Answers to frequently asked questions

This information is designed to answer questions often asked by Clients/Recipients

and\or Medical Personnel regarding BioGenetics' services.

Who makes up the Donor population at BioGenetics?
What is the difference between an "Anonymous Donor" an "Access Donor" and
a "Total Access ID" ™ (T.A.ID) Donor?
What else can you tell us about the Donor?
How often do these Donors provide samples to BioGenetics?
What is the difference between BioGenetics' "Donor list" and the company's "Actual" Donor Inventory?
What determines the availability of a Donor specimen vial(s)?
Is the supply of all Donor vials the same for all Donors?
Definition of "Assisted Reproductiion and "ART"
What is a Donor vial and how do you characterize the content?
Which Donors will be available next month?
Can orders be placed a month in advance?
How does one plan to have a family for multiple siblings using the same Donor ?
How do I determine the number of Donor vial(s) needed for my assissted reproductive procedure?
What paperwork is needed before placing an order?
When should an order be placed?
What information is needed to complete an order for Donor vials?
What are the shipping/delivery options and procedures?
What method of payment is available to pay for all of the above services?
Any additional questions?

Who makes up the Donor population at BioGenetics?

The Donor Program relies on an active recruitment campaign and draws on individuals from within the States immediately surrounding New Jersey. BioGenetics donors are of diverse ethnic origin.

What is the difference between an “Anonymous Donor”, an “Access Donor” and a "Total Access ID" ™ (T.A.ID) Donor?

As of January 2011 BioGenetics has modified its sperm Donor program. BioGenetics offers the choice of “3” different potential donor options to Clients/Recipients:

1. The “ANONYMOUS DONOR” program is where by the identity of the Donor including all personal data will remain confidential and will not be disclosed to Client(s)/Recipient(s), child or children.
   The “Anonymous Donor” cryopreserved inventory is limited to FIVE (5) Client(s)/Recipients that have reported successful live births per State within the U.S.A. per Donor. 
   BioGenetics Corporation will exercise the right to limit the number of individual Client(s)/Recipient(s)  requesting “Anonymous Donor” cryopreserved inventoried vials, based on the individual country’s Assisted Reproductive Regulations.
   
   
2. The “ACCESS DONOR™” program allows the Client(s)/Recipient(s), the Donor and their offspring the opportunity to access information regarding each other in a structured way.
   The Donor demographics and identifying information to include the donor’s ethnicity, date of birth, current residential address, social security number, as well as, non-identifying information, such as the Donor Personal and Family Medical History, the Donor’s Life Style Assessment, the Donor’s Medical Laboratory test results, including a recent picture of the donor will be kept by a centralized registry.
   As of the age of 18 a child conceived using donated sperm from an "Access Donor™", will be able to access" identifying and non-identifying information" about the Donor, including the Donor's name and date of birth including the most recent contact information, as well as, the sex and year of birth of each of the Donor's off-springs.
   The "Access Donor™" cryopreserved inventory is limited to TEN (10) Client(s)/Recipients that have reported successful live births WorldWide per Donor. 
   BioGenetics Corporation will reserve the right to limit distribution and/or the number of individual 
   Client(s)/Recipient(s) requesting “Access Donor” cryopreserved inventoried vials, based on the
   individual country’s Assisted Reproductive Regulations.
   
   
3. The "Total Access ID" ™ (T.A.ID) Donor program allows for the Client(s)/Recipient(s), her spouse/partner, if any, and the Donor to meet and to have access to each other from the onset of the process and eventually to the future child or children.
   The Donor’s identity is disclosed to the Client(s)/Recipient(s) during a “FACE TO FACE” meeting, whenever geographically feasible, and eventually to the child or children as elected by the Client(s)/Recipient(s) parent(s) within the Agreement and terms of a “Recipient –Donor Agreement”.
   The Agreement and terms of “Recipient –Donor Agreement” to be developed jointly between the Client/Recipient, and her spouse/partner (if any) and the Donor.
   Legal counsel assistance is available to facilitate the process.   
   All legal fees for the “Recipient- Donor Agreement” will be the sole responsibility of the Client(s)/Recipient(s) and her spouse/partner (if any).
   The T.A.ID Donor cryopreserved inventory is limited to TEN (10) Client(s)/Recipients that have reported successful live births WorldWide per Donor. 
   BioGenetics Corporation will reserve the right to limit the distribution and/or the number of individual Client(s)/Recipient(s) requesting T.A.ID Donor cryopreserved inventoried vials, based on the individual country’s Assisted Reproductive Regulations.

