Information overload
Blog written by laboratory staff IS When I first started working at Fairfax Cryobank 3 years ago I remember the sheer information overload that came with being trained as a laboratory technician. The memorization needed for lab tasks alone is extensive: volume adjustments when accounting for semen viscosity, minimum requirements …
Naive About Donor Sperm
Blog written by laboratory staff NP As a recent college graduate, I have only been employed by Fairfax Cryobank for approximately three months. Now, as a new member of the young professional society, the same questions I find are being asked of me: “Where do you work?”, “What do you …
Knowledge is power
Blog written by laboratory staff DG Modern medical science has made incredible advancements in recent decades especially in the field of reproductive medicine. This is especially true in regards in genetic testing and the work done at Fairfax Cryobank when testing potential donors for genetic disorders. When I began working …
Environmental Effects on Sperm
Blog written by Fairfax Cryobank Director of Operations Michelle Ottey, PhD. Spermatogenesis is the process through which immature germinal stem cells are differentiated into mature sperm. This process is incredibly involved and takes approximately 60 days.* Due to the complexity of each step in this process, sperm are highly susceptible …
Who Gets the Sperm?
Blog written by Director of Operations, Fairfax Cryobank, Michelle Ottey, PhD. Not all sperm donors are alike. When screening for sperm donors, sperm banks are looking for a good, diverse, representative group of men who will appeal to our patients. The staff meets the prospective sperm donors and works with …
Lifestyle Effects on Sperm Quality
Blog written by Director of Operations, Fairfax Cryobank, Michelle Ottey, PhD. In a recent article in Fertility and Sterility, research was published confirming that higher age, along with lifestyle factors such as stress, smoking and alcohol are all factors that negatively affect semen quality. Different factors cause lower sperm count, …
Explaining a T-Shirt
Blog written by Laboratory Staff JM Working at a sperm bank over the years, I’ve accumulated quite the collection of t-shirts, pens, keychains, and such – all with pictures of sperm, of course! I wear one t-shirt more than others, usually on weekends, running errands or just around the house. …
Every baby requires four things
Blog written by Fairfax Cryobank Director of Operations Michelle Ottey, PhD While at the ASRM conference, I attended a talk about LGBT Family Building. It was a fantastic talk that covered the legal, medical, and psychosocial aspects of family building for those in the gay community. Some of the items …
The Two Week Wait
Blog written by Fairfax Cryobank Family Forums Moderator Desiree Once the donor insemination is completed, there is a two week period before a pregnancy confirmation test is completed at the fertility specialist’s office. Although this does not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of life, this is …
Building A Family Isn’t Always Easy
Blog written by laboratory staff JM Now that my husband and I are expecting our second child, I’ve been thinking a lot about the many factors people encounter when trying to build a family. I started my career in this field as a laboratory technician at a fertility clinic. I …
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Fun video too!
