Freezing eggs and sperms has become increasingly popular, with . This gives them the financial freedom to buy property, date, marry and then have kids much later in life.

Fertility preservation is a technique that involves , sperms, and embryos, with the intention of using them to have kids later on in life. It’s an option for people that don’t want kids right now or for people who become sterile because of an illness or treatments (including cancer and chemo.)

It is the best insurance against sterility and gives couples the option to have their own biological child. But how exactly are eggs and sperm frozen? Getting these facts about what is involved in egg and sperm freezing can be elusive. That’s why we’ve discussed the process of freezing eggs and sperms in this article.

According to , sperm banking is advisable for all men concerned about future . The most common causes include being diagnosed with:

• Testicular cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Cancer treatments can lead to a decline in and can often cause sterility.

Other reasons include:

• Travel
• Men serving in the armed forces
• Men going for gender reassignment

RELATED: 

If you’re planning to freeze your sperm:

• You’ll need to have blood work done to check STDs, HLTV, and Hepatitis B/C. A semen analysis is also done to check sperm parameters such as motility, count, and shape/morphology. According to , men are usually advised to abstain for 48-72 hours (no ejaculations) before producing the freezing sample.

• You’ll be required to give written consent for your sperm to be banked.

• Next, you’ll produce the sperm sample at the fertility clinic. It involves masturbating and collecting semen. In circumstances where masturbation isn’t possible, sperm is collected surgically.

• Once the quality has been confirmed, the sperm is frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored for use in the future, in a process known as cryopreservation.  states that the process involves processing and concentrating the samples into small batches and then placing them in vials for freezing. To help facilitate the process, a compound is added. This additive, normally made of glycerol, is important to prevent crystallized water from destroying the sperm cell membrane during the process. Next is the freezing process. The vials are gradually cooled with liquid nitrogen vapor until they get to about -175°C. Later, vials are transferred into liquid nitrogen tanks for long-term storage at -196°C.

Freezing eggs is a bit more complex compared to sperm, as surgery is done to extract the eggs from the ovaries. A woman produces one mature egg every month. However, for freezing, the ovaries need to be stimulated to produce several eggs. To start the process:

• Blood work is done to check your ovarian reserve and for infections. According to , your doctor will test the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol concentration to determine the quality and quantity of the eggs. Results will help presume how your ovaries will react to fertility medication. The doctor will also check you for infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B/C. A different blood test and an ovarian ultrasound might also be done to get a fuller picture of ovarian function.

• Ovarian stimulation- Synthetic hormones are taken to stimulate the production of multiple eggs by your ovaries. states that medications are taken to stimulate your ovaries and to prevent premature ovulation. The doctor will monitor you closely and do some blood work to see how you’re responding to ovarian stimulation medicine. Typically, you can expect higher estrogen levels as follicles develop and lower progesterone levels until after ovulation. Follow-up visits will include a to check the development of fluid-filled sacs where follicles mature. Once the follicles are ripe for egg retrieval (usually up to 14 days), you’re injected with a human chorionic gonadotropin to help the eggs mature.

• Egg retrieval is performed under sedation and in a clinic. A transvaginal ultrasound aspiration is performed to identify the follicles, inserting an ultrasound probe into your vagina. The needle is then directed through the vagina and inside a follicle, where a suction device attached to the needle is used it extract the egg from the follicle. Up to 15 eggs per cycle are retrieved, and the more eggs, the higher the chances of birth.

• Freezing- Shortly after harvesting, the eggs are cooled to subzero temps to store them for future use, in a process known as vitrification. According to , the process uses high concentrations of cryopreservants or anti-freeze solutions. The process needs special care because the chemicals are highly toxic to the egg. The egg is first put in a bath containing some sucrose (sugar) to help draw liquid (water) out of the egg. Next, the egg is immersed in a highly concentrated bath containing anti-freeze for less than sixty seconds while being immediately frozen. They are then stored in specific cryogenic freezers.

NEXT: 

Sources

, , , , .