What is sperm freezing?

Sperm freezing is a well-established procedure which has been in use for more than 40 years. It involves freezing the sperms thereby preserving them for later use either by intrauterine insemination or in in vitro fertilization treatment.

Why do sperms need to be frozen?

You may choose to freeze your sperms for later use for the following reasons

• If you have difficulty producing a sample on the day of fertility treatment
• If you have a low sperm count or are producing sperms that are deteriorating in quality over time
• If you are facing medical treatment that may affect your fertility, for example, some forms of cancer treatment.
• If your sperms are going to be used for donation, in which case freezing allows the sperms to be quarantined for six months

What would be done if I wanted my sperms to be frozen?

• You will be asked to avoid intercourse for no longer than 2 – 3 days before giving us a sample
• You will have to fill in detailed consent forms
• We will advise you to have certain blood tests to rule out infection namely – HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and syphilis
• The sample will need to be collected by masturbation on site ( In the fertility centre)
• We will then freeze the sperm sample by a special procedure and store it in a tank filled with liquid nitrogen.

Why do I have to sign a detailed consent form?

It is important that we confirm the following information from you before we freeze your sperms.

• How many months/years would you like to keep your sperms frozen
• What should happen to your sperms in the rare, unfortunate circumstance of you becoming unable to make decisions for yourself or in case of death
• Whether your partner/wife (if applicable) can use the sperm later to create a family and whether you wish to be recorded as the father of any child born as a result of fertility treatment after your death
• Whether your sperm can be used in research or donated for use in someone else’s treatment.
• And any other conditions you may have for the use of your sperm. You may revise or withdraw your consent at any time.

It is imperative that you keep Jananam informed about any change in your contact details, telephone number etc.

Will sperms survive freezing and give good results?

Freezing and subsequent thawing does damage some sperms. If your initial sperm parameters were good this loss will not matter but if your initial sperm parameters were poor, we may not have enough sperms to use for an IUI. In this case, we may need to achieve a pregnancy by doing ICSI.

Are there any risks involved in using frozen sperms?

There are no risks to your baby with the use of frozen sperms. If there is any more information that you require, please contact jananam team

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