Sperm storage involves the freezing of sperm and storing them at ‘ultra-cold’ temperatures.
Sperm freezing
We use liquid nitrogen to store your sperm at a temperature of -196°C. Freezing and maintaining samples at such temperatures stops their ‘biological clock’ and allows the samples to remain alive for very long periods of time.
Certain medical and surgical treatments and procedures, eg chemotherapy, can affect male fertility, sometimes permanently, meaning you will no longer be able to produce sperm. If you provide samples of your semen before starting these treatments, we can freeze and store them for you. This will give you a chance, later on in your life, to father a child of your own. In these cases, the cost of storing your sperm will usually, but not always, be funded by the NHS.
We can also offer sperm storage for other reasons. Perhaps you know you will be away from Cambridge when the treatment is scheduled. Or you might be concerned that you will not be able to produce a sample on the day of treatment and want to have sperm in store as a backup. In most cases like these, we will be happy to assist, but the NHS is unlikely to provide funding.
The cost for self-funded sperm freezing and annual storage fees can be found on our price list here.
For further information about sperm freezing, please see our patient information leaflet below.
If you would like more information, please contact us at cuh.andrology.cambridgeivf@nhs.net or on 01223 349010 and we would be delighted to help you.