Sperm Freezing
International Fertility Centre offer Sperm freezing & storage by vitrification the most advanced freezing process available which improves the chance of sperm surviving.
Why would I want to freeze sperm ?
Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. There are many situations that could interfere with your future fertility. These may include :
- Radiation therapy or Chemotherapy
- Certain types of pelvic or testicular surgery
- Vasectomy
- High risk occupations or sports
- Diabetes may cause erectile difficulty
- Male away from home on day of assisted reproductive treatment
You may wish to consider semen freezing if you are about to undergo a medical treatment, such as chemotherapy, have a diagnosis that could affect your potential future fertility or if the quality of your sperm is deteriorating.
Semen freezing may also be a good option if you are about to partake in any activity that could affect your ability to produce sperm in the future. For example, active members of the military often choose to freeze sperm in case of injury.
You may also want to consider semen freezing if your partner is having IUI or IVF treatment. Sometimes it can be difficult to give a semen sample on demand on the day of your partners’ egg collection, so it is a good practice to come in to our clinic ahead of the treatment to freeze your semen.
What does semen freezing involve ?
Blood test : Before your semen is frozen you will need to have a blood test to ensure you do not have any infectious diseases. This can be carried out at our clinic.
Production : You will visit one of our dedicated men’s rooms at our London fertility centre to produce a fresh sample. These private, purpose-built rooms are linked to our laboratory, so once you have your sample you will place it on a small shelf and our embryologists will collect it after you have left.
Wash and analysis : We ‘wash’ your semen sample to remove excess material and carry out an analysis of the sperm to check its quality. You will receive a copy of this analysis.
Freezing : Your semen sample will be placed in liquid nitrogen vapour over a one hour period to allow a gradual cooling of the sperm. The frozen samples are then placed and safely stored in storage vessels containing liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196C.
Sperm Storage : The standard storage period for sperm is normally ten years. There is a fee for freezing each semen sample. This fee includes six months storage. After the initial six months, storage costs apply for storing one or more samples at International Fertility Centre. This annual storage fee is regardless of the number of samples stored and is not refundable. Please contact us to ask about our current rates.