Sperm donor genetic screening
Every Cryomate donor goes through multiple layers of genetic screening before he can be accepted into our donation program. That screening gives us insight into his genetic makeup โ and gives you real information to work with when youโre choosing a donor.
Half of your childโs genes will come from your donor. Screening helps us understand his genetic makeup more clearly, find the lowest-risk donors to move forward with, and give you added confidence as you choose a donor for your family
Sperm donor genetic screening is the process of testing a donorโs DNA and reviewing his family medical history to identify those higher risk conditions. Every Cryomate donor is screened through CryoGene, our own custom panel using an exome backbone technology โ sequencing every protein-coding gene rather than a fixed list โ covering more than 1,400 genetic conditions.
The layers of genetic screening every donor completes
Genetic screening is one part of how we evaluate a donor, alongside a physical exam, blood work, infectious disease testing, a psychological assessment, and a criminal background check. The genetic side has five layers, and every donor completes all of them before heโs accepted.
Together they give us a holistic understanding of each donorโs genetic background.
The donorโs personal and family medical history
Every applicant completes a detailed medical history, reporting any condition that has affected or may affect him or his family members. Our coordinators and genetics team review it before he moves to the next step.
An applicant whose history places future children at meaningfully elevated risk is not accepted.
A genetic counselor interview and a four-generation pedigree
Every donor meets with a licensed, certified genetic counselor for an in-depth conversation about his and his familyโs health. Together they create a four-generation pedigree โ a map of medical history covering his parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and potentially his children.
The counselor may ask him to get additional clarification from relatives, and medical records are requested when something he reports needs investigating. Everything is reviewed carefully and thoroughly.
As part of this session, donors consent to store their DNA and to be contacted again if further testing is ever needed.
If a question comes up years later โ a condition reported in a donor-conceived child, or new information from the donor himself โ weโre able to assess risks and carry out further testing if itโs needed.
Karyotype
A karyotype looks at the overall structure of a donorโs chromosomes โ whether all 46 are present and correctly arranged, with none rearranged, missing, or duplicated. About 1 in 500 people carry a change at this level.
Changes at this level can increase the risk of failed implantation, miscarriage, or a child born with a chromosome imbalance. An applicant found to have a chromosomal rearrangement is not accepted.
Some donors show whatโs called a variant of normal. These are harmless differences in chromosome structure with no effect on health or reproduction, and they donโt affect a donorโs eligibility.
Each donorโs karyotype result is shown on his profile.
Chromosomal microarray
A microarray looks more closely than a karyotype can, finding smaller missing or extra pieces of a chromosome โ called copy number variants โ that can be associated with genetic conditions. About 1 in 100 people carries a change at this level, one a karyotype would read as completely normal.
Occasionally, a copy number variant turns up that isnโt known to be associated with any disease. When that happens, we include it in the profile for full transparency. Microarray has become a standard part of the current screening process for every Cryomate donor. It was not available for some of the earliest donors published on the catalog and is indicated on their profile accordingly.
CryoGene: carrier screening on an exome backbone
Most sperm banks screen donors with a traditional carrier screening panel โ a fixed list of genes, where anything not on the list was never looked at. And it can be challenging to get that additional information if needed.
CryoGene works differently. Instead of looking only for a specific list of conditions, this test examines all the protein coding genes. We then decide which results to report based on current medical guidelines and industry standards, reviewing the panel quarterly and updating as needed. At present, this allows us to screen for more than 1,400 inherited conditions, including both recessive and dominant disorders.
- Recessive conditions โ over 400 conditions where someone carries one affected copy of a gene and is typically healthy. When both biological parents carry a change in the same gene, thereโs a one in four chance with each pregnancy that the child inherits both copies and is affected.
- Dominant conditions โ conditions where a single altered copy of a gene can affect health, with a 50% chance of passing to a child. Every Cryomate donor is screened for these, focusing on genes linked to neurodevelopmental conditions, neurological conditions, intellectual disability, hereditary cancer predispositions and more โ genes that traditional donor carrier screening overlooks. A donor found to have one is not accepted into the program.
How does Cryomateโs screening compare to other sperm banks?
| CRYOMATE | OTHER US SPERM BANKS | |
|---|---|---|
| Screening technology | Exome backbone โ every protein-coding gene sequenced | Targeted panel โ fixed gene list |
| Autosomal recessive conditions | Yes | Yes |
| Autosomal dominant conditions | Yes | No |
| Total genetic conditions screened | 1,400+ | 260โ570 |
| Karyotype | Yes | Yes |
| Chromosomal microarray | Yes | No |
| Additional conditions testable without re-testing the donor | Yes | Varies |
| Screening details shown on every donor profile | Yes | Varies |
| Panel reviewed and updated | Quarterly | Varies |
Current as of August 2026.
What it means when a donor is a carrier
Usually, very little.
Every person carries genetic changes. Most of us carry several, most of us are healthy, and most of us never find out unless weโre tested. A donor being a carrier is expected.
What matters is whether you or your egg source carries a change in the same gene as the donor. Thatโs why we publish each donorโs full results.
