Fertility cells can be stored before a treatment or a life stage that may reduce the chance of pregnancy later.
Freezing stores eggs or sperm so they can be used later. People ask about it before chemotherapy, before surgery on the ovary or testis, and sometimes before a planned delay in trying for pregnancy.
Eggs
Stimulation and monitoring are similar to the start of an IVF cycle, followed by retrieval and freezing in the laboratory. The number of eggs collected varies. Freezing does not promise a future pregnancy. It keeps an option open.
Sperm
A sample can be frozen after a semen analysis. When sperm cannot be found in the ejaculate, surgical retrieval is discussed separately under male fertility. Stored samples stay in the laboratory under the center's cryostorage routine.
The conversation
The visit covers why you are freezing, how long storage is usually arranged, and what using the sample later involves. Bring any oncology or surgery plan if fertility preservation is for a medical treatment.
