In recent years, an increasing number of men have chosen to freeze their semen. The reasons can be many, but for the most part it is about ensuring that you can have children at a later point in time.

Over age, male fertility declines. Not as fast and drastic as in women, but when men reach the age of 40, one begins to see a clear impact on his fertility. For example, statistics from the fertility wards of the country's hospitals show that it takes an average of 4.5 months for a man under the age of 25 to make his partner pregnant. If he is over 40, it takes an average of two years (if the woman is under 25)

Reasons to freeze semen

When men get their semen frozen and stored in the freezer it is also called sperm deposition. The most common reasons why men choose to do so are:-

 To retain the possibility of being able to have children sometime in the future if he is considering being sterilized

- If he must start medical treatment for diseases that can make him sterile. For example, chemotherapy 

- If he is in fertility treatment but cannot be present at the scheduled treatment time

- If he works with chemical substances that he fears may harm fertility.

- When he wants to ensure his fertility for a longer period

Where can you freeze semen?

Freezing the semen - which is also called sperm deposition - can be done for free at a public fertility clinic if you as a man are on fertility-reducing treatment such as chemotherapy or if you are in fertility treatment and have to be away for a longer period. Otherwise, you have to get hold of a private clinic where everyone can be offered freezing of semen for a fee. When the semen is frozen, men - unlike women, who have a ceiling of a maximum of 5 years of egg freezing- have no upper limit on how long the semen may be frozen.

How does it take place?

If you are entitled to a sperm deposit at a public clinic, you will either be referred by your doctor or hospital ward / outpatient clinic. If you want to freeze semen privately, you will find a clinic where you want to deposit the semen. 

As a rule, you can decide for yourself whether you want to make the sperm sample at home or at the clinic. However, the main rule is that the sample must be handed in no later than one hour after ejaculation. Until then, it should preferably be stored at 20-30 degrees. It is best to avoid ejaculation for 2-3 days before the semen sample is made.

In connection with the establishment of a sperm depot, a man will also have a mandatory blood sample taken to rule out HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. When the semen has been delivered, a semen analysis will be made, which gives a snapshot of the sperm quality. 

Read more about the study of male fertility here: How does the study of male fertility in the public system take place? – Gravidtid

The suitability of the semen for freezing will also be looked at, as 50-70% of the sperm will usually perish during freezing or thawing. Prior to freezing the semen, the man must assess how long he wants the semen to be frozen. The time period can always be extended afterwards. When the man later wishes to use his frozen semen, he contacts the place that has the semen depot. The semen will then be delivered frozen in a nitrogen tank to the clinic where he and his partner want to use the semen.

What does it cost?

The different clinics / sperm banks have different prices, but the price for sperm analysis, blood test, freezing of sperm and 1 year of freezing time starts from approximately 5000 kroner. If you want to have the semen frozen for a longer period of time, this can be purchased afterwards 

If you want to check your sperm quality at home, you can buy our sperm quality test here: SwimCount Sædkvalitetstest – Gravidtid

Source: Rigshospitalet, Region Zealand, Cryos, European-Sperm Bank