Latest / The Home of Fertility with Liz Walton & Helen Zee / Donor Sperm 101 Open and Clear conversation with Dr Luke Larmour

Transcript

Donor Sperm 101 Open and Clear conversation with Dr Luke Larmour · The Home of Fertility with Liz Walton & Helen Zee

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Home of Fertility, a space for real conversation and expert insights about fertility, healing, and creating family.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Liz Walton.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm Helen Z.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: We are two mums who've walked this path and are passionate about supporting you on your journey, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: We talk about it all.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: Fertility treatment, holistic support, relationships, mindset, and the emotional highs and lows.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes the missing piece lies in someone else's story, in the quiet wisdom of the body, or in a breakthrough that's finally made for you.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: We are so glad you are here.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: Let's dive in.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: And today I have the very wonderful Dr.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: Luc Lemour.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_03: Is that the right way to say your last name, Lemour?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's look, I'm very happy for you to say it like that.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_04: I often say Lamor, I just put a little more emphasis on the front, but Lemour sounds good to me.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like it's so French, Dr.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: Luc Lemour.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: So it's absolutely wonderful to have you here today.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_03: How are you doing?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, really well, thank you.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_04: Really pleased to be here.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: And you're in Melbourne, aren't you?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_04: Correct.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_04: I'm in Melbourne, primarily based in around a Cremorne, but I do travel across town up to Bandura down to Clayton.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_04: So sort of all across, really.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: Ah, fantastic.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: And how's the weather there?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_03: I'm in Canberra.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: We've got quite a beautiful day today.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_04: Today it looks nice.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_04: We've got some nice morning sunshine and relatively clear sky.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_04: So you picked a good day.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, good old Australia.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: Well done.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I am going to explain who you are.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_03: I'm going to read out your beautiful bio so people understand who you are.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: And then we'll get into our wonderful questions of our discussion today, which is going to be about donor sperm and the journey that individuals have on their fertility path when donor sperm is what they're looking for.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: And it's, you know, and unfolded.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: So, but first of all, Dr.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_03: Luke Lemoore is an experienced obstetrician, gynecologist, and fertility specialist.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_03: He has worked with patients in various hospitals and is passionate about helping people create their families and achieving the best health outcomes for his patients.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_03: He sees patients at his private consulting rooms in Cromore and Bandura and Clayton and holds a public appointment and holds public appointments at Monish Medical Centre.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_03: Dr.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_03: Lemoore completed his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of Melbourne and obtained his Franzog qualification from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynecologist in 2017.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_03: He's also completed a fellowship with Monash IVF to specialise in infertility and reproductive health and develop his skills in a minimally invasive surgery.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: So really making that as minimal as possible.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: So Dr.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: Lemour has completed his master's of reproductive medicine.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, what an amazing man you are, Dr.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_03: Lemour.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_04: That's very kind of you to say.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_03: So what we're going to discuss about, which is I think a really hot topic at the moment, is donor sperm.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: So let's go.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: What sort of people would be looking for donor sperm?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so it's becoming increasingly common, certainly that I see people looking for donor sperm.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_04: The largest group that we actually see is women who are choosing to be single mothers by choice.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_04: The next uh group that we would see a lot of is same-sex couples who are requiring sperm also to start a family in a similar sort of way.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_04: And then, of course, there is another group of people who are, you know, um, you know, heterosexual couples where they need donor sperm uh because they they don't have it uh themselves.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_04: So those are broadly speaking the three groups with uh the single women starting families uh by choice, um, being by by far and away the largest group that we see.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's so interesting.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_03: I I now have um so many more people I'm aware of, as well as clients coming to see me, you know, solar mum by choice, and uh with the Melbourne Fertility Expo, meeting so many more people there.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: So it is a very large growing number.