What is CMV?

CMV stands for cytomegalovirus. It is a virus that can be transmitted to a developing fetus before birth. It is a member of the herpes family of viruses that include mono and chickenpox. The CDC states that nearly 1 in 3 children are already infected with CMV by the age of 5, and by the age of 40 over half of the population is infected.

Primary CMV infection occurs in people who have never been exposed to the CMV virus before. Once a person becomes infected with CMV, the virus remains alive but dormant inside that person’s body for the rest of their lives. Recurrent CMV infection, is when a dormant virus become active again. CMV infection is usually harmless and rarely causes illness. However, for pregnant women, primary CMV infection can cause more serious problems than recurrent CMV infection.

CMV and Using a CMV Donor:

The FDA requires that CMV testing be performed on all men who intend to donate sperm. A positive result however, doesn’t necessarily mean that a man will be ineligible to donate. Cryobank America will obtain semen samples from potential donors and then quarantine those specimens for at least six months. During that time, the man may have CMV antibody levels tested several times. If the antibody tests indicate the possibility of a CMV infection close to the time of the sperm donation, the man will not be allowed to donate those specimens. If the testing is uncertain, those men will also not be allowed to donate those specimens. However, if a donor tests positive for CMV IgG only, indicating a past infection, he will be allowed to donate. Those samples will be labeled in the Cryobank America database as CMV positive.

Recommendations:

A woman who is considering pregnancy with donor semen should have CMV antibody testing as part of their IDT. Those who have had a past infection are at very low risk of transmitting CMV infection to a fetus. And are at little to no risk if they decide to use a CMV positive donor. Women who have never been exposed to CMV should consider using a CMV negative donor. Even though the risk from a CMV positive donor is low it is impossible to determine whether there will be risk for infection.

For additional information on CMV this link is especially helpful:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cmv/symptoms-causes/syc-20355358

If you have any questions regarding CMV please contact us at [email protected] or at 817-945-8708 and we will be happy to help you out!

Have you ever wondered how Cryobanks, Sperm/Egg/Embryo Storage Centers, and Fertility Clinics are able to store cells that can remain living for 30+ years? Cryopreservation is the answer, and we want you to be informed a little bit of how we do this.

We use Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) to preserve human cells and tissues in a state of suspended animation at cryogenic temperatures. Liquid Nitrogen is very cold, in fact it is -196 degrees Celsius or for people in the U.S. that translates to -321 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquid Nitrogen boils when it is at room temperature, so we must be careful to keep the Liquid Nitrogen cold so that is does not boil and get too warm which would allow for the cells to thaw out. With the help of freezing media and a proper technique, it will protect the cells from ice crystals, exploding, and shrinking.

If everything is done correctly, it will then result in a preserved cell, which theoretically has an indefinite shelf-life, that when thawed out properly the cells will be the same as it was before it was frozen. This allows people to utilize sperm/eggs/oocytes for future use in case they become infertile later on, which can help so many people! Liquid Nitrogen is a fascinating substance, plus, it also can help you make ice cream really fast, and that’s a pretty cool bonus!

If you would like more information about preserving your ability to conceive in the future, please visit our Directed Donor or Personal Sperm Banking pages, or contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 817-945-8708

ARLINGTON, Texas., September 1, 2017

Cryobank America, the newest sperm and egg bank in the U.S., is pleased to announce it’s opening in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.

Located at 3050 S Center St. Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76014, Cryobank America is headquartered in the Medical City District of Arlington between I-20 and I-30 near University of Texas – Arlington.

With the global sperm shortage causing a crisis not previously seen, many couples and single women are turning to sperm donors to start or expand their families. Dr. Sunday Crider, Ph.D HCLD/ELD, the Tissue Bank Director and Laboratory Director at Cryobank America adds, “A simple search online about male infertility and donor sperm shortage yields thousands results from countries around the world, all facing this same significant issue.”

With the Dallas-Fort Worth area comprising of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, Cryobank America carefully chose this location amongst many others in consideration. “The city of Arlington is in-between two major metropolitan area in Texas,” Sanjay Kumar, CEO and Co-founder explained, “This allows us for us to choose the best Texans to be part of our program”.

Rigorous eligibility requirements at Cryobank America ensure that the donors that enter the Sperm Donor Program are the best of the best. Less than 1% of potential donor applicants make it through the entire process and become fully eligible donors. Once specimens are moved out of quarantine per FDA requirements, units are shipped all over the world to aid in combating the shortage.

Cryobank America also caters toward directed sperm donors. These donors are men who are either storing their specimen as an insurance policy, should in the future they lose their ability to be fertile, or donors who will be donating their specimen to an intended recipient. “Men who are in occupations that place them in risk are encouraged to bank their sperm in order to preserve their fertility, including policemen, firefighters and military members” says Dr. Crider. “Additionally, men facing serious illnesses such a cancer or men wanting to get a vasectomy can all benefit from cryogenic preservation of their specimens.”

The staff at Cryobank America is comprised of highly educated and trained professionals, all holding at least a master’s degree in the biological sciences field. The entire staff is very excited to begin work on helping the countless couples and individuals all over the world make their dreams of starting a family a reality.

For more information, contact [email protected]