We recommend carrier screening for whoever is providing the egg. Comparing those results with the donorโs is how you reduce the chance of passing an inherited condition to your child. Your healthcare provider or our genetic counselor can help you do it.
Occasionally, carriers may have risks associated with just the carrier status. This will be noted in the genetic testing summary and on the report, if relevant. And in cases with significant risks, the donors are not allowed to move forward.
The genetic information on every donor profile
We believe you should have everything we know about a donor at your fingertips, so you can make the right informed decision for your family. Three documents sit on every donor profile โ with no subscription, and no additional fee:
Full genetic screening report
The complete molecular results and any updates of custom testing requested at a later date.
Genetic testing summary
written by our genetics team, setting out which conditions were screened and what was found, in a form you can hand to your healthcare provider
Four-generation pedigree
the family medical history map built during his counseling session
Each profile also states which CryoGene panel the donor completed and how many conditions it covered.
If you know you or your egg source is a carrier for a specific condition, you can filter the donor catalog to screen out donors who carry it too.
What to consider when you review a donorโs results
Start with carrier screening for you or your egg source. We recommend it for anyone planning a pregnancy. Those results are what make a donorโs results meaningful.
Download and share the donorโs documents with your healthcare provider and review them together to evaluate if this is the right donor match for you.
If thereโs a genetic condition in your family, or youโre a carrier for something outside a donorโs panel, let us know. Except for rare cases, we can arrange testing on specific custom genes.
If youโd like help with genetic matchmaking, you can book an appointment with our genetic counselor, who can compare your results against up to three donors. Learn more about genetic counseling and donor matching.
Screening has limits. Our responsibility does not.
The limits of genetic screening
Genetic screening reduces risk. It cannot remove it.
Every pregnancy carries a 3โ5% chance of a child born with a birth defect or genetic condition, even after negative genetic testing. Most have no known cause, and even extensive testing may not be able to reveal them beforehand.
Genetic screening also reflects what was known at the time it was done. Genetic knowledge keeps advancing, and a result considered benign today may be understood differently in ten years.
We keep in touch, and we ask you too as well
Our responsibility doesnโt end when a donor finishes donating.
We ask donors to tell us if anything changes in their health or their familyโs medical history. There is no limit to when they should contact us. We ask the same of you. If a pregnancy doesnโt succeed, or in the rare case your child is diagnosed with a health condition, we want to know. What you tell us helps us look into the donor โand can help you understand potential causes and/or recurrence risks, and it could help the other families who used him.
When something needs a further examination, the donor is removed from the catalog while we review it. We tell the families affected, and the donor, while maintaining everyoneโs privacy. If the risk to future families turns out to be elevated, he is permanently discontinued for new families. Please keep your contact details current with us, and reach out any time you have something to share or ask.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, though standards vary widely between banks. Every Cryomate donor completes a family medical history review, a genetic counseling interview, a karyotype, a chromosomal microarray, and CryoGene screening covering more than 1,400 genetic conditions.
Genetic testing evolves. New evidence connects genes to conditions we didnโt understand a few years ago, and sometimes shows that a change once considered risky isnโt cause for concern. We review our panel every quarter and update it when the evidence warrants, which means donors who joined at different times were screened under different CryoGene panels. Every donor profile states which panel he completed and how many conditions it covered, and you can view his full genetic results to see exactly which conditions he was screened for.
No โ an exact match isnโt the goal, and itโs rarely possible. Panels differ from lab to lab, and the same condition can appear under a different name. What matters is whether the conditions you carry were covered by your donorโs screening. Our genetic counselor can compare the two directly and tell you where the gaps are. If something you carry wasnโt on his panel, we can usually arrange testing for it. Learn more about our genetic counseling services.
Yes. Nearly everyone carries at least one recessive condition, so excluding carriers would mean excluding almost everyone. What matters is that you know which conditions a donor carries, so you can compare them against your own results. Donors are not accepted if screening finds a dominant condition or a structural chromosomal change.
Yes. If you or your egg source carries a condition a donor wasnโt screened for, we can arrange testing on the specific genes needed.ย ย Results usually take around two to three weeks.Learn more about additional donor genetic testing, including timelines and pricing.
Any new information we have will be shared with you and genetic counseling will be recommended. This is why we ask families to keep their contact details current with us โ itโs the only way we can reach you when it matters.
No. Carrier screening was historically targeted by ethnicity, and many people still assume it works that way. Current guidelines recommend the same screening for everyone, and because CryoGene sequences every protein-coding gene, every donor is screened the same way regardless of background.
It isnโt possible to test for every genetic condition, and interpretation changes as knowledge improves. CryoGene sequences every protein-coding gene, which is why we can report on additional conditions later without re-testing a donor โ but screening reduces risk rather than removing it.
Genetic matchmaking, led by your vision
With innovative screening technology and decades of fertility expertise, we are redefining donor screening.
We call it chromosomal chemistryโthat moment of finding the perfect donor match for the baby youโve always imagined.