What is sperm freezing?

Sperm freezing is the most successful method of preserving a man’s fertility so he can try and have a child(ren) at a later date. It’s also used to store sperm so it can be used in someone else’s treatment.

Men are able to freeze their sperm for use in their own future treatment or to donate to someone else’s treatment. Donated sperm usually has to be quarantined for three or six months and screened for infections before it can be used by a recipient.

Is sperm freezing right for me?

You may want to consider freezing your sperm if:

  • You have a condition, or are facing medical treatment for a condition, that may affect your fertility.
  • You are about to have a vasectomy and want sperm available in case you change your mind about having (more) children.
  • You have a low sperm count or the quality of your sperm is deteriorating.
  • You have difficulty producing a sperm sample on the day of fertility treatment.
  • You are at risk of injury or death (for example, you’re a member of the Armed Forces who is being deployed to a war zone).

How long can my sperm be stored for?

The standard storage period for sperm is normally 10 years, although men in certain circumstances can store their sperm for much longer. The clinician will be able to explain whether you can do this.

You must let us know if you change address. This is important as if the clinic can’t reach you at the end of your agreed storage term, we may have to take your sperm out of storage and discard them.

How safe is it?

It’s very safe – we’re not aware of any risks to patients or children from using frozen sperm. Not all sperm will survive the freezing and thawing process though.

How successful is sperm freezing?

Treatment with frozen sperm is just as successful as treatment using fresh sperm.

What happens when I want to use my sperm?

You’ll need to have fertility treatment which may include in vitro fertilisation (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.