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: Quite interesting, isn't it?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: So, what are the options with donor sperm?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so in Australia, we can broadly think about sperm donors in two groups.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_04: So um we put them into, I guess, what we call the known donor, which is generally someone that the person wanting to use the sperm has identified and they bring to us for all the preparation and work up and assessment as a potential donor.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and then the other option that we would see are people who um come and use the the donors that are already recruited by the clinic.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_04: So these are people who have kindly volunteered to us to provide sperm for the people in need.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and they can either be local.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_04: So we all we maintain our own local bank, and there are also options for people from overseas that sort of are appropriate for our use and fit all of our local standards and regulations.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, we do have access to some of those as well.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_04: So it does give you a broad range.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_04: Now, whether one or another of those is appropriate for you often just depends on the person.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_04: Um I mean, I find that when people come to see me, usually they'll have a pretty clear idea about whether a known donor is is appropriate for them.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_04: Um probably more people do look for clinic recruited donors.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and it's always in high demand.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we everyone has a different priority about what they're looking for.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um so it's uh it's a different pathway for each person.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, some people having that known donor um selection is is really important, and uh there are, I guess, a few benefits uh to that in terms of availability, although it does mean that we have to do all of the work up from scratch a lot of the time uh to get them ready to to be a donor and make sure that they're sort of the appropriate person for you to give you the best chance of starting a family.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_03: And so what is the support?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so people that are coming to see you, what support do they need uh from you um to understand about the different donor pathways?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_03: You know, what does the pathway to parenthood look for like with these options?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I think I mean the first part is identifying that you need a donor.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_04: So for some people that's very easy.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_04: And so they will come in and say, Look, I know I need donor sperm, I'm ready to start a family, and then how will we we do that?
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_04: So that pathway then begins with sort of a basic fertility assessment for yourself and and then talking about really what is your family plans, like you know, what what does the family look like?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_04: That's always important.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I do also like to sort of get an idea about who they also have around to help them through the journey, because obviously they've got me.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but but that's part of the the story.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_04: We want these families to exist in their in their context.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_04: So I always try to get a bit of an idea about where we are with that.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_04: Um so that's that's one way to sort of enter the process.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: The other way that people might get there is if they are, you know, a couple trying on their own, as I said, that sort of third group.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and then when we go through the the process, we discover that, you know, maybe there is uh no sperm or what have you.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_04: And there are certainly things that we can do in terms of you know to improve uh the sperm quality or try to get sperm uh even when the counts are zero.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_04: We could there are things that we can talk about whether they might be successful for you.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_04: But through that process, we may then identify, okay, we'll look realistically, we have to start looking at a sperm donor.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um, once you've reached that point, as with everyone going through the AT presence, they have to do counseling.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_04: So usually they have a few sessions of that, one to sort of cover the ART stuff, and then the other to sort of touch on one of more of the specific implications of using a donor because they have to learn a little bit about what our requirements are.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, in Australia, um, we we do have some guidelines.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_04: So all of the sperm donation, just and the same as if you're going out surrogacy, has to be altruistic.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_04: So it has to be, they can't be paid to provide sperm in this country or anything like that.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_04: Um, it's also important that people get an understanding of um the fact that when the child turns 18, if they want information that identifies that donor, even if they're from the clinic and at this point in time they're, for all intents and purposes to you, anonymous, yeah, eventually the child will have access to that information.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_04: And that's probably even more relevant sometimes when we're talking about someone who's using a known donor.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and then the other thing that they have to get their head around is things like family limits.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_04: Um we try to make sure that we don't have uh enormous numbers of genetic offspring out in the world, which should also be a complication for those children growing up.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_04: So depending on where you live in Australia, there are different different rules and guidelines.