Are donors always truthful?

jsuzannejsuzanne Posts: 3
in Ask California Cryobank
What does cryobank do to ensure that donors are not lying about their background?

Comments

  • brooklyn12brooklyn12 Posts: 15
    I'd like to bump this question up the thread since it wasn't yet answered. I read/saw a news report today about a couple who is suing a sperm bank (Xytex) after finding out their donor wasn't represented entirely as he said he was. They have a 7 year old child now and learned that the donor was schizophrenic, a college drop-out, had burglary arrest, and photoshopped images.

    I used to work for an employment agency, and if an applicant filled out the application saying , for example, that they had a B.A. from Stanford University, I would then do a background check and call the university.
    I have done some searches and haven't seen in FAQ or otherwise that CCB also does that. Maybe I am not looking in the right place..

    There are some medical factors that personally are of high concern to me, so I'd like to know that a donor has been fact-checked on his application/screening process. Maybe I am missing where that might be listed in the CCB policies/procedures or small print, but if so, could someone point me in that direction?

    Thank you!
  • SweetthearttSweettheartt Posts: 373
    I have several times asked California Cryobank to insist on getting college and high school transcripts to ensure the grades that these donors say they received they did. But, to my knowledge, this is still not being done. This is no different from how every other job, on a professional level, asks for high school and college transcripts. It is incredibly easy for anyone to get their own transcript. Yet, California Cryobank insists that they will somehow know if the donor is lying. I work in education and it is very important to me to have this information be accurate. I chose to continue working with California Cryobank for other reasons, however, I still feel that this should be addressed and corrected.
  • brooklyn12brooklyn12 Posts: 15
    I do agree - it should be even more relevant/important than a job screening, even...this is someone that you are "tied" to for life. I do hope that someone from CCB does clarify this, but I've looked through the website and have seen no mention of it, really. If it is being done, that someone can point to where this listed in writing, and if it is not, that there are some policy changes, for sure. I wonder if (it is not being done) it will affect the donor pool & compromise the ratio of qualifying donors?
  • cryo-admincryo-admin Posts: 4,538
    Hi All –

    We require all of our donors to either be attending a 4-year university or already have achieved their undergraduate degree. Our donors must provide proof of education which could be in the form of transcripts, college diploma, etc. Although we do not require transcripts for all donors, we may request a transcript if a donor’s grades or test scores are higher than what is average for his university. We also do social media research which helps determine if there are any behaviors or inconsistencies that raise concerns. We disqualify applicants without hesitation.

    Other sperm banks may not have an education requirement and may have their applicants simply fill out a questionnaire. Our donor screening process takes 4-5 months and the donor is interviewed by a number of staff members in a variety of ways. We are the only sperm bank with 4 full-time genetic counselors that interview every single donor. Our counselors are trained to ask different questions that look for contradictions in responses that may signal dishonesty. We also have donor coordinators and physicians who interview and examine all applicants. If any issues are raised, the applicant can be disqualified at any time. With facilities near nationally ranked universities in LA, NY, Boston, and SF Bay Area, we attract so many great candidates that we have the ability to be far more critical and selective in who we bring into the program and we can be much more subjective in our selection process than other sperm banks. Please keep in mind that less than 1% of applicants actually make it through our qualification process.

    https://cryobank.com/How-It-Works/Donor-Qualification/

    Brooklyn – With any medical concerns please feel free to speak to one of our Genetics Counselors at 877-743-6384, they will be more than happy to assist you with this.

    Regards,

    Nicole
    CCB
  • puppup613puppup613 Posts: 11
    Great answer Nicole. Makes me feel even more secure in going with CCB!
  • brooklyn12brooklyn12 Posts: 15
    Nicole-
    Thank you for the response, much appreciated!
  • jsuzannejsuzanne Posts: 3
    Thank you for the response. It did ease my mind as well. I also must point out that your staff descriptions of donors are very accurate. My daughter has many of the personality traits CA Cryobank described in her donor. She also has very similar interests to her donor that are very different from my own. I've been extremely pleased with my experience, and I'm glad to know that CA Cryobank puts so much effort into making sure that your donors are the very best. I am forever grateful.
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