Sperm banking and Cryopreservation at FCC

Sperm Banking and Sperm Cryopreservation

The purpose of cryopreserving semen (sperm banking) is to help assure a chance of conception at some time in the future.

IMPORTANT:
Current California State Department of Health guidelines require that sperm donors (including partners) be screened for certain infectious diseases. Screening is also required for storage. The screening includes the following blood tests:

1. HIV I-II

2. Hepatitis C virus

3. Hepatitis B surface antigen

4. HTLV I

5. Syphilis

We require a screening the day we collect your first sperm sample or less than one month prior.

 

Short-term Semen Cryobanking

Short-term semen cryobanking is the depositing, freezing and storage of sperm at a sperm bank for less than one year. Cryobanked sperm is then used in artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other fertility treatment procedures.

Short-term semen cryobanking is recommended to preserve semen for deferred inseminations when an intimate partner is temporarily absent. It is also recommended in cases of oligozoospermia (low sperm counts) where multiple semen collections and pooling may be desirable for use in a single insemination. Short-term storage is also performed prior to assisted reproductive technologies (i.e., In Vitro Fertilization, Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, etc...) to secure a good quality semen specimen for the prospective procedure.

 

Process of Collection of Specimen and Cryopreservation at FCC

After reading the information on this page, you may fill out the forms for cryopreservation.

Contact one of our offices and ask any questions you may have and make an appointment to collect a semen sample. Services are provided 7 days a week. Prior to the collection of semen, sexual abstinence of at least 2 days but not more than 5 days is recommended to maximize the quality of the sample.

The specimen is collected into a sterile container by masturbation. Collection may occur at home provided that it does not take more than 1 hour to bring the sample to our facility. Otherwise, specimens may be collected at our facility where special rooms have been designated for that purpose. Bring a valid photo ID to your appointment. During your first visit, we will draw blood for the infectious disease screening. You can call our office for lab results the day after your appointment to make a decision if you would like to store more samples.

A sperm sample will be divided into one or more vials depending on the number of motile sperm in the original sample. Each vial is used for one insemination attempt. However, some physicians like to use two vials per insemination of even perform two inseminations per cycle. No one can predict in advance how many vials are needed to achieve a pregnancy. We recommend at least 12 vials (3-6 samples) to be stored. The vials can also be used in advanced reproductive techniques such as IVF.

 

Long-Term Semen Cryopreservation

Proven, long-established techniques enable semen specimens and embryos to be frozen and stored indefinitely in liquid nitrogen. According to the donor’s specific wishes, these specimens and embryos can later be thawed and used in an attempt to conceive a child through therapeutic insemination or other fertility treatment techniques.

 

Reasons to Cryopreserve Sperm

Medical Reasons

Some men discover they have diseases or must undergo treatment or surgery, which will cause permanent sterilization or genetic damage. As cancer detection techniques and treatment techniques improve, more cancer conditions are being detected at younger ages in men, with better and longer survival rates. Therefore, more men in their fertile years are now considering this option.

Vasectomy

Some fertile men wish to have a vasectomy, but still desire to keep a possible option open to father children should their circumstances change in the future.

Some men are engaged in high-risk occupations, including at-work exposure to radiation or dangerous chemicals, and wish to ensure a future chance to father children.

Some men find circumstances force them to be away from their wives during a period of time in which they had planned to conceive a child. Therapeutic insemination using their cryopreserved semen allows such couples a chance to follow their desired plan.

 

Cryopreservation Technique and Identification

Each sample (ejaculate) is first washed and then mixed with a special media or solution to help provide protection during freezing and thawing. The samples are then placed in special plastic vials, which are coded, and carefully frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor. Once frozen, the vials are immersed in liquid nitrogen in secure tanks at a temperature of -196° C (-371° F). The liquid nitrogen is independent of any source of power, and is regularly checked and replenished.
Each patient is assigned a unique “cryo code” and the sperm sample is processed individually using permanently marked vials by our licensed and certified clinical lab scientists.

Go to our patient forms and fee schedule to find out more information.

 

.