Sperm Bank Launches First-Ever Secure Online Connection Platform for Donors, Offspring and Parents

Online, June 20, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Recent television shows like MTV's Generation Cryo and the movie Delivery Man bring a pop culture spin to the reality that thousands of children born as the result of anonymous sperm donation long to find and connect with their biological father. Now, Xytex Cryo International (Xytex), one of the nation's largest sperm banks, is making that possible through a new online connection site called xyConnects. This first of its kind site makes it possible for donors who provided semen to Xytex to connect and communicate with the parents and offspring (13 years and older) who resulted from their donations.

"It is not uncommon for children conceived by donor semen to want to discover more about the man who made it possible for them to have life," said Kevin O'Brien, president of Xytex. "Until now, these connections have been made informally through online forums and social media communities, which offers no guarantee that donors are using their real identities."

xyConnects uses confirmed donor ID numbers and recorded births to confirm identity before any online connections can be initiated. xyConnects further enhances the environment's security with a Xytex moderator who reviews and approves every user registration, message, post and photo placed on the site.

xyConnects allows users to send and receive messages, share photos and post updates to a public online bulletin board. In addition to allowing offspring and parents to connect with their donors, this technology enables users to see other families their donor has helped create, adding the exciting potential for children to communicate with half siblings as well.

The free service is a technological solution to the process by which many sperm banks connect offspring with donors who are willing to be identified. Previously, Xytex would receive correspondence from offspring, and upon manually confirming the donor's ID number and willingness to accept such correspondence, forward it to the donor. From there, future correspondence was at the discretion of the donor.

"xyConnects is an innovative response to the modern issue of children born as a result of successful sperm donation wanting to connect with their biological father," said Dr. Michael Tucker, Xytex CEO and renowned embryologist. "While some donors may opt not to connect with their offspring, those who do participate have an incredible opportunity to enrich the children's lives by giving them a deeper understanding of their identity."

All patients of Xytex who have a reported confirmed birth are eligible to register for xyConnects using their existing xytex.com login. Xytex has notified all of its donors about the online platform and is encouraging membership. Children between the ages of 13 and 17 must have written consent from their legal guardian to register for an account.

About Xytex Cryo International
Xytex Cryo International (Xytex) is a global leader in reproductive services. Incorporated in 1975, Xytex began as a sperm bank providing resources to help people realize their dreams of starting or growing their families. The corporation has evolved to provide an array of services through various subsidiaries including Xytex Sperm Bank, Xytex Tissue Bank and Xytex Cord Blood Bank. For more information about Xytex, visit xytex.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.