Can You Freeze Sperm at Home?

Sperm freezing has several benefits, including the possibility of having a family later in life and having a backup plan. So sperm cryopreservation is becoming increasingly common. Many couples wonder whether they can freeze sperm at home.

While freezing sperm at home seems simple, you don’t want to take any chances. Learn why freezing sperm at home isn’t a practical option and what can be a less costly alternative.

Can I freeze my sperm in a household freezer?

You can collect your sperm sample at home, but you won’t be able to freeze it in your refrigerator adequately as the temperature in your home freezer seldom rises beyond 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Liquid nitrogen is used to chill the sperm storage vials until they reach a temperature of roughly -280 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, the tanks that hold the vials are kept at roughly -320 degrees Fahrenheit.

The sperm may be kept and effectively frozen in time at these very low temperatures. They won’t age, deteriorate, or alter until they’re thawed. You’ll need to ship or deliver the sample to a sperm bank or your fertility clinic for cryopreservation if you want viable sperm.

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The process of sperm freezing

Sperm cryopreservation is usually done using a gradual freezing method. Cryoprotectants are added to the sample to prevent harming the sperm cells (some of which include remnants of egg yolk). Cryoprotectants dehydrate cells to prevent water from freezing and rupturing membranes, resulting in cell death.

After the cryoprotectants have been applied, the sample is dispersed in cryotubes, which gradually drop their temperature until they are ready to be frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196 °C. During the freezing and thawing processes, sperm cells might be destroyed. The quality of the sperm remains unaffected throughout preservation.

When working with important samples (from cancer patients, testicular biopsies, and sperm washing in HIV-positive individuals), tiny samples may be frozen to maximise their usage every time they are thawed.

The right way to freeze sperm at home

Although you can’t store your sperm in your home freezer, a fertility clinic or sperm bank isn’t your only cryopreservation alternative. With a Legacy at-home sperm freezing kit, you can freeze sperm in the privacy of your own home and save a lot of money.

You may make a sample in the comfort of your own home and send it to a lab overnight with a Legacy kit. Your sperm will be analyzed, processed, and stored for as long as you need it.

What does the at-home sperm freezing process look like with Legacy?

An at-home sperm freezing kit is an excellent alternative if you don’t want to go to a fertility clinic or seek a more economical option for sperm cryopreservation. Without ever leaving your house, you may get a complete sperm analysis, individualised suggestions, telemedicine services with a reproductive professional, and safe storage.

Ordering an at-home sperm freezing kit is the initial step in the Legacy sperm freezing process. You’ll get a kit in the mail that includes a safe storage receptacle for your sample during transit and a transport medium to keep your sample viable throughout overnight delivery.

With Legacy’s kits, you may make a semen sample in the privacy of your own home. Making an appointment, waiting in a waiting area, and then generating a sample in a stark, clinical collecting room is more private and less unpleasant for many people.

When you acquire an at-home sperm freezing kit from Legacy, you’ll get a clinic-grade sperm analysis as well as specialised fertility advice. Plans including telemedicine services, sperm DNA fragmentation analysis, and other features are available.

Sperm freezing success rates

When sperm from a frozen sperm sample is thawed, 50–75 percent of the sperm survives. If the sperm sample was of excellent quality and healthy, you should have a decent probability of becoming pregnant via insemination.

Sperm counts in healthy sperm samples range from 15 million to 200 million or more per millilitre of semen, with 40% motility or greater. IUI works best with sperm samples with a total motile sperm count of above 8 million.

Who should consider sperm freezing, and why?

Some individuals may think about freezing their sperm. This includes the following:

  • People over the age of 35 desire to have a family later in life.
  • Workers in high-risk jobs or locations, such as welding, plastic manufacturing, or radiography
  • Personnel in the military, particularly before deployment.
  • Anyone who is concerned about their fertility and wants peace of mind.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does highlight some of the most common reasons for sperm freezing. Sperm freezing gives you more flexibility, control, and alternatives when it comes to your fertility.

Conclusion

The thawing technique does not save every sperm. That’s why fertility doctors try to save a large enough sample to ensure that plenty of healthy sperm is available after the thaw.

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