Even if you’ve decided you want a family, the time may not be right. That’s where sperm freezing can help. Sperm freezing and storage is the procedure of freezing sperm cells to preserve them for future use. It’s a process that has been around for over 40 years. By using special technologies and storing sperm in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) it can be safely preserved for many years, while still maintaining a reasonable quality.
The main reason is to preserve fertility, enabling a baby to be created at a later date. If you’re delaying parenthood, your fertility could be affected by a number of things in the meantime, including:
Sperm freezing can also be an option if you’re taking part in an assisted reproductive treatment and are going to be out of town when your sperm is needed.
Everyone’s situation is different. Most people freeze between two and five samples. Some individuals may choose to freeze more samples depending on their personal circumstances and medical condition. In many cases, the time interval prior to surgery, hormone replacement therapy, chemotherapy or radiation therapy will be the deciding factor.
The standard storage period for sperm is normally ten years. This period can be exceeded only in certain circumstances. Rainbow Fertility will be able to explain whether you can do this, and for how long you may be able to store your sperm. For more information, please visit our page: Eggs, sperm and embryos storage
If you’re interested in freezing your sperm for possible future use, please ask your GP or specialist for a referral to see one of our fertility doctors at Rainbow Fertility.
PLEASE NOTE: all fertility preservation procedures are carried out at City Fertility in our RTAC (Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee) accredited fertility clinics, where gametes (eggs/sperm) and embryos are also stored.
If you’d like to find out more about our fertility preservation services or discuss the options available to you, just give our friendly team a call or send us a message in confidence.
