Regulations govern semen donations


Ottawa has established national standards under the Food and Drugs Act to protect Canadian women and their children from infectious diseases such as AIDS that are transmitted through donated sperm. The regulations, which took effect June 1, establish procedures for semen screening, testing, handling, labelling, quarantining and record keeping. They include mandatory freezing and quarantining of semen for 6 months.

Canadian physicians and sperm banks are now responsible for proper screening of donors and semen by evaluating the medical and social history of donors, testing for sexually transmitted disease, and then re-evaluating and retesting the donor after the semen has been frozen for a minimum of 6 months. The regulations are a response to a recommendation from the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, and were fully endorsed by the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society. In Canada, it is estimated that 3000 to 5000 children are born each year through donor insemination.


| CMAJ July 1, 1996 (vol 155, no 1) | News in health and health care |