Vasectomy is intended to be a permanent method of birth control. For some men, that finality may feel daunting. As an informal “insurance”, some may choose to freeze (or cryopreserve) sperm prior to undergoing a vasectomy. If life circumstances were to change after the procedure, men typically have two main options for restoring fertility:
1. Vasectomy reversal, which allows couples to attempt natural conception.
2. In vitro fertilization (IVF) using either previously frozen sperm or sperm retrieved via a surgical procedure.
Several companies offer sperm preservation services. While traditionally this involved visiting a local "brick-and-mortar" sperm bank, a growing number of companies now offer mail-in options. These services provide added convenience, allowing men to collect a semen sample at home, send it to a lab, and have it frozen and stored off-site.
Note: VasWeb has no financial or business affiliations with any of these companies. The
providers listed are those that have been commonly used by our patients and are well
established. There are many additional providers, including newer services not mentioned here, that may offer equally effective options.
For the most current details—including fees, procedures, and storage options—please consult the companies’ individual websites.
Cryos International (Orlando, near UCF): A full-service sperm bank offering long-term sperm storage. Specimens are frozen within one hour of collection at their facility,eliminating the need for transport.
Fertility Centers: Some fertility clinics in Florida offer on-site sperm cryopreservation. Samples are collected, frozen immediately, and then sent to centralized storage facilities. One example in the Tampa Bay area is the Florida Fertility Institute in Clearwater.
These companies allow you to collect your sample at home and send it by mail for cryopreservation.
While sperm preservation may not require professional "doctor" fees beyond lab and storage charges, the use of frozen sperm requires a fertility gynecologist.
In most cases, frozen sperm is used for in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF involves stimulating the female partner’s ovaries with injectable medications to produce multiple eggs. These eggs are retrieved and fertilized in a lab using the frozen/thawed sperm. The resulting embryos can be genetically tested and are then transferred to the uterus in hopes of achieving implantation and live birth.
IVF is an expensive process, averaging around $25,000 per cycle (including the necessary medications), although pricing varies by clinic.