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but we have to sort of make sure people understand those limits and and explain to them a little bit about how we track them and keep keep on top of those as well.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_04: And once they've gone through that, the next steps really come down to choosing that donor.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_04: So um with the clinic uh recruited donor, we basically have a panel of screening that we've done.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_04: We've taken their history, family history, look for genetic things that might pop up, done some genetic screening and done some screening for things like infectious diseases to make sure that everything is clear and safe, so that when someone is selecting a donor, for example, with the genetic screening panel, they'll have one of their own that they've done.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_04: And then they can look and just make sure that they're not going to be at risk of having a child with a certain condition from that particular donor.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_04: So it becomes a yeah, it becomes a process where it can take some time to find an appropriate donor because people, even though there's a number available, even it has different priorities about what they think it is is appropriate for them, different health conditions maybe in their genetic screening.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_04: So they have to look at that.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but once they've identified the donor um and they've secured it, then really they can move on to treatment once we clear all those lists.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_04: For someone who has a known donor, the process is very similar, but it but it's a little bit different in that generally the fertility specialist, myself, will meet with the donor and then do all of that screening uh you know from scratch with them.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_04: So we still look at all the same things.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um we obviously have to check the sperm to make sure that it's uh a good quality, that we think we can use it for treatment, uh, and then talk about what that means.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_04: But we do the same sort of genetic council, genetic carrier screening, um, we do the same infectious diseases screening as well.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and look, ideally, what we're looking for, um, we could talk about it in a minute, but ideally, we're looking for uh for a sperm provider under 45, healthy, um, and obviously we'd love them to not smoke, not drink, not use any illicit drugs, or you know, have things that might affect the quality of the sperm, uh, so that we can really give people the best chance of getting having a family with that sperm provider.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_04: Um, with a known donor, sometimes people are very attached to a particular person being the provider of sperm.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_04: And so if we come up across things that may maybe fall outside of our guidelines, that's that's a discussion that you then have with the person who wants to use the sperm.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_04: It's like, okay, so you know, they're a bit older or the sperm quality is not so good.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_04: You know, genetic carrier screening come up, came up and we found that there's a risk of this.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_04: Those are the sorts of things we have to talk about.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_04: And then and then the decision is, okay, well, do you really, really want this donor?
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_04: How do we manage that?
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_04: Um or is it is it more appropriate to select maybe someone else?
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: What's the best thing to do?
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_03: I suppose each one is then the next set of questions and then choices, isn't it?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_03: You know, how to what's the right thing to happen?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and then then we make decisions based on treatment based on some of those tests we did early in the piece with the person receiving the sperm.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_03: Wow.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's a huge, huge topic, and it really interesting to understand all the different areas of why people would want sperm and then where to get it from.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, and I think this is, you know, what should people look for, you know, to get the best sperm donors as possible, you know, as it with quality.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, how how does it work?
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: Is it high quality?
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um, how do you get the best sperm, I suppose?
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well, so I mean, the the principles of getting the best sperm are the same, I guess, for everyone.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_04: So um there we we do know that there are sort of some increased risks of things like miscarriage and a few other you know, chromosomal abnormalities, maybe as sperm providers get over 45.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_04: So our ideal choice is someone who is is younger than that.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_04: Um if we're if we're picking electively, and certainly when we're choosing for our clinic, we do have guidelines around that.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_04: And then we also want, as I said, we want people to have as healthy a lifestyle as they can so that the sperm can develop in in the best chance and we're gonna have the the least chance of problems with it.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_04: So, as I said, we want people who are non-smokers, uh, we don't want to be heavy drinkers, and we do certainly want them to be avoiding, you know, other drugs because they can affect sperm quality.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_04: So things like you know, marijuana use and things like that do affect sperm quality.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_04: So we we ideally want them to not be doing any of those things.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um and then we look at other things, you know, like other health problems, uh body weight and physical activity, all of those sorts of things uh to make sure that they're um that they're healthy and well.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_04: And then, of course, then we do a semen analysis, and that gives us a guide as to um, you know, as as as well as we can tell from a standard semen analysis as to what the sperm is like.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_04: Um, is it really uh, you know, have they got a very high count?
