Freezing sperm (sperm cryopreservation)
Freezing sperm is a fertility preservation treatment that allows you to preserve your fertility for the future. Many people choose sperm freezing before undergoing medical treatment that may affect fertility, while others do it for personal reasons because they want to postpone having children until later.
At Medicus, you will receive safe and professional follow-up throughout the entire process.
What does freezing sperm involve?
Sperm cryopreservation involves freezing sperm and storing them at very low temperatures using liquid nitrogen, which has a temperature of -196°C. Freezing and storing samples at such temperatures stops all biological activity, allowing the samples to remain viable for many years.
Why consider freezing sperm?
You may want to delay having children for personal reasons and want to preserve your fertility to reduce the risk of age-related decline. In addition, certain medical and surgical treatments can affect your ability to produce sperm, sometimes permanently. By providing a semen sample before such treatments, you can preserve your fertility and potentially use assisted reproduction in the future to have children.
Who is sperm freezing suitable for?
Sperm freezing may be appropriate for people of childbearing age because of:
- Assisted fertilization for infertility (usually for short-term storage)
- Before sterilization
- Social sperm freezing to postpone having children
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- Surgical procedures – vasectomy, prostate surgery, bladder surgery, or spinal surgery
- Gender reassignment treatment (not permitted if legal gender has already been changed)
- Military personnel who may be sent to active combat zones
How can frozen sperm be used later?
If the sperm is to be used in the future, this will usually be as part of assisted reproduction:
Which method is appropriate depends on several factors, including sperm quality, the woman's fertility and medical assessment at the time of treatment. In many cases, IVF or ICSI will be appropriate.
How the sperm freezing process works
1. Blood and urine tests
Before sperm freezing, blood and urine samples are taken to examine whether there are any infectious diseases that must be clarified before the sample can be frozen.
It is tested for, among other things:
- HIV
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Syphilis
- Klamydia
- Gonorrhea
During the period when you submit samples for freezing, you must protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections.
2. Sampling
The sample is usually taken by masturbation into a sterile container provided by the clinic. For the best possible quality, it is recommended to refrain from ejaculation during 1-3 days before sampling.
All samples to be frozen must be produced at the clinic for traceability reasons.
3. Laboratory analysis
Once the sample is received, it is analyzed in the laboratory to assess:
- sperm count
- concentration
- mobility
4. Freezing
If the sample is of good enough quality, a cryopreservation solution is added to protect the sperm during freezing. The sample is then distributed into labeled tubes containing the full name, date of birth, a unique clinic number, and date of storage.
5. Storage
The prepared samples are gradually cooled and then stored in liquid nitrogen tanks at -196°C. This ensures long-term preservation.
Frequently asked questions about sperm freezing
When freezing sperm, approximately 50% of the sperm cells will normally not survive the freezing and thawing process.
This is normal and is taken into account when the samples are analyzed and stored.
Most men will need to come to the clinic once or twice to provide their sperm samples for freezing. In rare cases, we may ask you to come a second time if your sperm quality is low.
The price for sperm freezing at Medicus includes:
- one sperm freezing
- storage for one year
If multiple freezings are needed, this is paid for each time.
You will then receive annual invoice for sperm storage.
See our price list for an overview of our prices.
You can request to end storage and destroy the frozen sperm at any time.
No, you do not need a referral to freeze sperm.