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For men

Fertility preservation for men

Helpful tools
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Why you might freeze your sperm

There are lots of reasons people look to preserve their fertility into the future. 

Sperm may be frozen as back up for fertility treatment; as an ‘insurance’ before a vasectomy; or for people who think their fertility may decline before they are ready to have children. It may be a prudent decision to preserve fertility until after cancer treatment or gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT).

Access to publicly funded fertility preservation for the retrieval, freezing and long-term storage of sperm is available for people whose fertility will be permanently impaired by publicly funded treatment for medical conditions, such as by cancer treatment or GAHT.

Options for fertility preservation may exist prior to and after cancer treatment, however it is very important that if you have time before you start your treatment, you speak with a fertility specialist to ensure you have the full picture. Many options for fertility preservation may be funded through the public health system.

One year after the completion of your treatment you can do a sperm analysis to check if your fertility has been affected. If the sperm looks normal, we will give you the option to continue storage of your sperm or dispose.

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Why freeze and store sperm?

  • Planning a vasectomy? It’s useful to consider having a back-up plan in case things change in future. This is more common than you might think.
  • If, for whatever reason, you think your fertility may be in decline.
  • Oncology treatment. Many cancer therapies have the potential to affect your ability to conceive naturally.
  • Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT). Sperm preservation allows those undertaking GAHT to keep their options open for having a family in future.

Your Oncologist, Endocrinologist or other specialist will be able to help you with more information.

World Health Organisation (WHO) reference levels for normal semen values
Semen volume1.5mL or moreThe volume of fluid you ejaculate should be 1.5mL or more per sample
Sperm concentration15 million/mL or more
More than 15 million sperm should be in each mL of your ejaculate fluid
Sperm motility
40% or more
More than 40% of your sperm should move
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The process

Seeing a doctor
You don’t need to see a Fertility Associates doctor if you want to freeze sperm, although you may want to if you have any questions or want to explore how you may want your sperm to be used in the future. 

Blood tests
Prior to storing sperm, you will need to do a blood test to screen for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. This is a standard test that we do for all people undergoing fertility preservation. This is because there is a theoretical risk of cross-contamination of viruses from one sample to another, although it has never been reported. If any of these tests did come back positive, it would not stop you from being able to store sperm. Quite often your referring doctor will have already done these tests, which we can acquire directly from them.

Sperm freezing – what to expect
Sperm freezing is very straightforward. You produce a sample on the day and we freeze it all for future use. Samples can be collected at home, in hospital (if you are an inpatient) or ina private room specially set aside at the fertility clinic. We prefer that your sample is collected onsite at the clinic but if you are bringing your sample from home this can be arranged with the lab staff. Note that it needs to be at the clinic within one hour of being produced.

Many people will have enough sperm in one ejaculate for several IVF cycles. If there are enough good quality sperm after thawing, then the first approach may be to try IUI treatment, keeping some sperm in reserve for IVF later, if IUI is not successful. If you want to consider IUI as an option, you will almost certainly need to freeze three or more semen samples.

Costs
Sperm freezing before cancer treatment or GAHT is free of charge for those who do not already have a child. We do need a referral letter from your Oncologist, Endocrinologist or other specialist indicating that your cancer and/or treatment could impact your fertility in the future. For those covered by public funding, sperm can also be stored for up to ten years free of charge if your ability to conceive naturally is permanently affected.

Consent
You will need to sign a consent form as part of freezing sperm. The consent form covers:
• time limits to storage
• who we can contact if we cannot reach you
• your decision on what should happen to your frozen sperm in the event of your death.

You can choose to dispose of your frozen sperm or keep your frozen sperm in storage and make it available to a named person for potential future use in fertility treatment.

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Using frozen sperm

When you are ready to start a family, it’s a good idea to visit one of our doctors to discuss your treatment options with frozen sperm. There are two types of treatment when using frozen sperm – the choice depends on the number and quality of the sperm collected, and whether the cycle includes donor oocytes and/or surrogacy.

  • Intra-uterine Insemination (IUI).  This is the simplest technique and involves sperm being placed into the uterus during the fertile part of the cycle. This treatment requires a high number of good quality sperm. If you want to consider this as an option, you may need to freeze more than one sperm sample.
  • In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) with or without Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) IVF is a more complex option. It involves eggs being collected and then fertilized outside the body by either mixing the sperm and eggs together or injecting a single sperm into an egg (ICSI). The resulting embryo is then put back into the uterus. The benefit of this type of treatment is that it requires fewer good quality sperm and therefore usually one sperm sample is enough for several IVF cycles.

You may be eligible for public funding if you need fertility treatment.

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ICSI and SSR options

When men have sperm production in the testis but the number produced is too few for them to appear in the semen this is called ‘non-obstructive’ azoospermia. In about 40% of men with non-obstructive azoospermia sperm can be retrieved, but it can be difficult to predict who will have sperm and who will not.

If there is a blockage in the vas deferens or in the epididymis outflow tract – from infection, vasectomy or even congenital absence of the vas – this is called ‘obstructive azoospermia’. It is nearly always possible to retrieve sperm from the epididymis or testis from these men.

Read more about ICSI and SSR here.

Ready to start your fertility journey?

Book a free 20 minute phone consultation with one of our expert fertility nurses.

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The Biological Clock

This tool indicates:

  • Natural conception per month if you have no fertility issues
  • IVF success rate at the same age
  • When to seek help after months of unsuccessful attempts

If you are concerned at any stage – we recommend booking a doctor appointment or a free nurse consultation. The sooner you make a plan the better your chances in the long term.

When to seek advice early

  • If you have polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, or have been through a cancer diagnosis; we recommend you get in touch quickly so we can talk you through all your options and give you the greatest possible chance of success.
  • If you’re a single woman considering motherhood in the future; it’s best to approach us early and consider egg freezing as this can be an option for you while you have a higher ovarian reserve and healthier eggs.
Set your age and the months you’ve been trying to conceive
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Your chance of having a baby per month for fertile couples
Your chance of having a baby per IVF cycle (if experiencing infertility)

Body Mass Index calculator

Being overweight or underweight can reduce fertility, so it is important to keep your body weight within the normal healthy range.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indication of your body weight and can be calculated by dividing weight by height. You should aim for a BMI of between 20 and 25, as this will optimise your chances of conception.

Woman’s BMI below 19

Even in these modern times, nature knows best. If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

Being underweight

If a woman's BMI falls below 19, the body senses famine and ovulation is switched off to prevent the risk of having a baby with malnutrition. Excessive exercise can reduce body fat and increase muscle mass to a point where periods cease for the same reason. Risk of miscarriage is also increased in women with a low BMI.

BMI’s greater than 30

This can reduce fertility by 50%. Pregnancy for women with a 30+ BMI is often associated with problems such as maternal diabetes, high blood pressure, big babies and increased risk of caesarean section.

Add your height and weight to calculate your BMI