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_04: In which case maybe this is a good donor for someone who wants to do intrusion insemination or something like that.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_04: Um or is it uh still good but not quite as strong?
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_04: And so maybe we'll say that's better used for uses like IVF or something like that.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_04: Um so the other thing that I think is worth considering with uh with with with donation, and we're always so happy when people come to donate for us, either to the clinic or or as a known donor, is we we know that you the the the amount of time that you're going to spend providing the dotion donation compared to the whole IVF process and child's life is relatively short.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but we do also want obviously people to be motivated with the bit of buy-in because I'm sure you may have heard already that the time it takes about you know that's 74 days to produce a sperm.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_04: So we need uh, you know, make sure that they're healthy and well leading up to the donation.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_04: We often, particularly for our clinic recruited donors, we'll want them to donate several times.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_04: So there's a period of time in there where we'll be wanting them to, you know, provide number of samples, which is you know takes a bit of time.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_04: And then the other really important thing is to is the testing on either side for the quarantine.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_04: So we we test everyone for you know these infectious diseases to make sure that the things are as safe for the recipient and the baby and child as they can be.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_04: So we do those at the start and then we do them again at about three months later, where we sort of look to check that they're all clear.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and then we can say, okay, yep, that's all fine, and we can now use the sperm.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_04: So it's it does end up being a number of months that we're gonna not having to do something all of that time, but we do want you to come back and obviously provide those samples at the end and not sort of do this, provide the sun, this, the sample and then disappear or whatever.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_04: So we can't clear it.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_04: Um but most people I find once they've got to the point of being a sperm donor are quite motivated to to that for us.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_04: But but it does take a bit of time for them.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and and well done to all of those people that do, because it can be life-changing and life-giving, can't it?
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, the number of families that we see started because of these donations that that may not have existed before is is incredible and um it really does change people's lives.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, I had a client here the other day, she was a beautiful, beautiful lady, and um uh again, a solo mum by choice, and she's ended up having twins.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_03: And um, she was just so, you know, like she just said there would be just no way she would have been able to have a have a husband because she just wasn't able to find one or you know, find a man of substance.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_03: So it took me a long time to find a man of substance.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's um, yeah, it's it's beautiful.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_03: So well done, all these chaps.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_03: And interesting to know, like you say, it's not just come in once and go, it's actually come in once, twice because we're supporting the sperm to be as healthy as possible.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_03: And I refer a lot to um to with with the work that I do and seeing lots of people in fertility challenges with the emotional part, you know, um, meeting lots of nutritionists and naturopaths that what can be done with three or four months to support men to have the healthiest sperm, it's it's really phenomenal, isn't it?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, no, it is.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_04: And I think I think all of those steps are really so helpful.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_04: And I think, I mean, there's uh increasing awareness these days.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_04: I think people are talking about sperm health a lot more.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I mean, obviously, when we're looking at sperm donation, we look at it straight away.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but even in the broader practice with with my couples, you know, there they're you know, it's it's an essential part that I find that women often will come in uh with a but with some blood tests and an ultrasound to begin, and then still we have to do the semen analysis.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: It is changing a little bit.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: I think I'm seeing semen analysis being done a little bit earlier, and you know, there's some interesting options.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_04: I'm starting to see people do the at-home testing options as well that sort of might flag if there's something to be aware of.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_04: And I think the earlier we do get, you know, particularly even in you know, in our general sort of fertility discussions, get the men involved, get them testing and being aware of what their role is in this, uh, the better.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_04: Because as you say, it's there's so much you can do in terms of uh looking at lifestyle and and fixing things.