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A: A sperm cryobank is a facility that collects, freezes, and stores sperm for future use.
A: There are a variety of situations in which sperm banking is used. Some examples of such situations include:
- Undergoing a treatment for cancer which may impair sperm production or quality (e.g. chemotherapy, radiation).
- Use of medications which may impair your sperm production or quality (e.g. sulfasalazine, methotrexate).
- Undergoing any procedure which could affect the testes, prostate, or ejaculation ability (e.g. prostate resection, colon surgery or retroperitoneal lymph node dissection).
- As part of an infertility treatment where sperm may be easily harvested (e.g. vas reconstruction, testicular biopsy). These sperm can then be stored and used later in conjunction with advanced reproductive techniques if alternative infertility treatments do not prove successful.
A: A comprehensive semen analysis is one of the appropriate first steps if a couple is having trouble conceiving. The purpose of the man's evaluation (semen analysis and, if appropriate, a consultation) is to maximize the quality of the man's semen.
A: Most laboratories will report on the following information using values established by the World Health Association:
- Concentration also known as “count” - A measurement of how many million sperm there are in each milliliter of fluid.
- Motility , sometimes referred to as the "mobility" - Describes the percentage of moving sperm.
- Morphology - Describes the shape of the sperm.
- Volume - Measures the volume of the ejaculate.
- Total Motile Count - Number of moving sperm in the entire ejaculate.
- Standard Semen Fluid Tests include:
- Color
- Viscosity (thickness of the semen)
- Time it takes for the specimen liquefy
A: Over 50% of men will have a treatable cause of male factor infertility. Men with whose conditions are not treatable may still have the option of using advanced reproductive techniques to achieve a pregnancy.
A: When choosing a sperm banking laboratory it is important to choose a lab with:
- Expertise - An improperly or incompletely performed semen analysis may miss significant problems.
- Timing - To get accurate test results the specimen must be processed within one hour of collection.
- Thoroughness - Laboratory should have the capacity to do complete initial testing as well as the flexibility to do the appropriate follow up testing on the same specimen.
- Comfort and convenience - To maximize your results, it is important that you are as relaxed and comfortable as possible.
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