Practical guides · Treatment and donors
Which tests should you ask a sperm donor or co-parent for?
Ask for recent, dated results from a laboratory for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, and for a haemoglobin test that shows thalassaemia and HbE. In this region, hepatitis B and thalassaemia matter most. Do the same tests yourself.
Why these tests matter in your country
| Country | HIV, adults 15 to 49 | Chronic hepatitis B |
|---|---|---|
| India | 0.2% | about 0.95% |
| Malaysia | 0.3% | 1.47% |
| Indonesia | 0.4% | 4.42% |
| Thailand | 1.1% | 1.51% |
| Vietnam | 0.5% | 6.16% |
| Cambodia | 0.5% | 2.71% |
| Laos | 0.4% | 3.86% |
| Myanmar | 0.9% | 4.66% |
In Vietnam, about 1 adult in 16 lives with hepatitis B. In Myanmar, Indonesia and Laos it is about 1 in 21 to 1 in 26. These numbers say nothing about one man. They only show that a test is never a formality.
Thalassaemia is also very common here. In Preah Vihear in Cambodia, one study found the HbE gene in more than half of the people tested. In Laos, it was found in 3 pregnant women in 10 in Vientiane. A carrier is healthy, but two carriers can have a child with serious thalassaemia. See the thalassaemia calculator.
The list of tests
- HIV 1 and 2: a laboratory blood test that looks for both antigen and antibodies (often called “4th generation”), or a NAT test, which looks for the virus itself.
- Hepatitis B: HBsAg (the surface antigen). European rules also include anti-HBc, which shows a past or present infection.
- Hepatitis C: anti-HCV antibodies.
- Syphilis: a blood test such as VDRL or RPR.
- Chlamydia: a urine test.
- Haemoglobin: a full blood count with haemoglobin electrophoresis or HPLC. It shows beta-thalassaemia trait and HbE. A normal result does not rule out alpha-thalassaemia: if his red cells are small but the HbA2 level is normal, a DNA test is needed.
- Blood group: A, B, AB or O, and Rh positive or negative. Give it to your doctor with your own.
In India, the ART Rules 2022 (rule 26) list the tests a sperm bank must do on every donor: HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis (VDRL) and chlamydia. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM, 2024) also asks that every sperm donor be screened for thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders. A man you know, it says, needs the same tests as a donor you do not know.
The date of the test matters
Just after an infection, tests cannot see it yet. This time is called the “window period”. A negative result only covers the time up to some weeks before the blood was taken:
- HIV: a NAT test finds it 10 to 33 days after infection. A lab antigen and antibody test finds it after 18 to 45 days. A finger-prick rapid test can take up to 90 days.
- Hepatitis B: about 3 weeks on average, and up to 12 weeks.
- Hepatitis C: the virus shows in 1 to 2 weeks with an RNA test. Antibodies often take 8 to 11 weeks, and up to 6 months.
- Syphilis: the blood test can still be negative early on. If there is any doubt, it is repeated 2 to 4 weeks later.
So ask for a recent result, and look at the date the blood was taken, not only the date of the report. Then ask for a second test some weeks later, at least 6 weeks after the first. The newer the result, the more it tells you.
What clinic quarantine means
Sperm banks freeze sperm and keep it before use. This is called quarantine. In the United States, sperm from an unknown donor is kept until the donor is tested again at least 6 months later. In Europe and the United Kingdom, it is kept at least 180 days, or less when NAT tests were done. An infection that was too new to show at the first test will show by then.
For a donor you know, the ASRM (2024) recommends that a clinic freeze his sample, wait 35 days, and test him again before use. After 35 days with a negative NAT test, the risk of a hidden HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection is below 1 in a million. The ASRM says fresh, unfrozen sperm is only justified between sexual partners. Where a clinic may treat you with a known man’s sperm, ask if it can do this. See fertility treatment near you.
What a real lab report looks like
- His full name, and his age or date of birth. Ask to see the same name on his identity card in a video call.
- The name, address and telephone number of the laboratory.
- The date the sample was taken, and the date of the report.
- Each test by name, the method, the result, and the normal range.
- A report number or a QR code, and the signature of the person responsible.
A photo or a PDF proves nothing on its own. In 2018, a fake laboratory in Delhi issued more than 23,000 reports in one year without any machines. Find the lab’s number yourself, call it, and give the report number. Or go to the lab together. See how to spot a scam.
You too
Do the same tests yourself, including the haemoglobin test if you do not know your result. The ASRM lists these for a woman who uses donor sperm: HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and CMV. If you are not protected against hepatitis B, ask your doctor about the vaccine. It is better to know everything before a pregnancy.
Checked October 2026. A guide only, not medical advice. Rules change: check the rules in force in your country with your clinic.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory: chronic hepatitis B in the general population, 2024 (Global Hepatitis Report 2026); HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 (UNAIDS estimates); checked October 2026.
- India: National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme estimate, Indian Journal of Medical Research; Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Rules 2022, rule 26.
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine and SART, Guidance regarding gamete and embryo donation, Fertility and Sterility 122(5), 2024.
- United States, 21 CFR 1271.60 and 1271.85; European Union Directive 2006/17/EC, Annex III; Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), screening timeline, October 2024.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV testing, and exposure window calculator, 2024.
- Mahidol University study of 1,631 people in Battambang, Preah Vihear and Phnom Penh, 2016; Savongsy et al., pregnant women at the Vientiane Mother and Child Hospital; Lampang study on alpha-thalassaemia testing, Journal of Health Science and Medical Research.
- Medical Dialogues, fake pathology lab in Delhi, 2018.
His dated results are on his health and fertility. You see the full reports after your video calls.