Sperm cryopreservation lets people freeze and store their sperm. This is often done before treatments that may lead to lower fertility or sterilization, like:
About half (50%) of sperm survive and still move when thawed (called motile sperm). Each semen sample can vary in:
Sperm count
Percent of motile sperm
Number of sperm that survive thawing (post-thaw viability)
The number of motile sperm needed before freezing can range from:
Less than 10,000 for in vitro fertilization (IVF) with micromanipulation
to
20 million for intrauterine insemination (IUI)
After freezing, we will thaw a small part of the sample. We will then analyze the percent of motile sperm expected to survive. This information helps your doctor if you need medically assisted reproduction in the future.
What is sperm morphology?
Sperm morphology is the physical characteristics of each sperm, like head size and shape. We check sperm morphology to measure sperm quality. The percentage of normal sperm in a sample can affect how well they fertilize an egg. This helps you and your doctor decide the best procedure for future pregnancy attempts.
The Andrology Lab will keep a morphology slide. Your doctor can ask for the lab to evaluate it.
Couples may be able to become pregnant with IUI if they have sperm parameters of 15 million motile sperm with more than 40% motility before freezing.
The frozen sperm are thawed, washed, and put into the female's uterus on the day of expected ovulation.This procedure can be done in a doctor’s office. About 15 in 100 couples will become pregnant per cycle using IUI.
The best number for pregnancy with IUI is 10 million motile sperm. We suggest saving enough frozen sperm for IVF if you do not become pregnant with IUI.
Health insurance may cover some or none of these costs.
Couples with less than 15 million cryopreserved motile sperm may need IVF and embryo transfer. In IVF, eggs are taken from the ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. The embryos are then put into the uterus.
Health insurance may cover some or none of these costs.
Where can I find more information about IUI and IVF?
