Sperm banking (sperm cryopreservation)
Sperm banking is a way for you to save sperm now to use in the future if you decide to have biological children. Your sperm will be frozen until you are ready to use it.
What are sperm?
Testicles hang behind the penis in a pouch called the scrotum. During puberty, the testicles start to make millions of sperm.
Sperm are cells that can join with (fertilize) an egg to make a baby. When you ejaculate, the sperm come out of your penis in a fluid called semen.
Where to start?
Who can choose sperm banking?
You can think about choosing sperm freezing if:
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You have testicles.
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You have gone through puberty.
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You have ejaculated while sleeping (“wet dreams”) or with masturbation.
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You have any risk level of fertility problems: lower, medium, or higher risk.
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What will I need to do if I choose sperm banking?
At a doctor’s office or fertility clinic, you will masturbate in a private room and ejaculate your semen into a cup to produce a semen sample.
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A doctor or lab will:
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Check your semen and sperm
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Freeze and store it for the future
You can come back and give extra semen samples if you are able.
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You can have a follow-up conversation with a doctor or nurse to review your results:
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How much semen you were able to freeze (volume)
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How many sperm were in your sample (sperm count)
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The quality of your sperm (their shape and movement)
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If you make sperm but can’t produce a semen sample, your doctor or nurse may suggest a way to remove the sperm directly using a minor surgical procedure, such as testicular sperm aspiration or testicular sperm extraction.
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When can I do it? How long does it take?
Your doctor or nurse will most likely ask you to do sperm banking before you start treatment for cancer or blood disease. This is because treatment may permanently harm the sperm in your body.
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You can do sperm banking the same day or within a day or two of talking with your doctor or nurse
People can complete sperm banking just once, but sometimes doctors recommend more than one visit to get more sperm if there’s time and you’re able.
It's important to talk to your doctor or nurse right away if you want to do sperm banking.
The downsides
What are the side effects of sperm banking?
There are no side effects from sperm banking – you won’t need to take any medicine or have a procedure.
Many patients have done sperm banking. Some people feel OK about providing a sample, some may not know how they feel, and some may feel uncomfortable. Your doctor or nurse can help you with your feelings if you choose to do it.
What are the risks of sperm banking?
Risks to you
Sperm banking poses no risk to your health because you don’t need to take any medicine or have a procedure.
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There is a risk you may be unable to produce a semen sample or that there are not enough healthy sperm in your sample to freeze.
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If your doctor needs to extract sperm because you can’t produce a semen sample, then there could be a risk of bleeding, infection, and swelling in your scrotum or testicles.
Risks to your frozen sperm
There is a chance your sperm can’t be used if there’s a mistake or accident at the storage facility, such as a power outage. You can talk to the storage facility about what they do to prevent accidents.
How much does sperm banking cost?
The sperm banking procedure may cost several hundred dollars.
How much the procedure will cost you depends on:
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Where you have the procedure done
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If your insurance plan covers part or all of the procedure
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Other factors
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It may cost several hundred dollars a year to store your frozen sperm.
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There could be costs in the future if you want to use your sperm to have a biological children, such as through in vitro fertilization (IVF), where eggs and sperm are combined in a lab before being put into the uterus (where a baby grows).
Visit the “Costs” page to learn more about costs for fertility preservation and ways to cover them.
In the future
How would I use my frozen sperm in the future?
Try for pregnancy without using your frozen sperm
If you want or need to use your frozen sperm, doctors may suggest procedures such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Try for pregnancy using your frozen sperm
If you decide to have biological children someday, you can try for pregnancy without help from a doctor or fertility clinic if:
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Your testicles still produce sperm.
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You have a partner that can get pregnant.
If you try for 6-12 months and there's no pregnancy, you and your partner should see a fertility specialist.
1. Thaw your frozen sperm.
2. Put your sperm directly into the uterus (where babies grow) of your partner or another person who agrees to carry the baby for you (called a “gestational carrier”).
1. Thaw your frozen sperm.
2. Combine your sperm with your partner’s egg or a donor’s egg in a lab to fertilize it. If sperm fertilizes an egg, it becomes an embryo.
3. Transfer one or more embryos to the uterus of your partner or a gestational carrier.
In IVF, they would:
Visit the “Other ways to become a parent” page to learn more about donors and gestational carriers.
In IUI, they would:
How well does sperm banking work?
We don’t know as much about how well sperm banking works in kids and teens with cancer or a blood disease, but we will continue to learn more about sperm banking over time.
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You can talk to your doctor or nurse about how well sperm banking may work for you, which may depend on things like:
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Your age
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Your medical history
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The number and movement of sperm they think could be collected or frozen
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Your fertility clinic (different fertility clinics can have different success rates)
Freezing your sperm may give you a higher chance of having a biological child, but it does not guarantee you will have a biological child someday.
Important note!
If you are unable to have biological children, there are other ways to become a parent. Visit this page to learn more.