Why should I consider freezing sperm?
WFI routinely freezes sperm which results in outcomes that are as good as IVF using fresh sperm
You may want to freeze sperm:
- Before undergoing medical treatments such as chemo or radiotherapy that may render you infertile.
- After a surgical sperm recovery.
- You are working or travelling abroad and may not be available on to provide a fresh sample on the day of treatment.
- If you are travelling to ZIKA infected country prior to undergoing IVF.
- If you have difficulty producing a sample on the day of treatment, and you and your partner are undergoing IVF.
- If you have a variable sperm count and need to freeze a back-up sample prior to undergoing IVF.
- If you are a sperm donor.
- If you are undergoing a vasectomy.
- If you are a member of the armed forces and are going to be deployed to a conflict zone.
How do we freeze sperm?
At WFI, we usually freeze sperm that is found in a semen sample, though we can freeze sperm that is retrieved surgically too. Sperm is frozen using a special freezing medium and samples are placed in heat sealed straws before being stored in liquid Nitrogen. We aim to store enough sperm for several treatment cycles which you may require in future.
To freeze a sample you will need to
- Be screened for infectious diseases including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and Gonorrhoea
- Provide written consent for your sperm to be stored and decide on how long the sample should be kept in storage.
For further information regarding sperm freezing please click here
For further information regarding sperm cryopreservation for service personnel please click here