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 in**@cr*************.com or at 817-945-8708 and we will be happy to help you out!
Different Vial Types:
If you have been curious about using sperm donors to help start your family, you may have gone and looked at the prices of vials and noticed there are several different types available. What is an IUI, ICI, and ICSI vial? This blog will let you know about the differences between each one, so that it can guide you in figuring out which vial is best for you.
The difference between IUI (Intrauterine insemination) and ICI (intracervical Insemination) vials are that IUI vials go through a “washing” procedure utilizing gradient separation methods, resulting in vials that are nothing but the sperm and stabilizing media that’s safe for the uterus is in each IUI vial. At Cryobank America, we guarantee 25 Million cells per milliliter (25M/ml) in our IUI vials, which are sold in in half Mils (0.5ml) units. IUI specimens can be safely placed directly into the uterus by your treating physician because there are no “round” cells or other “junk” in it (that causes cramping). These units are also ideal for use in at-home inseminations (placed near the top of the vagina and cervix). We will give you everything needed as well as instructions to be able to do this if you choose to go that route!
ICI vials are vials that have been washed, but have not undergone gradient separation steps, which remove the non-motile sperm cells, round cells, and other junk found in the ejaculate. At Cryobank America, we guarantee 17 Million cells per milliliter (17M/ml) and are sold in one milliliter (1ml) vials. ICI units are typically used for at-home insemination since these specimens cannot be placed into the uterus (due to severe cramping). Also, some fertility clinics prefer to wash their patient’s specimens in-house (usually at an additional cost to the patient), therefore these units contain one milliliter of specimen as opposed to IUI units, which are sold in half milliliter units (0.5ml). I personally recommend to our clients that they purchase IUI units since they can work for a normal IUI or an at-home insemination if preferred.
A.R.T., or artificial reproductive technology, vials are lower quantity units. At Cryobank America, we guarantee 6-24 M/ml for IUI ART units and 6-16 M/ml for ICI ART units. These vials are priced lower since they contain fewer progressively motile sperm cells.
Lastly, IVF vials, also known as ICSI vials, undergo our wash process and are guaranteed 1-6 Million per milliliter. These units are recommended for clients utilizing in-vitro fertilization or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection procedures, where only a few sperm are needed.
If you still have questions concerning vial type and differences between the types, please contact one of our friendly and knowledgeable Cryobank America staff members today!
Email us at in**@cr*************.com or give us a call at 817-945-8708
All pricing can be found at https://cryobankamerica.com/pricing/