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What is GeneXmatch?
GeneXmatch is a service from European Sperm Bank to you, as a natural step on your fertility journey. Our donors are selected based on thorough genetic testing to optimise the chances for healthy babies but obviously, you as the prospective mother also bring your genes into the process.
Today we know about thousands of diseases that can be passed on to a child via the combination of the man’s and the woman’s genes. All individuals are healthy carriers of at least one serious inheritable disease. GeneXmatch is an offer to you who wishes to minimise the risk of disease causing combinations in the genes from you and your donor.
What we do
With GeneXmatch we test your genes and match them to the genes of your chosen donor to identify risks of more than 390 autosomal recessive diseases. In addition, you will be screened for 12 X-linked diseases including Fragile X Syndrome. Genetic counselling is always provided by us, if required. We can provide GeneXmatch for all donors with straws except for US donors.
Benefits of GeneXmatch
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Reduces the risk for a serious disease with recessive inheritance in your child
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Determines whether you are a carrier of a serious disease with X-linked inheritance
Limitations of GeneXmatch
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Does not cover all inheritable diseases
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Does not detect spontaneously occurred mutations in the egg, sperm or fetus
It is easy
The only thing we need from you is a saliva sample. You will receive a test kit from us with full instructions on how to provide and return your sample. You will get your result approximately four weeks after the lab has received your sample.
You will receive the result of your GeneXmatch in an email from us and your result will be one of the following options:
- You are a non-carrier of any of the X-linked diseases + your chosen donor is a match
- You are a non-carrier of any of the X-linked diseases + your chosen donor is not a match. Chose a new donor at no extra cost
- You are a carrier of an X-linked disease and we ask you to contact us for genetic counselling.
Genetic matching for women who are known carriers of autosomal recessive diseases
We also offer a match for women who have previously been carrier tested for autosomal recessive diseases and are known carriers of one or more diseases. European Sperm Bank will request a copy of the woman’s genetic report and the woman must choose two donors to secure a match. The price is the same as for GeneXmatch.
If the disease carried by the woman is included in the GeneXmatch panel we will recommend our GeneXmatch product since the match will include a large number of recessive genes in addition to her known disease.
GENEXMATCH FAQ
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Is GeneXmatch relevant for all women?+
Yes. Even without a family history with a recessive disease. We know that all humans are carriers of one or more recessive diseases. Usually the individuals have no knowledge about being a carrier since carriers of recessive diseases are healthy.
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What is recessive inheritance?+
Individuals who suffer from a disease with recessive inheritance have two mutated copies of the disease gene, one mutated gene from each parent.
As the parents have only one mutated copy, they are healthy carriers. If both parents are carriers of the same disease, their risk of having an affected child is 25% in each pregnancy. Males and females are equally often affected. -
What is X-linked inheritance?+
In diseases with X-linked inheritance, the mutated gene is located on the female sex chromosome (the X chromosome).
Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes. A female with one mutated copy of the disease gene is a healthy carrier. Males with one mutated copy are affected.
If a woman is a carrier of an X-linked disease her risk of having an effected child is 25 % in each pregnancy since only half of her sons will be affected and her daughters will either be healthy carriers or healthy non-carriers. -
By how much will the risk of having a sick child be reduced with GeneXmatch?+
The residual risk of having a child with a disease included in the GeneXmatch panel will be almost 0.
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Why does the GeneXmatch panel only include testing for approximately 400 autosomal recessive diseases and 12 X-linked diseases?+
We test for diseases with the highest frequency in the population. 97 of these diseases are well known critical diseases recommended by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The rest of the diseases are less frequent but sufficiently serious to be included.
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What is the overall risk of having a sick child without the GeneXmatch?+
Based on population studies, in average 1:100 couples have a reproductive risk for a recessive disease (=1%). Moreover, the woman’s risk of being a carrier of one of the investigated X-linked diseases is up to 1:200.
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Are all the donors available for GeneXmatch?+
Almost all our donors are available for GeneXmatch – they are clearly marked on the website.
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Can I use GeneXmatch when I already have frozen embryos with my donor?+
No, GeneXmatch is only made for pre-conceptional screening – that is i.e. before you get pregnant.
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Can I buy GeneXmatch and be matched with a donor who is not from European Sperm Bank?+
No, it is not possible. We don’t have the genetic data on sperm donors from other sperm banks.
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What am I paying for?+
You are paying for a test that includes in total more than 400 recessive and X-linked diseases. The fee also covers shipping of the saliva kit to your address and eventual genetic counselling. The fee does not cover the shipping from your address to the laboratory.
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When on my fertility journey should I buy the GeneXmatch? When do I need to place the payment?+
GeneXmatch should be purchased at the same time as you order sperm from your chosen donor.