What is sperm freezing?
Sperm Freezing refers to the freezing and storage of a man's sperm. Stored sperm can be frozen indefinitely until needed for assisted reproductive procedures, such as IVF.
Who suitable for sperm freezing?
You may want to consider freezing your sperm if:
- You have a condition, or are facing medical treatment for a condition, that may affect your fertility.
- You are about to have a vasectomy and want sperm available in case you change your mind about having (more) children.
- You have a low sperm count or the quality of your sperm is deteriorating.
- You have difficulty producing a sperm sample on the day of fertility treatment.
- You are at risk of injury or death (for example, you're a member of the Armed Forces who is being deployed to a war zone).
How does sperm freezing work?
Scientists freeze the sperm using a special media then keep sperm in liquid nitrogen at minus 196oC, and it can be stored for many years while maintaining a reasonable quality.
Getting Started:
Sperm Freezing
You'll need to have fertility treatment which may include intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or, if the sperm you are using is not of optimum quality, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Once your sperm have been thawed, they'll be used in exactly the same way as fresh sperm.
