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Fertile Future: Sperm Storage Program

Trust 30 years of sperm storage experience

California Cryobank - Dad and BabyThere are a number of circumstances that may lead to the need for sperm storage with California Cryobank. The process is painless, involving simple trips to our facility for consultation, blood work and deposit(s). A private room equipped with DVDs and magazines is provided to make the experience as easy as possible.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us at 866-477-3762 or complete the information request form

Appointments are available Monday through Saturday.

Download the patient brochure about our Fertile Future - Semen Storage Program

Medical Professionals: Download our quarterly newsletter, Fertile Future News

Sperm storage may be considered under a number of circumstances:

  • Prior to cancer-related therapies
    Some treatment of lymphomas, testicular and other types of cancer can frequently render male patients infertile. Storing sperm prior to treatment offers the patient the possibility of retaining his reproductive capabilities.

    Additional cancer support resources

  • Prior to testicular or prostrate surgery
    Sterility may occur following testicular surgery or prostatectomy. The option to store sperm prior to surgery may preserve a man's reproductive capability.
  • Prior to a vasectomy
    The option to store sperm prior to a vasectomy can preserve fertility potential and prevent the need for reversal surgeries in the event that circumstances change during a man's lifetime.
  • Prior to an IVF, GIFT, or ZIFT procedure
    Storing sperm prior to assisted reproductive procedures ensures its availability at the critical time of the procedure – including when the husband's schedule does not permit his availability.
  • For high-risk occupational exposures
    Recent studies have shown that on-the-job exposure to hazardous materials can have profound health consequences, including male infertility. High risk occupational exposures may include (but are not limited to):
    • Men exposed to environmental toxins such as chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, lead, radiation, and an increasing list of agents used in everyday life.
    • Professional athletes who risk testicular injury.
    • Men in the military or first responder professionals.
  • For oligospermia patients
    If oligospermia (low sperm count) has been diagnosed, pooling several previously banked sperm specimens to be used for one insemination may increase the chance of pregnancy.

How It Works

The sperm storage process generally involves 1-3 visits to the Cryobank depending on the client's needs. The client will meet with a CCB counselor to complete the storage forms. The client will then provide his sperm specimen along with urine and blood* samples for infectious disease testing at the first appointment.

The client is encouraged to contact the counselor the next business day to discuss the number of deposits recommended to suit the storage client's needs after reviewing the full sperm analysis and post-thaw result from the patient's first visit. The number of future visits and deposits will depend on the individual client's needs and availability.

* The blood draw occurs after preliminary sperm testing confirms storage is possible. Infectious disease screening is required by our licensing and accrediting agencies for the protection of the client's recipient and future children. A Cryobank technician will draw blood and the screening will be performed by a licensed independent laboratory. If the client opts to have his blood screened by a reference laboratory of his choosing, complete and acceptable results dated within 7 days of his initial sperm deposit must be provided. Fees for all laboratory tests are the responsibility of the storage client.

Pricing

Semen Testing and Storage Fees as of January 2010

Monthly Payment Plans

CCB offers monthly payment plans through a third party company. If you would like to learn more about setting up a payment plan, please contact our Client Services Department at 866-927-9622.

Military and First Responder Discount

CCB strives to protect the future families of those men who risk so much protecting our families. Semen storage benefits soldiers prior to deployment and men who are susceptible to future job-related injuries. For all active military personnel and first responders (firefighters, police, paramedics and EMTs). CCB will provide semen collection and storage services at 50% off, with the first year of storage free of charge. For more information please call 866-477-3762.

Client Depositor Services
Consultation and Initial Specimen Freezing* $335
Complete Semen Analysis
Semen Processing and Freezing
Storage Administration
Blood and/or Urine Sample Preparation Fee (for outside laboratory work) $50
Specimens are sent to a reference laboratory for testing.
Client is responsible for all laboratory testing fees.
Each additional Deposit-Freeze*
Routine Semen Freeze $210
Client Specimen Thaw and Preparation $65
* IUI Preparation (Specimen Wash) available at an additional fee if requested.

Specimen Storage Fees
1 year $420
2 years $690
3 years $920
5 years $1365
10 years $2300
All storage terms are renewable.

Additional Information

What infectious diseases are the semen and blood samples tested for?
California Cryobank requires that all semen client depositors be tested for the following:

  • Chlamydia Trachomatis
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Antibody (lgG and lgM)
  • Neisseria Gonorrhea
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
  • Hepatitis B Core Antibody
  • Hepatitis C Viral Antibody
  • HIV 1/2 Antibody
  • HTLV-I/II Antibody
  • RPR (Syphilis)
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Hepatitis C Virus Nucleic Amplification Test

For additional information, please contact our Client Storage Department at 866-477-3762.

How do I open an account?
Call us at 866-477-3762 to schedule an appointment to open a storage account. Please plan to spend 1½ hours at the California Cryobank in order to complete documents, have your first consultation, make a deposit, and have blood drawn.

How long can my sperm be frozen for?
Frozen human cells processed and stored at cryogenic temperatures in liquid nitrogen can be stored indefinitely. There is no known upper limit as to how long sperm and other cells can be stored, provided that they are continuously maintained in liquid nitrogen. There have been reports of sperm stored for over 20 years which was thawed and inseminated, resulting in healthy children.

