Sperm can be frozen for future use either in artificial insemination or other fertility treatments, or be donated. Donated sperm has to be stored for six months before it can be used in treatment, in order to screen the donor for infection.
It is indicated in- Cancer patients as a part of the fertility preservation strategy in those who are scheduled for cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Stored as a backup when patients are undergoing fertility treatment especially when they have low counts/ collection problem or deteriorating semen parameters.
- It is also stored for donation for a period of six months as a part of the donor quarantine for infectious diseases.
After thawing the stored sperms, almost 50% of them do not survive and there is a definite deterioration in the quality of the semen. Depending on the quality of the thawed sample, it can be used either for IUI, IVF or ICSI.
