Ankita Paul
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They have accommodation facility also available so in case you are from different city, you don't need to worry about anything.
Home › Treatments › Sperm freezing
TREATMENTS · SPERM FREEZING
He can't be here for the whole cycle. His sperm can.
Sperm freezing (sperm cryopreservation) stores a semen sample in liquid nitrogen. It is thawed later for IUI, IVF or ICSI, on the day it is needed.
- Often one visit [CONFIRM]
- Infection tests and consent first
- Stored at minus 196°C in liquid nitrogen
- Used later for IUI, IVF or ICSI
- Sample checked
- Protective fluid added
- Divided into straws
- Stored in liquid nitrogen
Is this right for you?
Does any of these sound like you?
Worth discussing if
- He works abroad or travels for work
- He can't take leave for egg collection day
- He is about to start cancer treatment or surgery
- He has had or will have TESA, PESA or TESE
- Giving a sample on the day worries him
PROBABLY NOT YET
Freezing solves a timing problem. If you do not have one, you may not need it.
- Both of you can be here on the day. Fresh sperm is usually used.
- Her plan has not been made yet. If the sperm is for your IVF, her plan sets how much to freeze and when.
- You have not done the tests and consent yet. His part can happen on a single day that suits his travel, as long as the tests and consent are done.
- You are expecting all of it to survive storage. Some sperm do not survive thawing.
Both of you can be here on the day? Fresh sperm is usually used. Freezing is still an option if you want a back-up.
01What is sperm freezing?
Sperm freezing stores a semen sample at very low temperature so it can be thawed and used for treatment months or years later.
The sample is mixed with a protective fluid, divided into small straws and kept in liquid nitrogen at minus 196°C. Dividing it means only what is needed is thawed each time. Some sperm do not survive thawing, which is one reason the sample is checked before and after.
02Who should freeze sperm?
Men who may not be available, or whose sperm may not be, when treatment happens.
The most common reasons we see:
- A husband who works away or abroad and cannot be in Chennai on egg collection day.
- A man who finds giving a sample on the day stressful and wants a back-up in the freezer.
- Before surgery or treatment that may affect fertility, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy or testicular surgery.
- After TESA, PESA or TESE, so spare sperm can spare him a second procedure.
- Before a vasectomy, if he may want children later.
03Does my husband need to stay in Chennai for the whole IVF cycle?
Often no: his sample can be frozen in one visit before he leaves, and thawed on the day her eggs are collected.
Her cycle needs her here for scans and egg collection. His part can happen on a single day that suits his travel, as long as the tests and consent are done. Frozen sperm is then used with IVF or ICSI.
Honest note
Travelling for treatmentOne visit is often enough, so he does not need to stay for the whole cycle. [CONFIRM: number of samples and whether screening and consent can be done the same day] (Jananam, reviewed by Dr Vani Sundarapandian)
04Should I freeze sperm before cancer treatment?
Yes, if there is time: ask for sperm freezing before chemotherapy or radiotherapy starts, because both can reduce or stop sperm production.
Guidelines advise that men facing treatment that can harm fertility are offered sperm freezing before it begins. It can usually be arranged quickly so it does not delay cancer care [CONFIRM: urgent referral pathway]. Ask your oncologist to call us, or message us yourself.
Fertility before cancer treatment05How long can frozen sperm be stored, and who decides?
Frozen sperm can stay usable for many years, and you decide in writing, before freezing, how long it is kept and what happens to it.
India's ART Act 2021 requires written consent before any gamete is frozen, including what should happen in case of death or incapacity. The storage period and how to renew it are explained in your consent form [CONFIRM: Jananam storage period and renewal]. Keep your phone number and address up to date with us, so we can reach you before it ends.
Sperm freezing, step by step.
- 1
Consultation In person or by video
Why you are freezing, how much, and how it will be used later.
- 2
Tests and consent Before or on the day of the sample [CONFIRM]
Blood tests for infections [CONFIRM: list] and written consent, including storage period and instructions in case of death or incapacity.
- 3
Giving the sample One visit, often [CONFIRM]; a few days' abstinence first [CONFIRM]
A private room at Neelankarai. After TESA or PESA, the spare retrieved sperm is frozen instead.
- 4
Check and freeze Same day
The lab checks count and movement, adds protective fluid, divides it into straws and freezes it.
- 5
Storage Until you need it, within the period you consented to
Kept in liquid nitrogen at minus 196°C in our lab.
- 6
Use On the day of IUI or egg collection
Straws are thawed and the sperm used for IUI, IVF or ICSI, depending on how much survives and your plan.
Your first visit
1
Talk
His dates, her cycle plan, and why you are freezing.
2
Test
Semen analysis and infection blood tests.
3
Plan
How many samples, storage period and consent, and the cost in writing.
4
Treat
Sample given, checked and frozen, usually in one visit [CONFIRM].
Questions patients ask.
Still unsure? Ask us on WhatsApp — a real person replies.
Can my husband freeze sperm before going abroad?
Yes, he can freeze sperm before going abroad. He gives a sample at Neelankarai before he leaves, it is frozen, and it is thawed on the day her eggs are collected or her IUI is done.
How many visits does sperm freezing need?
One visit to give the sample is often enough, once tests and consent are done [CONFIRM]. Sometimes a second sample is advised if the first is low in count.
Is frozen sperm as good as fresh?
Frozen sperm works well for IVF and ICSI, although some sperm do not survive thawing. Whether it suits IUI depends on how many good sperm survive, which the lab checks.
How long can sperm be frozen?
Sperm can stay usable in liquid nitrogen for many years. How long yours is kept is set in your written consent before freezing [CONFIRM: Jananam storage period].
Is there a sperm bank in Chennai?
Jananam freezes and stores a man's own sperm for his own treatment at its Neelankarai lab in Chennai. Donor sperm comes from a registered ART bank under the ART Act 2021.
Does sperm freezing hurt?
Sperm freezing does not hurt: it involves no procedure, only a blood test and giving a sample. If sperm is collected by TESA or PESA, that is a separate day procedure.
How much does sperm freezing cost?
The cost depends on the number of samples and how long they are stored, and you get it in writing before you start.
In their words, not ours.
Geetha M.
· Google
The billing section staff, financial counsellor, lab staff, pharmacist all work in splendid coordination avoiding any stress for us.
Tell us his dates. We'll plan around them.
Message us his travel dates and her cycle plan. A real person from our team replies on WhatsApp, usually within minutes during clinic hours (Mon to Sat, 9am to 5pm. Sunday closed.).
Chat on WhatsAppCall +91 89399 94244
Sex selection is prohibited in India under the PCPNDT Act, 1994 and the ART Act, 2021.