Read this informative article by Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Ghaziabad, to learn about sperm freezing’s effect on sperm quality.
Starting the journey of fertility preservation involves navigating various procedures, each with their own set of questions and concerns. One such popular process is sperm freezing. And people exploring sperm freezing naturally have one question in their mind: whether or not freezing sperm can affect its quality.
“Does sperm quality get affected when frozen? Yes, it does. But does it matter? Not as such,” says Dr. Gunjan Gupta, leading IVF specialist Ghaziabad and Founder & Director of Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF clinic in Ghaziabad. “A healthy male ejaculate contains a large amount of sperms. And the rate of deterioration is low, so the net effect on sperm quality is minimal,” adds Dr. Gunjan Gupta. Gunjan IVF World is the best IVF centre in Delhi with highly advanced clinics in Indirapuram, Janakpuri, Meerut and Noida.
What is sperm freezing?
Sperm freezing, also known as sperm banking or sperm cryopreservation, is the technique of collecting and preserving sperm for future use. To retain their viability, the sperms are maintained at extremely low temperatures, typically -196 degrees Celsius, within nitrogen tanks. Frozen sperm can be used for IUI, IVF, sperm donation, etc.
“Most of the time men freeze sperm for fertility preservation; some of them travel far, or have a job which requires them to stay away from their partner. Another common case is when a man is diagnosed with any medical condition that might result in infertility. So, before chemotherapy, hormonal treatment or vasectomy, people tend to freeze their sperm for a chance at starting a family in future,” says Dr. Aastha Raheja, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – a renowned IVF center in Ghaziabad.
Freezing sperm can cause
● Reduced sperm viability and mobility
● Reduced mitochondrial activity
● Decrease in DNA integrity
● Increase in oxygen reactive species
This happens for two reasons:
● Hydrodynamic or oxidant pressure: “The change in temperature and exposure to cryoprotectant solutions during freezing and thawing the sperm can create hydrodynamic stress on the sperm, harming their quality, even causing DNA damage,” explains Dr. Garima Sharma, Centre In-Charge & Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – the best known IVF clinic in Janakpuri.
● Ice crystals within the cell: During freezing, ice crystals can form and damage the cell membrane and DNA structure of sperm. This affects their ability to fertilize an egg.
Should you be worried?
“If you have healthy sperm, then not at all!” says Dr. Anshu Dhar, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – best IVF centre in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. “The good news is that sperms can withstand freezing and thawing better than eggs because they are more resilient. As a result, sperm freezing is more effective than egg freezing. It is natural to lose a number of sperms during the freezing process. There are literally millions of sperms in single ejaculation (20 to 150 million per millilitre); losing a few doesn’t really matter. The survival rate of sperm in the freezing process is more than 50%, which still leaves more than enough sperm for the future. A small decrease doesn’t affect the clinical outcome. When it comes to fertilising eggs, fresh and frozen sperms show almost similar rates of success,” she added.
But an important thing to consider is the quality of sperm when it is being produced. "According to research, sperm freezing won’t help if the quality of sperm is low. It will only make things worse. So, if you have been diagnosed with any disease that might affect your sperm quality or fertility, preserve it. In cases, where there is absence of sperm in the ejaculate, sperm can be collected surgically, through PESA or TESA and frozen. With advanced technology, even single sperm and testicular tissues can be preserved. So don’t be afraid; consider sperm freezing for fatherhood in the future,” concludes Dr. Shubhda Gupta, Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF centre in Noida.
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Dr. Gunjan Gupta
Gynecologist and IVF specialist
Verified & Most Trusted OneDr. Gunjan Gupta is a Gynaecologist with a specialization in IVF, Infertility & Laparoscopy specialist doctor and has close to 2 decades of experience in : Treating Infertility, Performing Gynae Laparoscopy (Keyhole Surgeries) Handing high-risk Pregnancies. She is a Member of Royal College of Obs and Gynae (MRCOG) of UK and has been trained in Laparoscopy at EUDGES (France).
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