Sperm Freezing and Storage
Sperm freezing allows men to preserve their fertility for future use, whether they’re delaying starting a family or undergoing medical treatment that could affect their fertility. IVF Vision provides sperm freezing and storage services to give men the flexibility to take control of their fertility on their own timeline.
Why Should You Freeze & Store Your Sperm?
Sperm freezing can be an essential step in safeguarding your fertility for a variety of reasons. Here are some common scenarios where sperm freezing might be right for you:
- You are planning to undergo a vasectomy.
- You are about to start medical treatments, like chemotherapy, that could affect fertility and sperm quality.
- You have a medical condition that could lead to infertility later in life.
- You have difficulty producing a sperm sample on the day of treatment and are undergoing IVF.
- You are having surgical sperm retrieval and want to freeze sperm for future use.
- You are working or traveling abroad and may be at risk of contracting an infection that could affect your sperm.
The Process of Sperm Freezing
Before freezing your sperm, you will need to complete consent forms that specify:
- How long will your sperm be stored.
- What would happen to your sperm if something were to happen to you.
- Whether the sperm will be used for your own treatment or someone else’s (e.g., for donation).
- Any other conditions related to the use of your sperm.
Here’s how the sperm freezing process works:
- You will be screened for infectious diseases, including HIV, VDRL and Hepatitis B/C.
- You will provide written consent for sperm storage.
- You’ll produce a sperm sample at the clinic.
- Your sperm is frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen in small batches, using a special solution to protect it during the freezing and storage process.
How Successful is Sperm Freezing?
Fertility treatments using frozen sperm are just as successful as those using fresh sperm. Our team has a high success rate due to our expertise in the vitrification freezing process, which ensures that your sperm is stored safely for future use.
What Are the Risks of Sperm Freezing?
The sperm freezing process itself is non-invasive and carries no risks. There are no risks to the recipients of embryos created with frozen sperm, nor to the babies born from those embryos.
To assess the quality of the frozen sperm, we may perform a “trial thaw” on a small sample to ensure its survival and quality. Based on the results, we may recommend storing additional samples to ensure you have enough viable sperm for future treatment.
How Long Can Sperm Be Stored For?
Sperm can be stored indefinitely if you renew your consent based on the contract you have with the clinic. You can change or withdraw your consent for storage and use of your sperm at any time.
At IVF Vision, we ensure that your fertility journey is managed with the utmost care and professionalism. Our team is here to guide you through every step of the sperm freezing and storage process, ensuring that you can make informed decisions about your future.