Sperm freezing

Sperm freezing is the most successful method of preserving a man's fertility so that he can try for a baby in the future. Male fertility declines less rapidly than a female's, however, it can be a reassuring option if you're wanting to postpone parenthood..

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What is sperm freezing?

Sperm freezing, also known as sperm cryopreservation, is the processing of collecting, cooling and safely storing a man's sperm.

Frozen sperm samples can be used in treatment cycles such as IUI and IVF or can be donated to a sperm bank for use in another patient's treatment.

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.

How does sperm freezing work?

You’ll firstly need to be screened for infectious diseases, such as HIV or hepatitis C. The results of these tests will have no bearing on whether you can freeze your sperm but will ensure that any affected sperm samples are stored separately to prevent the contamination of other samples.

At the clinic, you’ll be asked to produce a fresh sample of sperm (if you’re able), which will be mixed with a cryoprotectant to protect the sperm from damage during freezing.

If you’re unable to produce a fresh sample of sperm, we can also retrieve it using a procedure called surgical sperm retrieval.

Before freezing, the sperm sample is divided into separate containers so that it can be used in multiple treatments, if required. The samples are then rapidly cooled using a method called vitrification and safely stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen.

How successful is sperm freezing?

We estimate that 50% of frozen sperm will survive the freeze-thaw process. We freeze your sperm in individual straws so that not all sperm has to be thawed at once.

Fertility treatment using frozen sperm is just as successful as treatment using fresh sperm. When using frozen sperm, we use a technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which involves injecting a single healthy sperm direction into the egg, to increase chances of successful fertilisation.

Who will sperm freezing benefit?

Preserving your fertility can be a reassuring option if you’re looking to have a family further down the line. There are many reasons why you may wish to preserve your fertility. Some of the most common reasons are:

You're not ready to start a family

You may consider preserving your fertility if you don't yet feel emotionally or financially ready, there are things you want to achieve beforehand or haven't met the right partner.

Preserving your fertility as a trans or non-binary person

You're a non-binary or transgender person

If you’re starting hormone replacement therapy or plan to undergo gender reassignment surgery as part of the transition process, some or complete loss of fertility can be expected.

You're about a vasectomy

Carriers of genetic conditions that may result in a poor quality of life or premature death for any children they have, may wish to use a donor to ensure their child is happy and healthy.

You have a condition affecting your fertility

In men, sperm and ejaculation disorders and conditions such as hypogonadism, or lack of testosterone, can lead to fertility problems.

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You're about to have treatment for a condition

Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy can affect a person’s fertility, particularly when receiving high doses.

You're in the Armed Forces or at risk of injury due to your occupation

If you’re working a job deemed as “hazardous” you may wish to preserve your fertility due to the increased risk of injury or exposure to harmful chemicals or illnesses.

How much does sperm freezing cost?

You'll find a breakdown of a typical sperm freezing cycle below, as well as the cost of a fertility assessment to help provide you with the answers you need to plan for your future.