The term sperm refers to the male reproductive cell, that when successfully combined with the female reproductive cell, called an egg, forms a zygote that then potentially has the ability to develop into a fetus.
Typically, all human males have the ability to produce and store sperm in the testicles and because of the organ’s warm and controlled environment, sperm cells are able to survive there for long periods of time. Another way of storing sperm cells is through cryopreservation.
Cryopreservation is the process of freezing using an agent, called liquid nitrogen and is commonly used in preserving embryos and sperm, and also other types of cells and organisms. This has been especially useful for couples who have been experiencing difficulty in conception and are trying in vitro fertilisation.
In vitro fertilisation involves a method in which an egg cell from a woman is fertilised by a sperm, outside of the body. This is done using the egg cell of the woman, and the sperm cell of the man or a donor.
The donor sperm is gathered through a strict and scientific process to ensure that there is no risk of the spread of infectious disease. Almost any healthy male can be a sperm donor, just as long as he is willing to follow the necessary steps for this.
But the reason for being a sperm donor should not just be limited to your desire to help troubled couples. There are also other reasons that you may want to consider storing your sperm, such as:
• You will be undergoing vasectomy
• A low sperm count or deterioration of sperm quality over time
• Difficulty in producing quality sperm on the day of fertility treatment
• Your sperm will be used for donation
• You have a medical condition which may result in infertility later in life
• You are facing medical treatment that may affect your fertility, (e.g. cancer treatment)
The process of collecting the sperm is fairly straightforward. A screening will be done to see the history of the donor and to find out the purpose of sperm freezing. It is better to bring medical records for the clinician’s reference. If a donor qualifies, he will be asked to produce a semen specimen. This will then be analyzed, frozen and stored.
The cost of the whole process would depend on the clinic that you will select. Generally, a fee applies to the screening and freezing process, as well as to the storage of the sample.
To find out more about sperm freezing and cryopreservation, you can reach us on our Contact Victory Form.