How are specimens collected?
Semen specimens are collected on-site at the Cleveland Clinic Andrology Laboratory in a private collection room. We recommend collecting the sample at the laboratory, because the sample’s freshness affects the fertility. Within minutes after ejaculation, the number of living sperm cells and their activity begin to drop off rapidly. You will be given a sterile collection cup for your specimen. Manual stimulation to orgasm, either by you, or with your wife or significant other, is the only recommended method. Using oral sex or intercourse to ejaculate could contaminate the semen with bacteria.
Almost all biobanks collect and store blood or blood components. Blood is easily collected in hospitals and is done routinely at PMH when patients arrive for treatment. With blood, the BioBank needs to determine which patients should be asked to donate and how often to bank a patient’s blood. For example, for a patient on a clinical trial for a new drug, the patient’s blood may need to be taken and banked after each treatment.