How many deposits will I have to make?
It depends on the quality of your specimens and your future family plans. Our Fertility Services Manager will make recommendations, answer technical questions and present semen analysis results. You are not obligated to follow the recommendations and should always consult with your physician prior to making your final storage decisions.

How long should I abstain from ejaculation before each deposit?
It is best to abstain at least two days and no more than five days prior to each deposit. Two to three days is considered optimal.

What if I have already had the STD tests done prior to opening a storage account?
All tests performed within 7 days of opening your account will be accepted. Please bring the results of those tests with you on your first visit. If you would like to do the tests at another laboratory prior to establishing your account, you can call us for the list of required tests.

Is it possible to collect semen at home rather than at CCB?
For optimal results, we recommend you collect at our facility. However, if you can deliver your specimen to California Cryobank within one hour of collection, you may collect at home in a sterile specimen cup provided by CCB.

Is storing semen worth it?
Some expert opinions on semen storage:

  • "In view of the availability of such progressive developments with assisted reproductive technologies (ART), especially in-vitro fertilization (IVF) followed by embryo transfer, semen cryobanking should become an important part of the protocol for newly diagnosed men with cancer." Sanger et al. Semen cryobanking for men with cancer. Fertility and Sterility, Nov, 1992.
  • "Many of the patients who have the best chance for survival and good sperm quality are those presenting with few symptoms and little likelihood of metastatic disease, thus the optimum 10-14 day collection period should present an insignificant delay." S. Rothmann, PhD, et al. Rational for semen banking in men with cancer. Cleveland Clinic Q 53:89094, Spring 1986.
  • "K. Jarvi, MD at the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto reported that recovery from radiotherapy and chemotherapy is "variable and unpredictable, the only means we have of giving some assurance of future fertility is with sperm banking." Newer techniques in in-vitro fertilization, and techniques used to improve motility, allow banking for even severely oligospermic." Fertility After Testicular Cancer Treatment? JAMA, January 3, 1986-Vol 255, Number 1.
  • "With cure, the quality of life should also be taken into consideration. Maintenance of the reproductive capacity is of great concern to many of your patients....Pre-treatment sperm banking is advised routinely for many of these patients." Thatchil et al. The effects of cancer and cancer therapy on male infertility. The Journal of Urology, Vol 126, August 1981.
  • "Cryobanking of semen should be offered to all men diagnosed with cancer because such a procedure provides the only reasonable chance of establishing a pregnancy following therapy which is detrimental to fertility potential....Semen cryobanking should be offered by the attending physician as a viable option for any pretherapy male patient who has any motile sperm and considers the future possibility of having children." Sanger et al. Semen Cryobank for men with cancer. Fertility and Sterility, July, 1992.
  • "Cases have been reported where it (sperm banking) was effective, even when the semen was abnormal, and sperm banking should be considered in every case." Klien, Catherine, MD Fertility and The Cancer Patient. Coping March/April 1995.
  • "Advances in cryopreservation of spermatozoa have dramatically aided men facing irreversible or untreatable infertility due to malignancy, according to the "questions and Answers" section of the Journal of the American Medical Association ... it is difficult to estimate the success rate of sperm banking ... pregnancies are known to occur after insemination with thawed bank sperm from with various malignancies. Young men facing chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery for cancer may be able to father a child through sperm banking." Freezing sperm as an option for cancer patients. NCI Cancer Weekly. Feb 13, 1989, p13.
  • "Semen storage within the first 2 weeks after spinal cord injury is recommended for future fertility treatment." Mallidis, et al. Collection of semen from men in acute phase of spinal cord injury. The Lancet. Apr. 30, 1994 v343.
  • "Because of the constant turnover of sperm, mutations caused by the environment can arise more frequently in men than women... There seems to be windows of vulnerability for sperm - Certain chemicals may be harmful only at a certain period during sperm production." Sperm under siege: more than we ever guessed, having a healthy baby may depend on dad. Health. April, 1991 v23 p53.

What is the protocol for post-mortem sperm retrieval?
The Urologist's Perspective

March 17, 1999 was the first time a baby was born conceived from sperm retrieved post-mortem. The man was deceased for 30 hours prior to retrieval and the sperm was frozen for five years. The recommended procedure for sperm retrieval in the post-mortem state is:

  • Absolutely sterile conditions
  • After shaving and prepping the genital area, a 3-4 cm incision is made in the scrotum, through the tunica vaginalis and the testicle is delivered (the procedure should be done bilaterally)
  • The entire epididymis is resected plus a large wedge of testicular tissue is excised
  • The specimen should be placed in a solution of Ham's (if unavailable, normal saline or Ringer's lactate may suffice)
  • The tissue should be kept cool (not cold, approx. 50-60 degrees) and transferred to a sperm bank or ART laboratory that has experience and facilities to extract and freeze viable sperm
  • Time is important and the sooner the better but on one occasion a period of approximately 40 hours between death and cryopreservation demonstrated motile sperm.

Where are your locations?
Our offices are located in: West Los Angeles, CA; Palo Alto, CA; New York, NY and Cambridge, MA. We also have a Service Provider location in Midtown Manhattan, NY. Phone numbers for each office and our service provider are listed at www.cryobank.com/About-Us/Locations/

Request Information

We look forward to providing you excellent service. Please request your Information Packet today.