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_04: And sometimes if we do discover something with the sperm, it can actually be a flag for other health concerns that we might might benefit from looking at and addressing uh as well for the general health.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_04: Go hand in hand.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely, it's super good.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: So, with this, what are the challenges?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_03: What would be the main challenges?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I think sometimes uh as with all other fertility treatments, sometimes the time is challenged.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_04: Um so as I said, if you've identified a known donor and we think that they will be good, all the testing looks good, um, the main wait is for the um their quarantine period to be sort of served.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_04: And that can be frustrating.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_04: And now, as I said, it's only a few months, but for people, particularly if they are coming to us saying, Look, I've been looking, as you know, I've been looking for this man of substance.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_04: That's I'm I think the time for that person to arrive is is is reduced.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and now's the time to start a family, they often have that sense of urgency.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_04: So that's one delay that we can see, and um, and then because the other way that we can delay is if people are using the clinic donors, we see that because we have so much demand, um, in at certain times, there have been quite long delays.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_04: I've had people look, you know, travel around interstate, try to find donors here and there, and still come back maybe 18 months later, still trying to find the perfect donor for them.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_04: Uh now, if you're young, that's and everything, you know, all of your fertility tests look okay, that's probably fine, although you've just sort of uh, you know, waited a bit longer.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, but for some people that's not always an option.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so those can be uh really challenging.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_04: And then obviously the fact that you, like anyone going through ART, there's a lot of uncertainty with the results and the time to access all of that.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, people do uh try to look at all different avenues.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and I would I would recommend that people, even though you know, if the formal way is looking a bit onerous, really my recommendation is to avoid those informal uh pathways as well.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_04: So um, because really we the reason we have all of our checks and balances in the in the sort of the ART clinics is to maintain safety for everybody.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_04: So trying to make sure that the donors are appropriately prepared so that they're aware of what's coming, you know, if someone gets their identifying information when the child turns 18.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but especially for the child that's going to be born, that they're born healthy with a minimal chance of uh of conditions or problems.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Um and then for the person who's using sperm as it is, the uh, you know, that that maybe solo mum by choice, is everything safe for her?
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_04: And then also are they not being coerced or taken advantage of through an informal process where there aren't really anywhere near as many protections and and in those informal domains as well, we have no way of limiting family sizes, limit family numbers and things like that.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_04: So there's a lot of uh risks to going outside of it.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_04: And I know that people think that it it it it sometimes circumvents uh some of the other challenges, be it financial or time or regulatory, that we have in the main system.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_04: And they can certainly be frustrations, but they are all there to keep you safe and healthy at the end of the day.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I think the other challenges people have, apart from just the number of donors that we can access, is uh where they get it from, and then difficulties across state lines can sometimes be challenging.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_04: You know, if people move and they've moved made embryos one place or another, or the family limits are different between one place and another, those things can be really challenging as well.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_04: So they're usually things that we can manage and talk through, um, but occasionally they do crop up and it's just unexpected obstacles for people that are understandably quite frustrating.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's a huge subject, but it's what's so beautiful about it is um it's being able to look at all of the options, allowing the client to be aware of all of the options, whether it is solo mums by choice, same-sex couples, or you know, people that are um, you know, their sperm isn't probably up to scratch, I suppose the best way of putting it.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_03: And there's all these ways to support, you know.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: So I and I I think what you do is such a great job in being able to support people on that donor sperm path.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's a privilege.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_03: So I know you see it sounds like you see a lot of people with donor sperm, but what else?
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_03: What what are you what else do you see clients for as well within the fertility or infertility um space?
