Why Are More Men Considering Sperm Freezing?

Sperm freezing, also known as male fertility preservation, is steadily increasing in popularity. More than ever, men are considering their future family planning goals, and are doing so with the level of foresight that is often only limited to female partners.

There are a number of reasons why men are turning to sperm freezing, and these motivations are among the many important considerations required of modern family building. Men are no longer safe to assume that they will be able to start or build on a healthy family at any age, so fertility preservation may be used as part of thoughtful, proactive family planning.

Reasons why men are considering freezing their sperm:

• They don’t plan on or want to start/grow their family until they’re older (five, 10, or 15 years in the future, when fertility quality may be impacted by age.
• They are aware of personal or familial histories surrounding male fertility issues.
• They have a high-risk career that could result in a groin injury or exposure to environmental factors that impact fertility.
• They participate in extreme sports.
• They enjoy lifestyle choices that risk fertility (tobacco use, etc.).
• They are facing a recent cancer diagnosis where chemotherapy and/or radiation is required.
• They have decided to undergo a vasectomy, but are not 100% sure that they’ve completed their family planning.
• They have endured a recent groin or spinal cord injury and have concerns about being able to produce children in the future.

Family planning decisions are deeply personal, so it’s entirely up to you whether investing in sperm freezing and cryopreservation is the right choice for your needs. As noted above, there are a number of reasons why male fertility preservation is a useful solution as either a backup plan in case of some kind of medical concern or as basic proactive planning.

Why being proactive can make all the difference

Conversations about the health of fertility between heterosexual partners typically revolve around the female partner, but this is changing. Fertility testing needs to consider the male partner just as much as any female partner in order to prepare a diagnosis both quickly and effectively. Couples who wish to grow their families need to carefully consider all of their options and risk factors during family planning discussions. Male fertility can no longer be taken for granted, and sperm freezing is a viable step forward for many.

If you have questions about sperm freezing or would like to request a consultation with the Fertility Center of California, please contact our staff today.