Given the growing popularity of egg and sperm freezing, you might think that this is a new technology that has hit its stride quickly. Although it applies to eggs, sperm freezing techniques were developed even before the United States was born. It all started with Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch father of microbiology, who invented the compound microscope in 1677 and months later he cast his magnified eye on his own sperm. To his surprise, unlike the mites and bacteria he first described, he found motile sperm dancing wildly in this sexual fluid and called them “animals.” A hundred years later, Italian scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani froze (someone’s) sperm by placing them in snow and watched them freeze and then resume movement after thawing. About two hundred years later, the first human birth with frozen sperm was reported 1953 by Dr. Jerome K. Sherman and the first sperm bank was opened 1964 — sixty years ago! Thus continues the historic story of the sperm bank.
Why freeze?
There are many reasons to freeze your co-workers. Here are the most common ones:
- You have a medical condition or are undergoing medical treatment, which may affect your future fertility.
- You are having a vasectomy and want sperm available if you change your mind about having children.
- Your sperm quality is deteriorating or you are concerned about how it may deteriorate with age.
- You have difficulty producing “on-demand” sperm samples for fertility treatment.
- You are at risk of injury or death in your occupation (eg military deployment)
- If you are transitioning to female, you could preserve your fertility before hormone therapy or reconstructive surgery.
Fun facts about sperm freezing
Although they are solidly built, compact machines with a mission, it is even more remarkable how the sperm can survive the freeze-thaw process and come out fighting again.
- Using frozen sperm is just as successful as using fresh sperm with assisted reproduction.
- There are no risks from using frozen sperm for conception.
- Not all sperm survive the freezing and thawing process. Typically, 50% make it through unscathed.
- Sperm can be frozen for 20 years or more. In fact, births have been reported after storing sperm for 40 years!
- Low-temperature storage in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C, slightly colder than the surface of Saturn) can preserve cells almost indefinitely because chemical reactions that require molecular movement do not occur at this low temperature.
How does it work?
Since the idea behind sperm freezing is to eventually use it for pregnancy, the FDA requires sexually transmitted disease screening of all sperm donors to protect the final recipients. HIV, hepatitis and syphilis are the types of tests required. Written, informed consent for the storage of your sperm follows. Be sure to determine how long you would like storage to continue and consider what you would like to be done with the sperm (discarded, donated to a partner, donated to science) in the event of unforeseen circumstances in which you cannot decide a fate. At this point, you will need to pay to open a “bank account” for sperm storage.
You will be asked to produce a new semen sample which should be done with 2-4 days of previous sexual abstinence. The liquid will be mixed with a special liquid (cryoprotectant) usually made from egg yolks to protect the sperm from damage during freezing and thawing. This mixed sperm sample is then divided into several containers or “straws” for freezing. The samples are then slowly cooled and immersed in liquid nitrogen for storage.
The good stuff
If you’re wondering how much sperm you should freeze, think of it as a fertility insurance policy: you can certainly get plenty of coverage, but also think more about the minimum amount you might need. Typically, a normal sperm sample can provide enough sperm for 2-3 intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments to conceive. And, for each child, someone has to plan to do 4-6 IUIs. This means that you should reserve 2-3 ejaculates for each desired child.
I also advise my patients to freeze the “good” sperm. This means that for 1-2 months before you plan to store the sperm, clean up your health by quitting smoking and alcohol, staying away from hot baths and tubs, eating and sleeping well, and reducing stress. I also encourage men to take a rich antioxidant and multivitamin supplement (eg. AlphaSperm.com) to balance typical airport food-based diets. This way, you can promote your best food and freeze the best possible sperm you can. In the words of Angel Moeira: “You are a winner before the day you are born. So keep winning with life.”