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so look, lots of uh couples who uh have you know fertility challenges, either they've been trying for a while uh and they need to turn to things like IVF to get pregnant, uh, a lot of people who, you know, PCOS in retrieves is all of those really common causes that we often see.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and then of course, these days we see people with sort of genetic screening results that sometimes need uh testing for their embryos because they want to, once again, sort of ensure that they would rather not pass on a condition like cystic fibrosis to their child.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um and then the other group we see of wells is uh the young women who are, or women uh across the board who are freezing eggs.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_04: So, you know, they're they're they're the people that are often if we take the step back, you know, we we we've talked a lot about you know the solar mums by choice who've made the decision that that now's the time to start the family.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_04: The the a lot of the people who are coming into freeze eggs, they're they're thinking about their family in the future, but they're not quite ready to obviously start it on their own or in their particular situation.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_04: So that's obviously a huge area that we see these days in terms of uh people who are accessing uh fertility services.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_03: Experiment eggs, big big commodities, yeah, future.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_03: Hey.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_04: They are.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's the and that's where the that whole idea about, you know, we see lots of people need donors.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_04: A lot of people also need donor eggs.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_04: The idea between behind freezing your eggs when you're young is so you can essentially be your own egg donor in the future when you might need it.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: So powerful and just so amazing.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_03: We have these options now in this day and age.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: So as we come to the end of our conversation, and thank you for your time today.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: What would be like a top tip or maybe the first couple of things to do for people that are on a sperm donor sperm path?
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_04: So I think um, as with most fertility device, starting early is usually best.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_04: Um and I think if you know you are likely to need donor sperm to reach out to a fertility specialist and get the ball rolling with, you know, assessments for yourself and have a discussion about what the options are.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_04: Um because I think the earlier you start to think about what might be right for you, uh, the sooner we're going to hopefully get you down that pathway and and ultimately to the bub in your arms at the end of the day.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, it's a good one.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_03: Start early.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_03: And where is where can people find you?
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_03: Where's the best place?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so as I said, my main rooms are in Cremorne in Richmond, just on Church Street, uh within Monash IV.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_04: Uh so that is probably uh the best place to find me.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_04: But if you do live out in the north, I go to um Livnoxie Avenue in Bandura, or uh if you're in the south out to Clayton.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_04: Um so look if you look me up, you can call my rooms on 1300-096349 or look me up on the internet.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and you can book at any of those sites through that number.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_03: Awesome, awesome.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_03: And I also know that you have a Instagram page, don't you?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_04: I do, I do.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_04: So you could go and have a look at Dr.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_04: Luke Lamour uh on Instagram.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_04: Uh we'd love to get you to uh interact and show us some love there.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_04: Let us know if there's anything else that you'd like me to talk about, actually.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_04: I could pop a reel up there if you're really interested.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_03: Do go and check out Dr.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_03: Luke Lemour on Instagram.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's good to sort of see him and meet him.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_03: He's such a lovely gentleman.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_03: So um thank you so much for your time, Dr.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_03: Luke, and um for sharing about donor sperm, which is just one aspect.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_03: We'll have to get you back and we could talk about different aspects, like you say, with all the other different clients that you see.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_03: And um, thank you for doing the amazing work that you do and um your passion with supporting people on the fertility path, because it's it's a path that's not going to go away, is it?
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_04: No, no, and I think it's good.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's it's really great because it means that more and more people are having the opportunity to start things that they want.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_04: And I think everybody has the right to that, which is fantastic.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_04: So thanks so much for having me on.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_04: I've really appreciated you letting me get some information out there.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, it's a pleasure.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_03: For me, I'm learning and growing, and to be able to share this for the ears.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, we'll put this up on YouTube as well.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_03: So for people to learn from is great, and it just allows them to know who to go to and see for whatever it might be, the reason they they're seeking.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_03: So that's good.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you so much.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_03: And you take and have a beautiful day.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_04: You too, you too.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks so much for your time.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_04: Appreciate it.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_03: And with that, remember if you are on your donor sperm journey, um check out um being able to start early and looking after your body.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_03: And with that, thank you so much.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us at the Homer Fertility.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: We hope today's episode brought you clarity, comfort, and connection.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: If this podcast resonated, please share it, leave a review or subscribe.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: This helps us support more people that are on this path.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: And if you'd like to connect or share your story, find us on Instagram and Facebook at Australian Fertility Summit.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_02: Remember the missing piece that might be waiting in a story, your body's wisdom, or something new just made for you.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_02: Take care and we'll see you next time.