Who Should Bank
Who should bank their semen?
Storage of your semen can be viewed as a form of biological insurance. Frozen sperm
may be thawed and used at a future time to have children if you become unable to
naturally produce semen.
Those men undergoing a vasectomy
may wish to store samples of their semen prior to the surgery. Doing this may allow
a man who has been sterilized to have children without the need to undergo an invasive
re-attachment procedure.
Patients diagnosed with these ailments or those who are about to undergo these surgeries
may choose to store their sperm. These diseases and surgeries may result in infertility,
so storage may be a good option.
Cancer
patients who are about to undergo, or are undergoing, these therapies may choose
to store their sperm. These treatments may render a man infertile, so storing sperm
while it is viable may be a good option.
Storing
semen prior to an assisted reproductive procedure makes the needed sperm available
on an "on call" basis and in known quantities. This makes the arrival time and the
amount of sperm known, which may lead to a better fertility outcome. Examples of
such procedures are... (AI) artificial insemination; (IUI) intrauterine insemination;
(IVF) In Vitro Fertilization; (GIFT) Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer; (ZIFT) Zygote
Intrafallopian Transfer; (ICSI) Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.
Couples who are going to
use a known third party donor for fertility treatments may wish to store several
samples. This will help them build up an ample store of sperm. This will ensure
that each fertility procedure has a timely and adequate number of sperm.
Some studies
have indicated that on-the-job exposure to hazardous materials may contribute to
male infertility. People working in these areas may consider banking a good option.
Pooling multiple low-count samples can create one, larger sample that can be used
for insemination. This may aid in creating a successful pregnancy.