It’s Time! – How to get pregnant with your frozen sperm

You’re ready to start a family. You’ve got your frozen sperm and you’ve got your partner. Where do you go from here? Thanks to todays advancements in technology and doctors expertise we have a variety of options for achieving a healthy pregnancy with frozen sperm. Through artificial insemination (AI), a medical practitioner uses a catheter to introduce sperm into the women’s reproductive system during ovulation. Two of the most common types of AI are intracervical insemination (ICI) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). ICI is an easy process in which sperm is injected into the cervix, closely resembling the method of natural conception. IUI inserts the sperm directly into the uterus (bypassing the cervix). These methods are usually used when the sperm count is low or has a mobility issue that impacts natural conception. IUI also includes sperm washing, which separates the sperm from the semen and improves success rates of insemination.

In vitro Fertilization (IVF) is performed at a lab, combining the egg and sperm outside the body. After 3-5 days the embryo is injected directly into the uterus. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an IVF procedure where a single sperm is inserted straight into the egg. Due to the precise nature of ICSI, pregnancy can be accomplished using frozen sperm that may qualify as being low in count, motility (irregular movement) or morphology (abnormal shape). IVF is used when AI hasn’t worked or is not an option due to the quality of the sample. IVF is more expensive and physically challenging than AI. There’s also greater risk of a multiple pregnancy. However, IVF is an amazing (and very common) option for people who have experienced difficulties surrounding fertility. Since being introduced in 1981, IVF and other similar reproductive techniques have resulted in the birth of 200,000 babies (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology).

As you can see, there are several choices for using frozen sperm. If the quality of your thawed sperm is great or you stored multiple samples, AI is definitely your most simple and cost-efficient option. Even if it’s not optimum quality, there are a variety of reproduction options (such as IVF or ICSI) that are able to work with what you have to get you where you’d like to be. Usually, Cryolabs are able to extract between 3 and 5 vials from each sample or Sppare.me sperm freezing kit, depending on its quality. Certain fertility procedures may require 1-2 vials (ICI+IUI). Others can be done with a single healthy sperm (IVF-ICSI). The cost of freezing sperm will vary depending on how many kits you order. It’s important to be aware that getting pregnant may take a few tries, so consider how to preserve sperm outside the body using sperm storage now to make the process easier for you down the road.

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