Sperm Storage

Sperm storage is a simple, accessible, and affordable option for men who are concerned about decreased fertility. Some men store because they are facing possible sterility due to cancer treatment or surgery. Some are planning vasectomies or beginning the process of sex reassignment and store as a way of keeping their reproductive options open.

Sperm freezing, also known as cryopreservation, has been practiced for many decades. Cryopreserved sperm is frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °C. The frozen sperm cells are held in a state of suspended animation and all cellular activity is essentially halted until thawing. After thawing, a percent of the sperm revive and return to the pre-freeze state. Many thousands of conceptions have occurred from the use of cryopreserved sperm. According to the American Association of Tissue Banks, cryopreservation does not appear to alter or damage genetic material.

In order for us to store your semen samples, California state law requires that you be tested and found negative for evidence of infection with the following sexually transmitted diseases: HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Human T cell Lymphotropic Virus-1 (HTLV-1), and syphilis. TSBC requires that you complete this testing through our own lab, and we will collect a blood sample at the time of your first storage visit. There is a fee for the blood test. This is the only testing required of a man who is storing sperm for his wife or intimate partner. If you are storing sperm for a woman who is not your wife or intimate partner, you must complete the more extensive Directed Donor Screening process.

To begin the sperm storage process, please call us to schedule your initial appointment.

Find out answers to some frequently asked questions about storing sperm at The Sperm Bank of California (TSBC). Our phone counselors are available during business hours to answer any other questions you may have.