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Sperm freezing options for men include short and long-term health issues
Fertility preservation for men with sperm freezing (cryopreservation) should be considered in a several differing situations. Sometimes sperm needs to be cryopreserved for the short-term while a couple is undergoing fertility treatments, but other times men should consider long-term preservation of their sperm. When freezing sperm, a semen analysis is first performed on the specimen in order to know how many and what quality of sperm are being frozen. The sperm are then divided into different vials depending on the intended future use (IUI or ICSI) and frozen in liquid nitrogen. When stored in liquid nitrogen, the sperm can remain frozen for a few days or many years and will be viable when thawed.
Reasons to freeze sperm for short-term fertility preservation for men
When couples are using advanced reproductive treatments: Fertility treatment is stressful, and sometimes that stress can interfere with production of an adequate semen sample at a critical time. Sperm can be frozen in advance so that if collection becomes a problem on the day sperm are needed, the frozen sample can be thawed and used for procedures like IUI, IVF, ICSI.
Men with low sperm counts: When sperm counts are critically low, sperm can be frozen as a backup for use if the fresh sample does not contain enough sperm for the planned procedure.
When men will be absent during fertility treatment: Sperm freezing enables the female partner to continue with fertility treatments when the male partner is out of town due to work, unforeseen events, etc.
Ejaculatory dysfunction: When specimen collection is difficult due to ejaculatory dysfunction, sperm can be stored in advance of when they are needed. If ejaculation is not possible on the day sperm are needed, the frozen specimen can be thawed.
Reasons to freeze sperm for the long-term fertility preservation for men
High-risk occupations: Men whose work exposes them to chemicals, radiation, extreme heat, etc. may consider storage of sperm because these exposures can severely reduce sperm numbers.
Cancer treatment: Chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer can cause permanently low or absent sperm counts. Freezing sperm before these treatments can preserve future fertility.
Ejaculatory dysfunction: Sperm number and quality may decrease over time when ejaculation doesn’t occur, such as with spinal cord injury. Cryopreserving sperm ensures that sperm will be available when it’s time to start a family.
Before a vasectomy: Freezing sperm before vasectomy can preserve fertility and prevent the need for future procedures if personal circumstances change and the desire for children is renewed.
All of the above reasons, both short and long term Fertility Preservation Options for Men are available at TFC. Please contact us today to schedule your appointment