Sperm freezing is the process of collecting, analyzing, freezing and storing a man’s sperm. The process of sperm banking, called sperm freezing or sperm cryopreservation, is a great way for couples (or single folks) to preserve their chances of conceiving a biological baby in the future especially if the partner with testes is in a high-risk profession or about to undergo certain medical procedures or treatments.
Firstly, you’ll need to be tested for any infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis or other virus. This usually involves a simple blood test. This has no bearing on whether you can freeze your sperm or not but is to ensure that affected sperm samples are stored separately to prevent contamination of other samples. Next, the person provides a semen sample. Masturbation at a fertility clinic is the most common way to provide the sample. Sometimes a surgical procedure is necessary to extract sperm from testicular tissue. Embryologists place prepared sperm into a special freezing solution in small vials. The vials go into storage freezers that contain liquid nitrogen. You’ll need to have fertility treatment which may include in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) or, if the sperm you are using is not of optimum quality, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Once your sperm have been thawed, they’ll be used in exactly the same way as fresh sperm.