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Fertility preservation at TFP Fertility
Fertility preservation is where eggs, embryos, sperm, or reproductive tissue are frozen and safely stored, to be used in future fertility treatments.
Preserving your eggs, embryos, or sperm can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line.
Want to know if this is for you? You can talk to one of our fertility experts.
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What is fertility preservation?
Fertility preservation is where we collect, freeze and safely store eggs, embryos, sperm or reproductive tissue for future fertility treatment.
As you age, so do your eggs and sperm, so preserving them can give you more options for starting a family further down the line.
It’s important to know that this doesn’t guarantee a future pregnancy.
But it does let you try treatment at the right time for you.
This could be for personal or medical reasons, such as needing cancer treatment, hormone therapy, or simply wanting to wait to start a family.
How does fertility preservation work?
The process of collection depends on whether you’re going to freeze eggs, embryos, sperm, or reproductive tissue.
This ranges from:
Doing all or most of an IVF cycle
Providing a sperm sample
A surgical procedure to collect reproductive tissue
Once collected, we use a flash freezing technique called vitrification for the preservation of eggs, embryos, and sperm.
If you’re preserving ovarian and testicular tissue, we very slowly cool them down to protect their structure and function.
We will then provide storage for as long as you require.
UK law permits you to store your eggs, embryos, sperm, ovarian or testicular tissue for use in treatment for up to 55 years from the date they are first placed in storage, but you must renew your consent every ten years.
We’ll reach out to you when this renewal date approaches, so you don’t need to worry about missing it.
Who can benefit from fertility preservation?
You might not have considered fertility preservation before, or perhaps you’ve thought about it but you’re still unsure.
There are many reasons why you may want to freeze your eggs, sperm or embryos. Some of the most common reasons are:
You’re about to have cancer treatment
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiotherapy could affect your fertility, especially if you receive high doses.
You’re a transgender or non-binary person
If you’re starting hormone therapy or planning to have reconstructive surgery, both can lead to some or complete loss of your fertility.
You’re not ready to start a family yet
You might not feel financially or emotionally ready, or you haven’t met the right partner, or there are other things you want to do.
You have a condition that may affect your fertility
Polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, as well as other health problems, can affect fertility in women.
In men, sperm and ejaculation disorders and conditions such as hypogonadism, or lack of testosterone, can lead to fertility problems.
You’re in the Armed Forces or have a hazardous job
You may want to preserve your fertility because of the risk of injury or exposure to harmful chemicals or illnesses.
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We’re here to help
Whatever your situation, we’re here to answer your questions and guide you through your fertility preservation options. Please use our contact form to book an appointment at your local TFP Fertility clinic to find out more.
What types of fertility preservation are there?
It’s possible to freeze your eggs, embryos, sperm, or reproductive tissue.
Egg freezing
Freezing your eggs can give you some extra time to start a family, by having the option to try fertility treatment in the future.
You’ll need to go through a partial IVF cycle up to the egg collection step.
Embryo freezing
You may be having embryos frozen through a standalone IVF procedure, or freezing unused healthy embryos from an IVF treatment.
Sperm freezing
Freezing sperm is the most effective treatment for preserving male fertility according to HFEA, and is also used when storing sperm.
You’ll be asked to produce a fresh sample of sperm, but if you’re unable to produce a sample, we also offer a procedure called surgical sperm retrieval.
Reproductive tissue freezing
Ovarian tissue freezing is a specialist technique used if you’re unable to freeze your eggs, or you’re undergoing treatment for cancer or other conditions that affect the ovaries.
Testicular tissue freezing is a specialist technique used if you can’t ejaculate, or where your ejaculated semen does not contain enough healthy sperm for fertility treatment.
What are the success rates?
A successful future fertility treatment is dependent on many factors.
For example, your chance of becoming pregnant after using a frozen egg in a fertility treatment depends on the age you were when your eggs were frozen, as younger women tend to have healthier eggs.
The overall chances of success can still depend on your age at treatment too.
We’ll discuss these factors with you during your consultation and answer any questions you may have, including how you might benefit and how delaying starting a family could impact the chances of success.
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How much does it cost?
The cost of fertility preservation at TFP Fertility UK varies depends on whether you are freezing eggs, embryos, sperm or reproductive tissue, as the process is different for each.
Storage is an additional annual cost.
You can find a detailed price list for all treatments and procedures on each TFP Fertility clinic page.
Find your nearest clinic, or use our contact form to request a confidential chat about your circumstances, whether IUI is right for you, and to take you through the costs.
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