The Sperm Bank

Sperm can be relatively easily banked and stored. This is done in the following situations:

• with Donor sperm, which is never used fresh and usually remains frozen for a period of six months before being used (see donation, the main points, for information regarding anonymity and screening);
• when sperm is retrieved during MESA-, PESA- or TESE interventions and more is obtained than is necessary for the current ICSI treatment; (see sperm extraction for ICSI);

For both IVF and ICSI, the use of a fresh sperm sample is preferable to frozen sperm, in order to optimize the chances of a successful fertilization.

• during a classic IVF treatment if the man is unable to be present at the moment of egg collection, or if he thinks he will not be able to produce a sperm sample at the crucial moment, it is possible to provide a sample at an earlier date and have it frozen;
• before you have a vasectomy;
• before cancer treatment (see cancer prevention for more information). In this situation, sperm can be banked as of the onset of puberty. In prepubescent boys, it may be possible to freeze biopsies of testicular tissue (see storage of testicular tissue).

There are charges involved with the banking and storage of cells and tissue. If you decide to donate sperm to help others, just before you undergo a vasectomy,  we will bank and store a number of samples for your own use, free of charge.
In all cases, a consent contract must be completed and signed, within which a storage period will be agreed upon: either one year, three years or ten years (the latter only relevant to cancer treatment). Every agreed storage limit can be prolonged. You will also have to decide what you want to happen to the sperm should anything untoward happen to you before you have had the opportunity to make use of it. See contracts for further information.