The Process Of Freezing Sperm

Any man who has ever been concerned about their cancer fertility should know everything there is to know about freezing sperm. This has been an effective way to preserve the sperm so that they are not damaged in the process of treating the cancer. If a man is interested in fathering a child once their cancer has been dealt with in the best possible way then learning more about freezing sperm is something that they should definitely learn more about.

When sperm is frozen, whether it be due to cancer fertility concerns or other reasons, it is stored in extremely cold conditions. The process of freezing the sperm must be done very slowly though so that the sperm are not damaged by the immediate coldness. There are several steps in the process of freezing sperm and each play an important role in the process.

Before the sperm should be frozen for storage, it should be tested to see how viable it is. The semen analysis will show how many sperm are in the sample and what quality they are. It is important that any sperm bank performs this test prior to freezing so you know how good your chances are of becoming a father once you have moved past you cancer fertility concerns. Each specimen should be evaluated and the number of moving sperm should be recorded.

One the specimen has been evaluated completely, it will be split into smaller amounts and placed into vials. These vials will be the storage space for the sperm as it is frozen. Once the vials are loaded, then a special compound will be added so that the freezing process can be completed more effectively. This compound is called a cryo protectant.

In order to freeze the test tubes in a slow manner, liquid nitrogen vapor is used. This vapor will slowly begin to freeze the specimen and after thirty to sixty minutes the vials will be ready to move to the next step in the process. This initial time frame is very important to the quality of the sperm once it is unfrozen and used. The quality of the sperm must be protected and this process allows it.

Once the initial thirty to sixty minutes have passed, the vials are placed into a liquid nitrogen tank. This tank will serve as the final storage location for the sperm. It will be housed in the tank until the request is made to remove it so that it may be used. To verify the success that the sperm will have through the process, another test is performed about forty eight hours after they the vials were placed into the liquid nitrogen tank.

After forty eight hours at the minimum, one test sample is removed from the tank and is unfrozen. Once the sperm is evaluated they can tell how well most of the sperm will react to being frozen and then unfrozen. They will use the findings of this test to predict a success rate when the sperm is finally ready to be unfrozen and used.

The results of this test are ones that you should be very excited to see. This will tell you if you have a shot at becoming a father, even after you go through the cancer treatments. The results will likely be sent on to your primary doctor and will also be shared with you. Once you see the chances that are there for you, you are sure to feel less uneasy about the cancer fertility choice that you made. This process is painless and useful. It can protect your sperm for many years so that you can take the time that you need to fight the cancer that is causing you such problems. Once you are ready, your sperm will be ready to go to work and create the little angel that you deserve so much in your life.

The process of freezing sperm is not extremely complicated but the details must be adhered to exactly in order to preserve the sperm in a way that it will be useful when you are ready for it. Your cancer fertility discussion with your doctor should include this process and news about the many people that have benefited from it. You have the right to be a father and nothing, including cancer, should be able to take that away from you.

About The Author: Robert O. Dewald has written this article.