14307 Low Count!

HopefulLezMom

I have used 4 vials (2 IUI's) so far and all 4 had pretty undesirable numbers. First IUI i bought 2 ICI vials and after having to combine both vials the count was 10.6 Million with 13% motility and the 2nd time we used 2 IUI vials with a total combined of 8 Million and 30% motility. Can anyone share what their numbers were after thawing. My RE faxed in paperwork for a refund, I dont want to use this donor again if I'm going to continue to get low numbers like this (I really dont want to switch donors, he is our favorite).

cryo-admin

Hi H -

I'm sorry to hear about your experience.

Please note that Donor 14307 does not have a low sperm count. All of our donors go through an extensive screening process and less than 1% of applicants are chosen to be in our donor program. Our lab has rigorous standards and looks for sperm quality that's in the top 15%-20% of the population. Every single donation is evaluated to confirm it adheres to our strict quality standards. You can read more about our screening process here: https://cryobank.com/How-It-Works/Donor-Qualification/

It's important to keep in mind that quantifying sperm is not like counting other items. Sperm are living, moving cells that thrive at body temperature. There can be variation and under the best circumstances, the estimation of total motile sperm can vary by 30%. You can read more about that here: https://cryobank.com/How-It-Works/Specimen-Processing/Specimen-Information/

It's very unusual to have 4 different vials with low numbers. There are many variables involved when evaluating sperm. Thawing time, temperature, using a disposable slide instead of a Makler counting chamber, and not warming the counting chamber are just a few things that can significantly impact the final outcome of the thawed specimen. If the sperm is under thawed, the counts will be lower, however the sperm will continue to thaw when inseminated into the body because sperm thrive at body temperature.

Given the information provided above, it sounds like even if you choose a different donor, you would continue to get low counts.

I would encourage you to have your physician's lab complete a specimen report form and contact our Client Relations manager at 866-927-9622 x 1240 to resolve this issue.

Regards,

Nicole
CCB

HopefulLezMom

You stated that even if I switch donors I will continue to get low counts. So all the donors are low count. That statement doesn't seem to make sense.

cryo-admin

Hi H -

No, all donors do not have low counts. As I mentioned above, we have strict quality standards in place and our donors' specimen quality is in the top 15%-20% of the male population. Every single donation is evaluated to confirm that it meets or exceeds our standards.

Less than 2% of the vials that we ship out result in substandard claims. And although we ship vials to hundreds of clinics all around the world, the majority of the substandard claims come from the same handful of clinics.

To have one vial with a low count is rare, to have 4 out of 4 of your vials (that are also different vial types) with a low count is extremely rare and a sign that the vials are not being thawed and evaluated according to our thawing instructions. This is why even if you choose a different donor and nothing else changes with the thawing & evaluating process, it's likely that you will receive another low count.

Because there are many variables involved, it's best to have your physician's lab complete the specimen report form and contact us to help troubleshoot the issue.

Regards,

Nicole
CCB

HopefulLezMom

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I understand now what you meant

Nalt

I have done 3 iuis with this donor and the counts post thaw were pretty decent None below 10 mil

HopefulLezMom

Nalt, you are lucky. I had 4 vials and had to use 2 at a time and combined i didnt reach 10 mil. I had to switch donors which sucked because i had my heart set on this one.