preservation for trans women, before gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT, sometimes called HRT) or surgery
• Sperm banking before cancer treatment including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and many more

Vasectomy. Vasectomies are a highly effective form of birth control, and vasectomies aren’t always reversible. To safeguard your fertility, sperm banking before a vasectomy gives you the option to have children in the future if your circumstances change.

Planning for a family in the future. If you are not yet ready to start a family but know you want children in the future, sperm freezing can provide peace of mind by preserving while at peak quality. Men have a biological clock too. Sperm quality declines with age, making it harder to have healthy kids after 35 or 40.

Preserving fertility due to lifestyle or occupation choices. Certain high-risk professions — like firefighting or the military — or lifestyle choices, like smoking, might pose risks to fertility. Freezing sperm can offer an extra layer of security if you might want kids in the future.

See all the options for sperm freezing with Legacy.

Can I buy sperm from Legacy?

No, Legacy is not a donor sperm bank and does not sell sperm from donors.

Can I donate sperm to Legacy?

Legacy does not recruit sperm donors, as we’re not a donor sperm bank and don’t sell donor sperm.

If you want your own children in the future, you should freeze your sperm. It’s affordable with Legacy, starting at only $8 a month.

What if I want to use donor sperm?

If you are using sperm donation from a known donor — like a friend or family member — as part of your family planning journey, your sperm donor can do semen analysis through Legacy. Semen analysis prior to sperm donation is important to ensure your donor is healthy and fertile, and that your chosen path to pregnancy can be successful.

However, Legacy does not facilitate sperm donation.

FDA requirements for sperm donors

If you plan to use a known sperm donor, you’ll want to ensure you’re meeting all requirements for sperm donation. The FDA outlines specific screenings for sperm donors in the United States to ensure the safety and health of both the donor and the intended parents. Here’s an overview, but more information can be found on the FDA’s webpage.

• Medical history evaluation: Donors undergo a thorough medical history review to identify potential risks for transmitting infectious diseases or genetic conditions.
• Physical examination: A physical exam is conducted by a healthcare professional to assess the donor’s overall health.
• Infectious disease testing: Donors are required to undergo many tests for various sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and other relevant infectious diseases. The specific tests and required timeframe for testing can vary depending on the FDA regulations in effect at the time of donation.
• Quarantine period: Donated sperm is typically quarantined for a period of time (often 6 months) after collection. Additional testing may be performed on the donor during this period. This is to account for the fact that some infections, like HIV, take time to incubate, and won’t result in a positive test result right away.
• Semen analysis: Semen samples are analyzed to assess sperm quality, including motility (movement), count, and morphology (shape).
• Informed consent: Donors are required to sign a contract providing informed consent, which means they understand the risks and benefits of sperm donation and agree to the process.

These steps are typically required to use donor sperm with a fertility clinic, but they’re recommended for anyone using donor sperm.

Legacy for in-home insemination?

Legacy provides sperm freezing and storage. We deliver frozen sperm to medical providers for assisted reproduction procedures, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Currently, we do not deliver sperm for at-home insemination.