Naa Songs
Sperm freezing, one of the techniques of fertility preservation, also known as the banking of sperm, is the careful process of collecting, freezing as well as storing sperm. In medical terminology, the frozen sperm step is known as cryopreservation. When you suffer from health conditions like cancer and have to opt for treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, freezing your sperm is a safe choice. It is so because some treatment procedures may reduce your fertility, and this treatment option, in that case, is a viable choice.
The sperm freezing cost is related to the fertility treatment you opt for. Most of the time, steps like cryopreservation are part of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or IUI treatment plans. So, the clinic will charge you on a package basis.
How Sperm Freezing Works?
The sperm freezing process includes collecting sperm samples, sample concentration in the lab, cryopreservation, and storing sperm. Usually, sperm collecting and freezing are carried out by professionals in intense care with safer procedures.
- Screening Stage
If you are thinking about freezing your sperm, at first, you are required to go through infectious disease screening with a simple blood test. Such screening ensures that you are not having any sexually transmitted diseases.
- Sample Collection
After that, you have to provide your semen samples to the clinic. Those having vasectomies, male infertility, or undergoing cancer treatments may have to go through surgical procedures to extract sperm from the testicular tissues.
- Analyzing the Sample
The specialists, also known as andrologists, will now analyze and prepare the sample for storage. They will separate the sperm from seminal fluid or tissues and have a microscopic view of the sample. If the sperm is low or absent then the male partner again undergoes testing. Andrologists evaluate the shape, count, and motility of the sperm to make sure it’s healthy.
- Freezing
Once the sperms are evaluated thoroughly, then next is the freezing and thawing stage. Andrologists freeze the sperm in a freezing solution in a small container. The container is then stored in a freezer containing liquid nitrogen at a constant temperature. There are multiple storage tanks to preserve the vials of different patients. In this way, your sperm remains safe even if a particular freezer fails.
How Long Can Sperm Be Frozen?
There’s no specific time limit for your frozen sperm. It stays healthy inside the freezer for a longer time. Sperms are stored in a freezer for an indefinite time. When someone is ready to collect the frozen sperm, then it is carefully thawed in the controlled lab setup until it reaches room temperature. This step is the most delicate one because most of the sperm fail to survive the freeze-thaw cycle. Most likely, the collected samples from sperm freezing result in pregnancy if used in IVF or specialized treatment procedures.
Why Should You Freeze Sperms?
There are multiple reasons for patients opting for sperm freezing procedures. Mostly, if you need cancer treatment or are facing male infertility, then sperm banking helps a lot. Some reasons to choose freezing of sperm include-
- Those undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapies, etc.
- Treatment for orchiectomy or testicular cancer.
- Those who want to preserve their fertility at an older age.
- Medications like sickle cell therapy after vasectomy may affect fertility. So storing sperm beforehand will help in conceiving.
- Those in high-risk jobs want to preserve sperm for their partners.
- Posthumous sperm retrieval or collecting sperm from the deceased in the next 72 hours after death.
- Lower sperm freezing cost
FAQ
- Can Someone Freeze sperm at home?
The entire procedure of sperm freezing is executed with intense care and expertise. Therefore, it is not possible to store sperm at home. The procedure for sperm storage must be done in a laboratory with in-place quality control. Besides, the temperature of an average home freezer is up to minus 18 degrees centigrade, whereas sperms are stored at minus 196 degrees centigrade. However, you can collect sperm at home under expert guidance and send the sample with utmost care in specialized kits to the lab for storage.
Conclusion
The procedure of sperm freezing is completely safe and recommended for those undergoing health complications and treatment. Moreover, you can freeze your sperm in the lab for an indefinite period. The procedure of sperm collecting and freezing is mostly beneficial for addressing concerns like male infertility.
