SPAR Step By Step

1) Patient Information Pack

• Thoroughly review this packet.
• Complete the Consult Request (by mail or online), and pay the fee.
• You will be contacted with possible consult dates.

2) Consultation

• SPAR staff, headed up by Ann Kiessling, PhD, Director of SPAR, will review your circumstances, risks, treatment options, and answer your questions. If needed, a plan for additional patient confidentiality will be developed. Dr. Kiessling will be your advocate with fertility clinics and other physicians, as needed for your personal circumstances, throughout your family planning goals.

3) Evaluation of the Male Partner and Cryopreservation of Sperm

• Plan to submit two to three separate specimens for specialized semen analyses including viral testing. If HIV is detected, additional specimens may be needed. (Learn more about the science.)
• If two specimens in a row test positive for HIV, schedule a follow-up conference with Dr. Kiessling (no additional fee).
• Once all testing is complete (see “Understanding the Science”), you will receive confirmation that your specimens have been cryopreserved and are ready for shipment to a fertility center.

Men using a gestational carrier will collect most specimens at the Bedford lab because of the special timing required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA blood and urine tests are required within seven days of the semen specimen collection. Because of this tight turnaround, men should provide at least three specimens to offset the 15% chance of an HIV-positive result rendering a specimen unusable.

5) Evaluation of Female Partner or Gestational Carrier (Surrogate)

• The female partner or egg donor and gestational carrier will visit a gynecologist or fertility specialist for an evaluation to ensure any medical or fertility issues have been addressed.
• Notify SPAR of choice of fertility clinic.
• Notify SPAR of the tentative schedule for your fertility procedure.
• SPAR will arrange a date for the consultation with your surrogate, if one is being used.

6) Specimen Shipping

• Once the procedure date is set, check with your fertility doctor for the date the specimen is required.
• Confirm with the SPAR coordinator that all paperwork, fees, and dates for shipping have been set at least two weeks in advance. The lab can ship to most locations in the world. To protect from delays, shipments only go out Monday thru Wednesday in a dry-shipper containing liquid nitrogen vapor.
• Confirm that all outstanding fees have been settled. This is required in advance of shipment.

7) Follow-Up Testing

• Notify the SPAR lab of the date of the embryo transfer so the mother or gestational carrier can receive test kits for HIV antibody at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after each pregnancy attempt whether or not pregnancy was achieved.

THE PROGRAM