How much sperm is needed to get pregnant?

• How much sperm does it take to get pregnant?
• How much sperm is needed to get pregnant using fertility treatment?
• How much sperm is needed for each treatment type?
• What determines the amount of sperm needed to get pregnant?
• All you should know before ordering donor sperm
• Can a drop of sperm make a woman pregnant?
• Can you increase sperm count to improve your chances of pregnancy?
• Can watery sperm get a woman pregnant?
• Can thick sperm cause pregnancy?
• How long does sperm stay in a woman's body?
• Can a woman get pregnant if sperm is on the outside
• How to confirm whether sperm went inside?
• How long does it take to get pregnant?
• How do I order donor sperm?

Only one sperm is needed to fertilise an egg and start a pregnancy, though ejaculate contains 200-300 million sperm cells on average. Despite their number, most sperm cells fail to reach the egg for fertilisation. When sperm cells repeatedly fail to reach and fertilise the female egg, fertility treatments can improve the chances of conception by either reducing the distance the cells have to travel or by inserting them directly into the egg.

Typically, we recommend purchasing 3-5 straws per child. However, the exact amount of sperm required can vary depending on the fertility treatment you pursue. 

What is a sperm straw?

Donor sperm is sold in straws, with each straw containing 0.5 millilitres of sperm. However, the quality of that sperm can vary. Sperm motility (MOT) measures the quality of donor sperm by telling us how many sperm cells are moving forward. MOT10 means there are 10 million forward-moving sperm cells in every millilitre. So an MOT10 straw contains 5 million forward-moving sperm. The higher the number of forward-moving sperm, the better the chance of conception with Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or Intracervical Insemination ICI) treatment.

The amount of sperm you require may also depend on your specific circumstances and the treatment options available to you. For instance pregnancy options for lesbian couples include reciprocal IVF, but this isn’t an option for heterosexual couples or solo mums.

A single straw and treatment cycle can lead to successful fertilisation and pregnancy. However, treatments aren’t always successful on the first cycle, so we recommend purchasing three to five straws per child. This guidance applies to:

• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
• Intracervical Insemination (ICI)
• In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

Learn more about fertility treatments.

How many straws do you need for ICI?

One straw is used per ICI treatment cycle and can be enough to successfully conceive and become pregnant. As it involves artificial insemination, we always recommend MOT20+ straws for ICI treatment to maximise the likelihood of successful fertilisation. Similarly, many clinics prefer higher motility options for ICI to maximise the chance of fertilisation, because sperm must travel from the vagina to the egg.  As with all fertility treatments, we also recommend purchasing three to five straws in case the first cycle is unsuccessful.

How much sperm is used for IUI?

One straw is used per IUI treatment cycle and can be enough to successfully conceive and become pregnant. We always recommend MOT20+ straws for IUI treatment to maximise the likelihood of successful fertilisation. IUI places sperm inside the uterus, so clinics usually use sperm prepared for intrauterine use. As with all fertility treatments, we also recommend purchasing three to five straws in case the first cycle is unsuccessful.

How much sperm is needed for IVF?

One straw is used per IVF treatment cycle and can be enough to successfully conceive and become pregnant. MOT10+ straws are sufficient for IVF treatment, but MOT20+ straws are also regularly used. IVF involves fertilisation in a lab, so clinics can often work with lower motility thresholds than insemination procedures. As with all fertility treatments, we also recommend purchasing three to five straws in case the first cycle is unsuccessful.

How many straws do you need for ICSI?

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a type of IVF whereby the sperm is injected directly into a mature egg with a needle. However, evidence suggests ICSI should only be used in cases where male infertility is the primary issue. As such, it is rare in fertility treatments that use screened donor sperm. Just like with IVF treatments, it is possible to use both MOT10+ and MOT20+ sperm.

Female fertility (primarily age and egg count) and choice of fertility treatment are the two main factors that determine the amount of sperm you need to get pregnant. 

• Female fertility is primarily impacted by age, as the quality and number of eggs remaining decrease as a woman gets older. 

Choice of fertility treatment plays a significant role in the amount of sperm you need. Treatments like IVF and reciprocal IVF sometimes require five or six treatment cycles. However, successful pregnancies can also occur after a single treatment.

Does more sperm increase the chance of pregnancy?

Research suggests that semen needs to contain at least 11 million moving sperm to have a good chance of conceiving via sexual intercourse. Above this number, more semen does not necessarily increase the chance of pregnancy. Other factors are just as important.

What sperm factors are important for getting pregnant?

The most important sperm factors are sperm motility, sperm morphology and timing.

• Sperm motility: sperm must be able to reach the egg for fertilisation. Generally, the sperm motility percentage for pregnancy via sexual intercourse is 40%. This means that 40% of the total number of sperm in the ejaculate should be moving.
• Sperm morphology: sperm shape affects the likelihood of fertilisation. Healthy sperm look like they have a smooth, oval-shaped head, an intact midpiece and a long tail.
• Timing: sperm must reach the egg during the fertility window.

How much sperm is in a straw?

