Freezing Sperm, or male fertility preservation, involves the freezing and storage of sperm for reproductive purposes. It is a routine and simple technique used to preserve male fertility, particularly useful before medical treatments that may affect fertility.
Find out how semen freezing can help you plan your reproductive future with confidence and peace of mind.
What is social freezing?
Male fertility preservation, or freezing sperm, is a medical technique that allows men to preserve their sperm for future use. This process is especially useful for those who wish to delay fatherhood due to personal reasons or medical reasons that could affect their reproductive capacity, such as treatments like chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
The process involves collecting one or more semen samples, which are then frozen using a cryoprotective medium. The semen samples are preserved in this medium, which ensures their durability for an indefinite period and maintains their reproductive capacity. This advanced technology guarantees that the sperm maintain their quality and viability, allowing men the possibility of becoming fathers in the future. This technique ensures that the sperm remain viable for use in future assisted reproduction procedures.
Why is social freezing done?
Semen freezing, or sperm cryopreservation, is performed to preserve male fertility in various situations, including:
- Medical treatments: Preserving fertility before undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy that may damage sperm production.
- Low semen quality: Freezing samples when semen quality is better to avoid deterioration over time.
- Before a vasectomy: Storing samples before the procedure to avoid additional surgeries in the future if children are desired.
- Difficulties in obtaining the sample: Preserving sperm obtained by testicular biopsy or epididymal aspiration helps men with psychological or logistical issues that make it difficult to collect the sample on the day of insemination.
- Gender reassignment: Allowing sperm preservation before sex transition surgery to maintain the possibility of having biological children in the future.
In summary, semen cryopreservation is essential for maintaining male fertility in a variety of circumstances and ensuring the viability of sperm for future assisted reproduction procedures.
Freezing Sperm
Freezing Sperm is an essential technique for preserving male fertility, especially in medical or personal contexts that may compromise reproductive capacity. This option is valuable for men undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy, and those who wish to delay fatherhood. It is also useful for men planning a vasectomy, ensuring the possibility of having biological children in the future.
As men age, semen quality tends to decline, particularly in terms of sperm motility. A study from the University of California revealed that sperm motility decreases by approximately 0.7% annually with age, significantly affecting semen quality in older men. Although sperm can be frozen at any age, its quality and quantity tend to diminish over time. Cryopreservation allows the preservation of sperm quality at the time of collection, with a very high survival rate after the process, facilitating parenthood planning and the use of assisted reproductive techniques.
This technique not only helps manage the effects of age on fertility but also allows men in Spain and around the world to plan their parenthood with greater flexibility and security, ensuring the viability of their sperm over the years.
Who is sperm freezing suitable for?
Men may choose to freeze their sperm for the following reasons:
- Men who spend time in environments with elevated levels of harmful substances.
- Men who participate in high-risk sports or professions.
- Men who are delaying fatherhood for professional or personal reasons.
- Men who have had a vasectomy and want a backup plan in case they change their mind.
- Men undergoing cancer treatments.
- Men undergoing medical treatment that could affect the quality and safety of their sperm.
- Individuals undergoing gender reassignment treatment.
How is sperm frozen?
Sperm cryopreservation is a useful technique that allows men to preserve their fertility for the future. By freezing sperm, its quality at the time of collection is maintained, ensuring the viability of the sperm over time.
Before proceeding with the freezing of any semen sample, blood tests are required to screen for infectious diseases (including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and syphilis).
The patient will provide an initial semen sample, which will be analyzed and frozen. Based on its quality, advice will be given on the number of additional samples needed to ensure a sufficient quantity of frozen sperm for future use. It is advisable for the patient to come with a sexual abstinence period of between 2 and 4 days. The patient will obtain the sample at Fertility Madrid in one of our designated rooms. Once the sample is collected, the andrologists will retrieve it, ensuring proper identification, to analyze and subsequently freeze it.
The only essential requirement for this technique is the presence of motile sperm in the ejaculate.
To assess semen quality, a semen analysis (spermiogram) is necessary, including concentration, motility, morphology, and sperm vitality. This information will be the primary factor determining the viability of the sample once it is thawed.
The samples will be frozen with the help of a cryoprotectant added to the ejaculate to prevent cellular damage to the sperm. These cryoprotectants dehydrate the cells to prevent water from forming ice crystals that could rupture the membranes, which would lead to cell death.
Once the cryoprotectants are added, the sample is divided into cryotubes or straws, which are properly labeled and identified. The temperature of these tubes is gradually lowered and finally stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. It is important to highlight that sperm can suffer damage during the freezing and thawing processes. During storage, semen quality does not vary.
Freezing Sperm offers an excellent option for those who wish to plan their parenthood, protect their fertility before medical treatments, or maintain a backup plan after a vasectomy. Although pregnancy cannot be guaranteed in every case, just as with fresh samples, this technique provides flexibility and peace of mind, ensuring that the sperm retains its quality for future assisted reproductive treatments.
Social freezing costs
At Fertility Madrid, we are here to provide the support and personalized attention you deserve at every step of the treatment.
- Vitrification for 1 year
- Price for 5 straws or cryotubes €250 (From the 6th to the 10th straw or cryotube the price will be €180)
The vitrification from the 2nd year, the maintenance price of the samples will be €300
Preguntas frecuentes FAQs
The success rates of freezing sperm can vary based on factors such as the man’s age and the quality of the sperm at the time of freezing. Sperm quality, including aspects like motility and sperm count, influences the outcomes of subsequent assisted reproductive treatments. To get an accurate estimate of success chances, it’s important to conduct a sperm quality analysis during a specialized consultation. This analysis helps determine the viability of the frozen sperm and how it fits with the needs of future fertility treatments.
Depending on the reason for freezing sperm, if it’s to preserve fertility for the future, it is recommended to consider freezing sperm ideally before the age of 40, as sperm quality may start to be affected from around 40-45 years old. However, it is important to consult with your doctor even if you are outside this age range to explore your options and ensure you make informed decisions about your fertility.
The duration for which the sample remains cryopreserved does not affect sperm quality, so we can keep the samples frozen for as long as needed.
No associated risks.
The investment in freezing sperm can be a valuable strategy for men who wish to preserve their fertility for medical reasons or personal decisions. Consider this investment if you want to secure the possibility of fatherhood in the future and protect your fertility against potential changes in your health or circumstances.
You can choose to discard it, donate it for scientific research or donate it to help other couples conceive.
Ensure the possibility of future parenthood and protect your fertility against possible changes in your health or circumstances.
