Sperm Freezing

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Protect Your Fertility with Sperm Freezing in Indiana

Safeguard your future plans for fatherhood with the sperm cryopreservation services at the Indiana Fertility Institute.

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The Advantage of Sperm Freezing and Storage

More men than ever are choosing to safely freeze and store their sperm for later use. Their reasons vary, but no matter what brings you to this point, know that the cryopreservation process is simple and effective. As an added benefit, the sperm cryopreservation process also offers the opportunity to have your sperm screened for genetic abnormalities.

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Patients that Benefit From Sperm Freezing

Sperm freezing is a useful option for anyone who wishes to preserve their fertility for any reason, including:

  • Men with sperm abnormalities (e.g., low sperm count, poor sperm motility, irregular-shaped sperm)
  • Men who are considering a vasectomy
  • Older men who are concerned about declining sperm quality
  • Men who have high-risk careers that can potentially impact their fertility
  • Men who are in the military
  • Cancer patients before treatment (surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy)
  • Transgender patients who are planning on undergoing gender-affirming care
  • Couples who wish to eventually have a child through intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF)
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The Basics of Sperm Freezing

Sperm freezing, otherwise known as sperm cryopreservation, uses liquid nitrogen to store and preserve sperm cells for later use. Similar to egg freezing, sperm freezing lets you safeguard your fertility more or less forever – no matter your age, health status, or life circumstances.

The Process of Sperm Freezing, Step by Step

Sperm cryopreservation is faster and simpler than egg freezing. Rather than requiring weeks, the process can be accomplished in minutes. Here’s how it works:

  1. Collect Your Sperm

    Once you arrive at the Indiana Fertility Institute, you’ll complete some forms and we’ll do some foundational bloodwork. After that clears, you generate a sample in a private room at our facility, or in the comfort of your own home (just make sure you return the specimen to our lab within 60 minutes). If necessary, it’s also possible for us to retrieve some sperm from your testes with a pain-free procedure known as sperm aspiration.

  2. Wash and Analyze the Sample

    Next, we conduct a process called sperm washing, which essentially separates sperm from seminal fluid. This enables us to take a closer look at the sperm and assess count, motility, and morphology. All of this works together to ensure that we’re able to select the healthiest sperm available for freezing and storage.

  3. Separate and Freeze

    Following the washing process, your sperm will be combined with a cryoprotectant, which will protect the structural integrity of your sperm cells as they undergo vitrification. Vitrification is an advanced cryopreservation technique that involves rapidly freezing organic materials in liquid nitrogen. Finally, the sperm samples are moved to long-term storage to be kept safely until you’re ready for them.

  4. Thaw and Use to Conceive

    When the time comes that you’re ready to use your sperm, or have chosen to donate them to a family in need, your sample will be thawed and checked to ensure they’re still healthy. From there, either you or the recipient family is free to use the sperm in IVF or IUI attempts at fertilizing an egg.

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Is Sperm Freezing Right For You?

Everyone’s fertility journey is different. That’s why we take a highly personalized approach to treatment. Talk to one of our fertility specialists in Indiana to find out if sperm freezing is right for you today.

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