CMV status and choosing a sperm donor

What is CMV?

CMV (Cytomegalovirus) is a common virus that most people get at some point, often without symptoms. Once infected, it stays in the body, usually dormant.

CMV and pregnancy – is there a risk?

For most people, CMV is harmless. However, if a pregnant woman gets CMV for the first time, it can pass to the baby during pregnancy. In most cases, babies born with CMV experience no health issues, and in very rare instances, complications in connection to congenital CMV can occur.

What does CMV-positive and CMV-negative mean?

We test CMV status on two levels.

CMV IgG:

• CMV IgG positive donor: Has had CMV before but is not contagious.
• CMV IgG negative donor: Has never had CMV.

CMV IgM:
If the donor is CMV IgM positive, he has or recently had an active infection. In this case he is not approved for donation at that time.

How to choose?

If you are CMV IgG negative, it’s usually recommended to choose a CMV IgG negative donor to avoid first-time infection as there is a small theoretical risk of infection if using a CMV IgG positive donor. If you are CMV IgG positive, you can choose either status. Around 50% of all women have had CMV before they become pregnant and therefore are CMV IgG positive.

You can filter by CMV status in our donor overview to find the right donor for you. Not sure? Check with your treating clinic before making a decision, or ask us in the chat or book a meeting with us. We're here to answer your questions.