The concept of frozen semen
t is not easy for male fertility to show obvious physical warning signs. Usually, after having a semen test, you will be surprised to find that your semen analysis results are not as good as expected. If you are afraid of the negative impact of disease or old age, you can freeze the sperm in advance. After the removed sperm are screened and processed, they are stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. When the sperm need to be used, the sperm are thawed for in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination.
The object of frozen semen
- Before receiving cancer treatment or radiation therapy.
- Those with unsatisfactory sperm test results several times.
- Before undergoing sterilization, but in the future there may be people planning to have children.
- There are currently no birth plans, but we do not rule out the possibility of having offspring in the future.
- Those who have been exposed to high-risk environments such as radiation, chemical solvents, and high temperatures for a long time.
- Couples who cannot cooperate with the sperm retrieval process when undergoing artificial reproduction treatment.
Common problem
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How long can sperm be frozen?
Since the sperm is stored in a stable environment of liquid nitrogen at -196°C for a long time after freezing, there is no technical storage period. However, the Artificial Reproduction Law stipulates that after ten years of cryopreservation, a written application must be made to extend the storage period.
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What technology is used for sperm freezing?
At present, sperm freezing mainly uses slow freezing method, adding cryoprotectant to prevent the formation of ice crystals and damaging sperm cells, and using the temperature to gradually decrease from room temperature to 4℃ and finally to liquid nitrogen for storage at -196℃; due to the survival rate of sperm after freezing and thawing About 50%, sperm motility may also be reduced; therefore, it is recommended to follow up with IVF treatment and use microfertilization ICSI or IMSI to increase the chance of successful pregnancy.
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How many times does it take to freeze sperm?
The number of times the sperm should be frozen depends on the individual’s sperm status and expected subsequent use. Currently, those with normal sperm status can be frozen once and can be used for one artificial insemination and one IVF treatment, or for 3 to 4 IVF treatments. Therefore, if the sperm condition is lower than normal, it is recommended to increase the number of freezing times.
The concept of egg freezing
Many people buy insurance to provide additional protection for themselves or their family members’ health and life. And if you have plans to give birth to a new life in the future, you may still be working hard at work and have no plans to have children for the time being, or you may be waiting for the right person to appear. Should we also add an extra layer of protection for starting a family in the future? After all, good eggs, like time, wait for no one. The number of a woman’s eggs is already determined at birth. As she grows older, the egg inventory will decrease year by year, and the quality of the eggs will also deteriorate. This is inevitable. . Egg quality is the main factor affecting pregnancy rate and live birth rate. The rate of chromosomal abnormalities also increases year by year after the age of 34. Planning your own fertility blueprint in advance and cryopreserving healthy eggs can provide you with future fertility insurance.
At birth: about 1 million to 2 million eggs; during adolescence: about 250,000 to 300,000 eggs; before the age of 35: the rate of decline decreases slowly year by year; after the age of 35 years: the number of eggs plummets rapidly and the quality also decreases. The older the age, the more chromosomal abnormalities occur in the eggs. The higher it is, the relative live birth rate also decreases.
Time to freeze eggs
Women can maximize the benefits of egg freezing when they are 34 years old, and it is recommended to freeze eggs before the age of 35 to obtain at least 10-15 eggs to have a higher chance of pregnancy. The chance of sequelae of egg freezing treatment is extremely low, and no marriage relationship is required. The entire treatment only takes 2 to 3 weeks, allowing you to plan your life more effectively and manage your fertility opportunities independently.
| Age | Under 34 years old | 35-38 years old | 39-40 years old |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended number of frozen eggs | 10 pieces | 15 pieces | 20 pieces |
Egg freezing targets
- Young women after 34 years of age who have not given birth yet.
- Before undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy for ovarian tumors.
- No uterus or uterine function is damaged, waiting for the surrogate mother to be legal.
- Women with a family history of premature ovarian failure, women with autoimmune diseases.
- If the husband is unable to successfully obtain sperm or has azoospermia on the day of egg retrieval, the eggs can be temporarily frozen and stored, and the eggs can be cultured through in vitro fertilization after waiting for the sperm.
Common Problem
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Can frozen eggs be used later? I am not expecting a baby, do I need to test for AMH?
There are not many things that can transcend the time limit, and egg freezing is one of the best. Some people still don’t know about egg freezing and even worry about “not using it.” This depends on “age” and “whether you want to get married.” If The simplest rule of thumb to determine if you want to get married is your age. If there is no stable partner between the ages of 35 and 37, it is predicted that the probability of getting married between the ages of 38 and 40 is not high. At this time, egg freezing is the right choice and has the highest CP value. Evidence-based medicine shows that the number and quality of a woman’s eggs begin to decline rapidly at the age of 38, and the cost of in vitro fertilization doubles.
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Do I have to get married to get pregnant using frozen eggs?
Yes, according to Taiwan's Artificial Reproduction Law, a legal marriage relationship is required before artificial reproduction technology can be implemented. Or you may choose to export your eggs abroad for related treatment services in the future.
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How long can eggs be frozen?
Egg freezing uses vitrification technology to store eggs in a stable environment of -196°C liquid nitrogen for a long time. Many studies have found that vitrification causes much less damage than slow freezing, and the average thaw survival rate is more than 90%. Therefore, Technically, there is no shelf life, but the Artificial Reproduction Law stipulates that after ten years of cryopreservation, a written application must be made to extend the shelf life.
Egg freezing treatment instructions
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Evaluation before freezing eggs： Blood test (ovarian inventory indicators AMH, FSH), ultrasound examination (evaluation of ovarian follicle number) -
Stimulate ovulation： On the second day of menstruation, go to the hospital to start taking ovulation injections, and conduct blood tests and vaginal ultrasound examinations. -
Track follicle maturity： Continue to cooperate with drug induction of ovulation, blood drawing and vaginal ultrasound examination. The process requires about 2-3 follow-up visits to confirm the egg retrieval time. -
Egg retrieval surgery： When the follicles mature, an egg-breaking injection will be performed. After the egg-breaking injection, vaginal egg retrieval will be performed under anesthesia about 36 hours later. -
Egg freezing： After obtaining the eggs, the eggs are stored in a constant temperature environment of -196°C liquid nitrogen using vitrification technology. -
Post-operative follow-up visit： After completing the egg freezing surgery, if more eggs need to be obtained, a follow-up visit can be arranged for the next egg freezing treatment.
Egg freezing cost
The price of one frozen egg is about N.T.90,000, including physical examination, ovulation injection, egg retrieval surgery fee, frozen egg storage fee, etc. The cost of egg freezing will vary depending on individual medication needs. The current infertility subsidy program provided by the government does not include subsidies for simple egg freezing. The annual egg storage fee is N.T.6,000 .
Frozen semen cost
The cost of a single frozen semen is N.T.5,000 , and the annual sperm storage cost is N.T.2,500 .