Most sperm banks accept healthy men between the ages of 19 and 39, but meeting the age requirement is only the first filter. Fewer than 5% of applicants are ultimately accepted as donors, because the screening process evaluates everything from semen quality and infectious disease status to genetic carrier status and family medical history.
Age and Basic Requirements
The standard age window at most U.S. cryobanks is 19 to 39. Some banks set the minimum at 18 or the maximum at 34, but the 19-to-39 range is the most common. The upper limit exists because sperm quality gradually declines with age, and banks want samples that freeze and thaw well over years of storage.
Beyond age, you’ll need to be in good overall health, free of chronic conditions, and typically a nonsmoker. Most banks also require that you live within a reasonable commuting distance of their facility, since you’ll need to show up regularly for months.
Semen Quality Standards
Your semen is analyzed early in the application process, and the bar is higher than what a fertility clinic would consider “normal.” The World Health Organization defines a normal sperm count as 15 million sperm per milliliter, with at least 40 million total per ejaculate. At least 50% should be moving forward, and 30% should have a normal shape.
Sperm banks typically set their cutoffs well above these WHO minimums, because samples lose some viability during freezing and thawing. A man with a perfectly healthy sperm count for natural conception can still be rejected if his samples don’t survive the cryopreservation process well enough. You’ll usually provide two or three test samples before the bank decides whether your sperm meets their threshold.
Infectious Disease Testing
The FDA mandates testing for a specific list of infections before any donor tissue can be used. For sperm donors, that list includes HIV-1 and HIV-2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Donors are also screened for CMV (a common virus that can be dangerous during pregnancy) and HTLV-I and HTLV-II.
Testing must happen at FDA-approved laboratories, and for anonymous (nondirected) donors, the sperm is quarantined for six months. After that waiting period, the donor is retested. Only if both rounds come back clean is the sperm released for use. This quarantine catches infections that might not show up on the first test because the donor was in an early window period.
Genetic Screening
All major sperm banks screen donors for genetic carrier status, though the scope varies. At minimum, donors are tested for mutations linked to cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy, two of the most common serious recessive conditions. If you carry a disease-associated mutation, you’re typically disqualified.
Many banks now go further. Some use panels covering around 23 recessive disease genes, while others screen roughly 100 genes. Banks serving diverse populations often include additional panels, such as screening for alpha- and beta-thalassemia or a set of conditions more prevalent in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. The trend is toward broader screening as genetic testing technology becomes cheaper and faster.
Family Medical History
Expect to provide a detailed medical history spanning at least three generations of your family. Banks look for patterns of hereditary conditions like heart disease before age 50, certain cancers, psychiatric illness, and neurological disorders. The FDA specifically excludes anyone at increased risk for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which includes people who have a blood relative diagnosed with it (unless genetic testing confirms the donor doesn’t carry the associated mutation).
If your family history includes significant hereditary conditions, even ones you don’t personally have, that can be enough to end your application. Banks are cautious here because they’re responsible for the health of children who won’t exist for years.
Psychological and Educational Screening
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine strongly recommends psychoeducational counseling for all donors. In practice, most sperm banks require it. This screening assesses your understanding of what donation means, your emotional readiness, and your motivations. It also covers the reality that donor-conceived children may one day seek you out, since true anonymity is increasingly difficult in the age of consumer DNA testing. ASRM now uses the term “nondirected” instead of “anonymous” to reflect this shift.
Some banks also factor in educational background. While not a medical criterion, many cryobanks prefer applicants who are currently enrolled in or have completed a college degree, partly because recipient families often request this information.
Known vs. Anonymous Donation
The rules differ depending on whether you’re donating to a sperm bank for unknown recipients (nondirected donation) or directly to someone you know (directed donation). For nondirected donors, the FDA requires the six-month quarantine and full eligibility screening. If you fail any part, your tissue cannot be used.
Directed donors have more flexibility. If both the donor and the recipient understand and accept a specific risk, such as a positive carrier status, the donation can still proceed with proper labeling and informed consent. Directed donors are still recommended to undergo the same infectious disease testing, genetic screening, and psychological evaluation, but the quarantine period is shorter (at least 35 days instead of six months), and legal consultation is advised since laws vary by state.
Time Commitment and Compensation
Donating sperm is not a one-time event. Most banks require a commitment of at least twice per week for a minimum of six months. This ensures they can build an adequate inventory from each donor. You’ll need to abstain from ejaculation for two to three days before each visit to keep sample quality consistent.
Compensation reflects this commitment. At The Sperm Bank of California, for example, donors earn $200 per acceptable sample, with regular donors bringing in $950 to $1,500 or more per month. Completion bonuses are common: that same bank pays $700 when you finish your exit blood testing, plus a $500 bonus after the final screening. Rates vary by location and bank, but most programs in major cities fall in a similar range.
What Disqualifies You
The most common reasons applicants are rejected, in rough order of frequency:
- Semen quality: Samples that don’t meet the bank’s post-thaw survival threshold
- Medical or family history: Hereditary conditions, chronic illness, or significant psychiatric history in close relatives
- Infectious disease: A positive result on any mandated test
- Genetic carrier status: Carrying a mutation for a screened recessive condition
- Lifestyle factors: Current tobacco or recreational drug use, high-risk sexual behavior, or recent tattoos or piercings (due to infection risk during healing)
- BMI: Some banks set upper limits on body mass index
The entire application process, from first inquiry to becoming an active donor, typically takes two to three months as test results, genetic panels, and psychological evaluations are completed.