Sperm Freezing is conducted for men who wish to use their sperm in the future/preserve their fertility.
What is Sperm Freezing?
When undergoing IVF, you may have to make many decisions. If it’s a case of male infertility, the question chasing you in all likeliness would be, should you use fresh or frozen sperm for your IVF cycle. The success rates for cases using frozen sperm are almost the same as those using fresh sperm.
Why freezing sperm is a good option:
Ideal in cases when the male partner is unable to produce fresh sperm on the day of egg retrieval due to stress or situational impotence
Repeat IVF Cycle. Some couple may have to undergo IVF multiple times, till they get it right. Using frozen sperm in this case, reduces the number of male partner procedures in successive IVF cycles, promoting convenience and affordability
HOW IT WORKS?
The clinical application of semen freezing has been demonstrated to be a proven and effective method of treatment for those individuals concerned with impending infertility. Data indicates that long-term semen storage does not reduce fertilizing capacity. It had been demonstrated that little or no loss of cryosurvival occurs after 25 years of storage at -196°C although there may be a slight change in the quality of motility (i.e. non-progressive versus progressive).
This is the reason why a lot of men approach the option available optimistically.
THE PROCESS
Step 1
Semen Collection
You can choose to collect semen at home, or here at our clinic. If you are collecting at home, it should be delivered here within the hour, keeping it at room temperature in the interim.
Step 2
Analysis
The semen is then analyzed to understand sperm count, motility and morphology.
Step 3
Freezing
The sperm cells are now frozen using a flash freeze technique and then stored for the future.
WHO IT HELPS?
Sperm freezing allows for fertility preservation in men and a hope of progeny in men, whose fertility may be endangered by selective vasectomy, therapeutic surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or for those men whose occupation puts them at risk of losing their fertility. More recently, sperm freezing is also suggested in men who are planning to have children later in life.
If a post-pubescent boy or man is diagnosed with a cancer or requires a medical treatment that might compromise fertility, freezing sperm can be a smart way to preserve fertility down the road, similar to female fertility preservation options.
Similarly, active military personnel who are sent into combat zones may opt to have their sperm frozen in case a war injury or exposure to combat zone toxins compromises their future fertility potential.
IVF Pregnancy Success Rates Are Comparable Using Frozen or Fresh Sperm
To date, studies conclude that the rates for fertilization and pregnancy success rates are comparable between couples using frozen sperm and couples using fresh sperm samples. You can read, “A comparison of ICSI outcomes with fresh and cryopreserved epididymal spermatozoa from the same couples,” published in the Oxford Journals Human Reproduction, for a comprehensive analysis of multiple studies done using fresh and frozen sperm for IVF.
If you are considering Sperm Freezing, do visit us and we will help you understand the process better, rid you off the inhibitions you may have and secure your future fertility issues.