Sperm can be frozen for a long time
Mr. Pham Minh Tuan (32 years old, Hanoi) went to a medical facility for advice on sperm freezing. He said that he currently has no intention of getting married and having children, but realizes that his age is no longer young, and is concerned that fertility may decline over time, so he wants to proactively store sperm for the future.
Another case is Luu Dinh Tuan (35 years old, Hung Yen) who was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Having one child, he still wants to preserve sperm before treatment because he is concerned that cancer treatment methods may affect fertility later.
According to Specialist Doctor Dang Van Ha, Center for Reproductive Support, An Viet General Hospital, more and more men are coming to the hospital for advice and sperm freezing.
According to doctors, many people still think that only women can preserve fertility by freezing eggs. In fact, men can also store sperm to serve infertility treatment or proactively preserve fertility for the future.
In particular, sperm freezing is often considered in people who are preparing to undergo treatments that may affect reproductive function, such as some cases of cancer treatment. In addition, men at risk of reduced fertility or wanting to proactively prevent it can also be consulted by a doctor about this method.
In cases where sperm cannot be obtained by conventional methods, doctors may use techniques such as extraction or aspiration of sperm from the testicles, or aspiration of sperm from the epidermis through the skin.
Before freezing, the sperm sample will be checked for quantity, mobility and other quality indicators. When needed, the sperm is thawed and can be used in assisted reproductive methods such as intrauterine infusion (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), depending on the case.
How long can sperm be stored?
Preservation of fertility is the preservation of healthy reproductive cells for future use when needed. For men, the common method is to freeze and store sperm.
Engineer Dang Van Ha said that scientifically, there is no fixed timeline considered "expired" for frozen sperm if the sample is properly preserved in liquid nitrogen conditions. In fact, there are cases where sperm are stored for more than 20 years.
Storage time is not the only factor determining success. The quality of the initial sperm sample, health status, age of the user and the supported reproductive method chosen also play an important role.
However, not all sperm can survive the freezing and thawing process. A percentage of sperm can be damaged during this process.
Dr. Ha said that the technique of freezing sperm is relatively simple, but freezing and thawing require strict procedures. Temperature changes can cause "heat shock", thereby affecting the survival and quality of sperm.
Therefore, men who need to preserve their fertility should choose reputable medical facilities that meet the standards for storing biological samples and have a team of specialized doctors to support reproduction.
According to doctors, men should be examined, checked for sperm quality and consulted before freezing. People preparing for cancer treatment or intervention that may affect fertility should consider preserving sperm before treatment if indicated.
Specialist Doctor Dang Van Ha recommends that proactive sperm preservation helps reduce anxiety about future fertility, but it needs to be performed according to specialized indications to avoid unnecessary and optimize costs.