What are some of the safety standards applied to the Donor population? 

• Donors undergo medical evaluations, a comprehensive personal lifestyle interview and a psychometric testing for intellectual and personality screening using the MMPI-2 and the Raven’s SPM test.
• Donors MUST meet all the requirements for quality assurance and safety through standardized laboratory tests and procedures in use at BioGenetics.
• The "Anonymous Donor", the "Access Donor" and the "T.A.ID Donor" submit to rigorous FDA cleared laboratory testing panel which involves testing of semen, blood and urine samples initially and periodically for the following tests: HIV, HTLV, Drug Abuse, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (CMV, Chlamydia, Myco/Ureaplasma, Herpes, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis).
  A complete test list is found in our "Available Donor List" (ADL). 

What else can you tell us about the donor?

• BioGenetics relies solely on the information provided by the individual donors.
  These preset questions have been developed to gather personal and family medical history.
  In addition, questions relating to the donor's lifestyle have been selected to help establish the donor's social and personal behavior. 
• Copies of each Donor's Personal and Family Medical History and Personal Lifestyle Assessment are available for a fee of USD $12.00 per donor. The fee includes regular US mail delivery. 
• Baby picture(s) are available at the donor's discretion for a fee of USD $12.00 per donor. 

Donors collect samples on a weekly basis for a minimum of six (6) months, allowing the sperm bank to build up a reliable inventory. A Donor's participation in the program is limited to one (1) year to minimize consanguinity.

What is the difference between BioGenetics' "Donor list" and the company's "Actual" Donor Inventory? 

The "ADL" or the donor selection brochure is published and mailed to physicians and prospective clients upon request. It lists the Donors whose specimen vial(s) will be released upon the satisfactory completion of the 180 days quarantine period and made available during the following three (3) months. 

The company's Donor Inventory is updated monthly in-house to reflect the actual Donor inventoried vials to be released for ART.

What determines the availability of a Donor vial(s)?

The availability of a Donor specimen vial(s) is based on two (2) factors: 

Is the supply of all Donor vials the same for all Donors?

The simple answer is "No".

The quality of a semen sample varies from Donor to Donor, and from sample to sample, these 2 basic factors will impact on the actual number of vials to be released six (6) to eight (8) months later.
There is no standard number of cryostored vials between Donors.
For example, a typical monthly inventory may read as follows: 

Definition of Assisted Reproduction and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)?

Assisted Reproduction and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are interchangeable terms referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means accomplished with laboratory

assistance.

What is a Donor vial and how do you characterize the content? 

A Donor vial represents the unit/container in which the frozen semen sample is cryopreserved. The content or volume of each vial is limited by its size and dimensions. BioGenetics' vials are processed in a way that permits your Physician/Clinic to use the sample for any and all Assisted Reproduction procedures such as ICI, IUI, IVF* and ICSI*.

*(Donor vials for IVF and ICSI procedures will require further on-site preparation)

BioGenetics guarantees each vial to have:

• A volume of 0.7 ml
• 10 million motile sperm cells per vial
• with an index of forward progressive motility 2.0
  (0=non motile//3.0= excellent foward progressive motility)

Which Donors will be available next month? 

The exact inventory for each Donor is not released until the first working day of the month.
A Donor must have his laboratory tests completed with the results within acceptable limits by the time of the planned inventory release.
BioGenetics' Medical Director reviews all Donor mandatory laboratory test results immediately before the release date.

Can orders be placed 30 days in advance of my ART procedure?

The simple answer is, YES!

Advance orders or advance reservations of specimen vial(s) are taken on a first-request basis, as long as the number of specimen vial(s) needed are available in the released inventory report.

How does one plan to have a family using the same Donor?

BioGenetics' policy permits Clients/ Recipients that have had a proven pregnancy by a given Donor to purchase Donor vial(s) through our "Reserve a Donor" program. (Please call BioGenetics for details). 

This would allow a family to plan having sibling(s) from the same Donor.
BioGentics recommends that this action be taken within the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

However, it is always best to consult with your physician.

