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Cryopreservation of Sperm
Relevant information about Cryopreservation of Sperm.When speaking about Cryopreservation of Sperm, we would definitely think of sperm banks. It is usually a useful procedure for those couples that are willing to conceive a child some time in the future. In those cases, men that choose preserving their sperm in a bank, usually have some kind of risk of sterilization. For example, the Cryopreservation of Sperm is used when there may be collateral results for patients undergoing chemotherapy to treat a number of diseases, such as testicular tumors, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, among other medical conditions. This way, there is a great chance for men who are going through a delicate disease, to prolong their chances of having a family of their own and add strength to face their current medical treatment. However, as it is usual and many medical procedures, it is highly recommended to be informed before taking any decision and look for the advice of highly qualified specialists, that for sure would be able to provide all the answers to the numerous questions that patients and their families may come up with.
While performing this procedure, there are several steps followed. At first, a semen analysis is done after each ejaculation. Afterwards, an analysis of seminal fluid is made, in order to calculate sperm motility, possible progression, morphology of the sperm, and sperm density. Every sample of sperm is placed in liquid nitrogen storage at a temperature of under 196 degrees. But it is important and wise to have into account that not necessarily all specimens will end up producing a pregnancy. According to the latest studies related, the success rate of pregnancies as a result of cryopreserved semen is around 40% to 50%. As regards the risks involved, there is not a significant registration of birth defects after performing a Cryopreservation of Sperm procedure.
There are many considerations that men who have decided to take the procedure, should have into account before starting with it. As a suggestion of specialists, the amount of specimens stored should be at least three. Another recommendation from scientists is to keep sexual abstinence for about three or four days, in between every ejaculate. Overall, around nine days are required to total the selection and storage of the specimens needed. In case patients want to freeze some additional samples of sperms, those would be useful for future inseminations to be made. When men are going through a condition of a malignant tumor, they have great chances of suffering a considerably decrease in the production of sperm from their testicles. For that reason, it is very important to first identify correctly the disease involved, in order to choose the best options of treatments. Another aspect to have in mind is that, the sooner a patient present at a clinic to provide a sample, the greater is the possibility of having good quality of sperm or that their sperm still hasn’t been affected by the medical condition the man has. And it provides even more calm to patients, the fact that in general, many of the patients who show tumors such as Hodgkin's or testicular cancer, have already had children through a regular conception. That fact gives them higher possibilities to count with healthy sperm to preserve. One of the main reasons why the sperm of men are affected, when suffering some types of cancer, is that many chemotherapeutic drugs tend to damage testicles in some way. Not all of the negative effects are permanent, but some of them are temporary. When the testicle is affected, its functions are the ones that suffer the consequences. One of its functions is to produce men hormone, but in this there are not evidence of chemotherapeutic drugs damaging it. Unfortunately, it is not the same case for the testicle’s function of producing sperm. It is crucial for men who are going through some kind of disease such as cancer, that making the decision of conserving their sperm is one of the wisest decisions they could take in case they are willing to have a child of their own in the future. Another aspect to consider when thinking of taking a procedure such as the Cryopreservation of Sperm is the cost of it. Approximately, the cost of the studies involved when the sperm is analyzed and then freeze is $150.00, for one ejaculate. But patients should also have in mind that money is also needed to maintain the samples. For example, when a freezing a sample, a storage for five years can cost $250.00, that means $50.000 for every sample, a year. The samples are carefully placed in special plastic vials; and each of them is able to contain around 1.0 ml. In general, the recommendation of specialists is to use two vials for every insemination. Finally, another thing to consider is that not only men who are going through a delicate medical condition can choose the Cryopreservation of Sperm. It is a fact that all men, that for any reason may have the risk of having their production of sperm affected, can choose to preserve the sperm in order to assure is availability in the future.
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