Each European Sperm Bank straw contains 0.5 ml of sperm. The number of moving sperm in that straw is determined by the MOT count. MOT10+ straws contain at least 5 million moving sperm, while MOT20+ straws contain at least 10 million moving sperm.

Unwashed sperm versus washed sperm

Washed sperm is processed in a lab to separate the sperm from the seminal fluids that occur naturally in ejaculate. Unwashed sperm is sperm in its natural state and contains seminal fluid.

Washed sperm is sometimes referred to as IUI-ready sperm, as it is used in IUI, IVF and ICSI treatments where introducing seminal fluids directly into the uterus can cause an allergic reaction. 

Unwashed sperm is sometimes referred to as ICI-ready sperm, as it’s only suitable for vaginal insertion and used in ICI treatment.

In some instances, fertility clinics prefer to wash and process the sperm at their facilities. We recommend discussing which type of sperm you require with your clinic before placing your order. Alternatively, our expert advisors can also help you make an informed decision.

Family limits and pregnancy slots

Family limits determine the number of times a donor’s sperm can be used to conceive a child. A Family1 donor means that only your family can use the donor's sperm to have a child worldwide. A Family15 donor can be used by you and 14 other families. 

Every country sets its own national family limit, and the use of a donor’s sperm within that country cannot exceed this limit. Currently, there is no international family limit. However, European Sperm Bank has implemented a self-imposed worldwide family limit of 75 families for European Sperm Bank donors. In some countries, we also offer donor sperm from donors with lower worldwide family limits. 

Some countries use pregnancy slots to manage sperm donation and ensure family limits are respected. Purchasing a pregnancy slot is mandatory in many regions and gives you the right to use the same sperm donor for multiple children, thus ensuring you can use the same donor sperm for potential siblings. However, a pregnancy slot does not guarantee your donor will have available straws. We recommend registering for a sperm storage unit and purchasing additional straws when you reserve your pregnancy slot if there is a chance you will want a second child using the same donor.

Sperm storage: You can buy the sperm now and save it for later

Sperm storage enables you to purchase your preferred donor’s straws now and safely store them for future fertility treatments. This means you don’t have to worry about donors stopping donating or their straws selling out.

At European Sperm Bank, you can quickly and easily select a storage unit when ordering donor sperm. We will then store the sperm until you need it. If you don't use the straws in storage, we'll refund 75% of the initial cost for up to three years after the purchase date. After that date, the size of the refund decreases incrementally.

Book a consultation to talk to one of our expert advisors about your treatment needs, which straws you should purchase and how many. They can also answer any questions you may have about donor sperm or fertility treatments in general.

A drop of sperm can make a woman pregnant, as all it takes is a single sperm to fertilise the egg. However, a drop of sperm may not contain the necessary number of forward-moving sperm to make pregnancy probable.

Yes, you can improve your sperm count by adopting healthier lifestyle habits, such as:

• Drinking less alcohol. Guidelines suggest no more than 14 units a week, spread over three days.
• Stopping smoking.
• Losing weight if you are overweight.
• Wearing loose-fitting underwear, as tight-fitting designs increase the temperature of the testicles and can affect sperm quality.
• Avoiding contact with potentially dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides and solvents.

How to get pregnant with a low sperm count

You can get pregnant with a low sperm count by having regular, unprotected sex every two to three days during the fertility window. If you have not conceived after one year, fertility treatments like IVF are an option. You could also use a sperm donor.

Watery sperm can get a woman pregnant, but it may also indicate lower sperm count or quality. Factors like recent ejaculation, hydration, diet, and STIs may also cause watery semen, so it’s best to visit your local health professional for a fertility check-up if you are concerned.

Thick sperm can cause pregnancy, and healthy semen is often thick and gel-like. Thicker-than-usual semen might also be caused by dehydration or infection. If you are concerned about the consistency of your semen, visit your local health professional for a fertility check-up.

Sperm can stay alive in a woman’s body for up to five days. This means you can conceive via sexual intercourse up to five days before ovulation, which defines the fertility window. Outside of the body, sperm dry up and die within minutes, but they can be frozen and cryogenically stored for decades. 

Sperm can survive outside of the body for short periods, so there is a small chance that semen outside of the vagina could cause pregnancy. This is more likely if the semen is touching the vulva or close to the vagina. However, it is unlikely that semen outside the body will cause pregnancy.

Close observation is the only way to immediately confirm whether sperm entered the vagina. Following sexual intercourse, women may notice white or cloudy liquid coming from the vagina, and this also suggests sperm has entered the vagina. 

It usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 12 hours for sperm to reach the egg and fertilise it. However, as sperm can live for nearly a week in a woman’s body, it is possible for the egg to be fertilised as many as five days after sexual intercourse.

Ordering donor sperm with European Sperm Bank is a three-step process:

1. Check availability – check that your chosen donor has sufficient availability for your fertility treatment.
2. Select the number of straws – we recommend purchasing three to five straws per child.
3. Details and payment – confirm your order details are correct and proceed to payment.

You can learn more about pricing in our extensive guide to sperm donor costs.