No storage fee is imposed for pre-purchase of a Donor vial(s) for the first year.

How do I determine the number of Donor vial(s) needed for my Assisted Reproductive procedure?

Choosing a Donor is usually the responsibility of the Client/ Recipient.

BioGenetics encourages YOU, the Client/ Recipient and partner, to take a pro-active role in this process.

You will need to consult with your Physician and /or the ART coordinating team to guide you as to the number of specimen vial(s) needed. This will help reduce anxieties related to the process of Donor selection and help you and the medical staff in having a succesfull Assisted Reproduction event.

What paperwork is needed before placing an order?

A. All Physicians and/or Medical Facilities that supervise the medical management of the

Client/Recipient considering using Donor sperm must, review, complete, sign, and return to BioGenetics a Provider Service Agreement for Cryobanked Donor Sperm, available online.

B. Client/Recipient, Client/Recipient spouse and/or partner, considering using Donor sperm must review, complete, sign and return to BioGnetics a:
Recipient Acknowledgement Request and Consent form for Assisted Reproduction by Cryopreserved Donor Sperm", prior to the delivery and/or shipping of the specimen vial(s).
This document may be obtained and downloaded, online, directly by the Client/Recipient.

C. An Order Request and Confirmation form, available from BioGenetics or obtained online.
The form must be received from Client/Recipient, by BioGenetics, prior to the requested shipping and delivery date. This form must be used to cancel an order and received 24-48 hours prior to delivery.

D. Pre-payment is required prior to delivery date or shipment date.
Payment may be made by Bank Check, Money Order or using our Credit Card Authorization
form available online.

When should an order be placed?

Orders can be placed at anytime prior to your "delivered by" date or a mimimum of 48 hours before.
Orders for Donor vial(s) are filled on a first request basis. 

If a delivery date has not been established at the time of placing the order, a tentative date can be set using the Order Request and Confirmation form, provided by contacting BioGenetics or available online. This document must be faxed, emailed or mailed in, to arrive at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the shipping date, confirming the delivery date. 

What information is needed to complete an order for Donor vial(s)? 

When placing an order, the following information is needed:

(1) Doctor's name / Medical facility, address, phone number(s) and contact person
(2) Client/Recipient's Name, address, Telephone land line and Cell Phone number(s), as well as an email address.
(3) Donor Number selected
(4) Number of vial(s) required
(5) Date of shipping/delivery
(6) Name of person placing the order

All of the aforementioned information must be completed in writing using the

Order Request and Confirmation form

(NOTE:It is BioGenetics policy to ONLY ship/deliver to a Physician's office/Medical facility.)

What are the shipping/delivery options?

• BioGenetics reserves the right to ship and deliver orders via Federal Express or thru a reliable network courier services. Saturday shipment via Federal Express can be arranged, provided the courier service is available in your area.
  There is an additional charge for Saturday shipments.

  This service is not available Sunday, or Holidays. 

• BioGenetics does not ship orders on Fridays for a Monday delivery.
• For an assisted reproductive procedure scheduled for a Monday, it is recommended, that, the order be shipped for delivery on the Friday before your "delivered by" date .

• Orders are shipped in "Biological Dry Shippers" (BDS) charged with liquid nitrogen vapor. The BDS keeps the vials frozen for five (5) days, inclusive of the shipping day. The BDS expiration date is printed at the top of the packing slip enclosed with every shipment.
• Donor vial(s) must be used within the first five (5) days or transferred to a permanent storage tank within the first five (5) days from shipping to avoid the vial(s) from thawing. BioGenetics recommends liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapor environment for the extended maintenance and storage of vial(s). 
• Refer to our Fee schedule for transport and delivery services.

What method of payment is available to pay for all of the above services?

Payment may be made by any of the following means:

Money Order, Bank Check, American Express, Visa, or MasterCard. 

Any additional questions?

PLEASE CALL BIOGENETICS' CLIENT SERVICE COORDINATOR(s) at
800-637-777 or 908-654-8836

The “ACCESS DONOR™” is a trademark and property of Biogenetics Corporation, USA, all rights reserved.   

The “TOTAL ACCESS ID DONOR™” is a trademark and property of Biogenetics Corporation, USA, all rights reserved.