What is sperm freezing?
Sperm freezing, also known as sperm cryopreservation, is a male fertility preservation option that allows sperm to be frozen and safely stored for future use. It may be recommended for medical reasons or chosen for personal or lifestyle planning.
Frozen sperm can be used later in fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI), and can support more than one pregnancy in the future.
Sperm freezing and storage are provided through our Assisted Conception Unit at Guy’s Hospital, where our fertility specialists offer expert, personalised care at every stage.
Specialist sperm freezing and fertility care
Our fertility experts are internationally recognised leaders and offer:
- short-notice appointments, often available within one week
- fast access to sperm freezing and fertility preservation
- a comprehensive range of fertility tests to help assess and understand your fertility potential
Why would you freeze your sperm?
There are many reasons why you may choose to freeze your sperm. Common reasons include:
- you are not ready to have children now but may wish to in the future
- you are about to undergo medical treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, that could affect fertility
- you have a medical condition that may impact sperm quality or count
- you are transgender and planning hormone therapy or gender‑affirming surgery
- you are planning a vasectomy and want a fertility safety net
- your sperm quality or count is declining
- your job carries a higher risk of injury or death, such as work in the armed forces
Even if none of these apply, sperm freezing is still an option. The decision is personal and based on what is right for you.
If you’d like to explore whether sperm freezing is suitable for you, complete the form on this page to book an appointment with one of our fertility specialists.
How does sperm freezing work?
Sperm freezing is a straightforward and carefully managed process, carried out by specialist fertility teams.
Before freezing, you will:
- have routine screening tests
- complete consent forms confirming how long your sperm will be stored
You will then provide a fresh sperm sample at the hospital. The sample is carefully prepared and mixed with a special solution to protect the sperm during freezing.
Your sperm is divided into multiple storage containers. This means only the amount needed for treatment is thawed, allowing remaining samples to be stored for future use.
The samples are slowly frozen and stored securely until you are ready to use them.
If you’d like to understand the sperm freezing process in more detail or discuss what it involves for you, fill in our online enquiry form to speak with one of our fertility specialists.
Success rates of sperm freezing
Fertility treatments using frozen sperm have been shown to be just as successful as those using fresh sperm. Studies indicate that around 85% of frozen sperm survive the freezing and thawing process, making sperm freezing a reliable fertility preservation option.
Research has also shown that pregnancy rates using IVF with frozen sperm are no lower than with fresh sperm, offering reassurance for people planning to use stored sperm in the future.
It’s important to note that sperm quantity and quality at the time of freezing can influence success rates. That’s why choosing an experienced fertility centre is essential.
At Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care, our expert fertility team handles every sample with the highest level of care, helping to optimise your chances of success now and in the future. We also offer a full range of fertility services, including fertility counselling, to support you throughout your fertility journey.
To find out more about sperm freezing and your individual success outlook, complete the form on this page to book an appointment with one of our fertility specialists.
Fertility prices and packages
Every fertility journey is unique, which is why we don’t offer fixed costs.
During your initial consultation, your consultant will create a personalised plan based on your goals, outlining the most appropriate tests, treatments, and next steps.
Our prices offer a general overview of fertility costs – speak with our team for a full quote.
Sperm freezing and storage FAQs
To help you understand the process of sperm freezing and storage, here are some of the questions we most commonly get asked by patients.
Sperm can be frozen for up to 55 years. However, at every 10 year interval you’ll need to renew your consent, so it’s important to keep your contact details up to date to ensure you receive the renewed consent documents on time. If you do not provide your consent when needed, lawfully your sperm can no longer be stored.
You need to give your full consent to the freezing and storing of your sperm sample. This will be received through a form provided to you by the fertility specialist before your sample is collected. you’ll also need to make preparations for what happens to your sperm if you pass away or become unable to make decisions for yourself.
If you do not end up using your sperm or you have some straws left over, you can either:
- request for your remaining straws to be destroyed
- donate them for use in medical research
- donate your samples for someone else to use in their fertility treatment as a sperm donor
Yes. Because sperm samples are stored in separate containers, they can be thawed and used at different times, supporting more than one pregnancy if needed.
Not every single sperm in a straw will survive the thawing process. However, on average, at least 85% of the sperm in each sample will survive – depending on how long it has been stored.
Sperm stored for longer than 15 years has a slightly decreased survival rate of around 73%.
Yes. You will be tested for infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Even if your results are positive, you can still freeze and store your sperm. It will just be processed separately to avoid contaminating other samples.
Before freezing, you will have routine screening tests and complete consent forms. You will then provide a sperm sample at the hospital. The sample is prepared, frozen using specialist techniques, and stored under carefully controlled conditions.
Locations
The Assisted Conception Unit is located at:
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Book a fertility appointment today
Call us on +44 (0)203 9934 388 to book your appointment today.
Alternatively, fill in our online enquiry form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.