Sperm banking can be somewhat controversial for many, especially those with religious inclinations. However, this is a great way to preserve a man’s fertility if you have future plans to have a child but are at risk of losing the capability due to health concerns or other issues. Whatever you or your other half’s reasons are, it is important to know how much does freezing sperm cost so you will know the next step if you are planning to take parenthood via this route.
Cost of Semen Cryopreservation
The average cost of freezing sperm ranges from $250 to $2,400, depending on the number of years the sperm will be preserved and the number of samples, among several other factors.
Unlike most health-related issues, sperm preservation costs are hardly covered by any health insurance. However, there are sperm banks that offer different payment plans if you cannot afford to pay the cost upfront. This way, you don’t have to delay your plans just because you can not afford to spend so much at this time.
Different Types of Sperm Storage
There are several types of sperm sources that are being accepted at various sperm banks. There may be different types of handling for each type and it may also cost differently depending on your needs.
- Client depositor – When you want to store the semen of your spouse or intimate partner, then this is the option for you.
There is an up-front fee of $1,100 to $1,300 for this option. Its breakdown includes account setup, a blood draw used to check for viruses and illness, and the annual storage fee. There is an optional fee to wash the sample before freezing, and it costs $200.
- Directed donor – This is the type wherein the source of the sperm is not your spouse or intimate partner. With this, you can still store the semen with the required 6-month quarantine time.
The sperm cryopreservation cost is $2,000, which is segregated into admin and lab fees, the semen storage, and the required blood testing and urine culture.
- Known donor – This is basically the same as the ‘directed donor’ except that you choose to waive the 6-month quarantine.
With this type of freezing, the donor is required to have STD testing every 7 days while making deposits. The initial semen cryopreservation cost is $2,250, which is the same as the Directed Donor fees.
Additional Services
There are additional services that are offered in Semen banks, such as Transfer Accounts. If you want to move your sperm to a different storage facility, you will have to pay $700 for that. The frozen sperm cost will vary depending on the services that you will need.
There is also a new way of sperm banking, and that is through the mail. A donor will receive a preservation kit via mail where they can collect and transport their fresh semen specimen to the sperm bank.
A mail-in sperm banking kit costs $65 to $99 each, while storage ranges from $99 to $149 per year. The Priority Male-Semen Preparation will cost roughly around $340.
If you opt to store your sperm for a long period of time, many sperm banks have a prepaid option for you. At Fairfax Cryobank, if you store sperm for one year, the cost will be $395. A 2-year storage is $670, 3 years is $985, 5 years is $1,340, and 10 years is $2,400.
The Cost of Freezing Sperm at Home
Is it possible to store your sperm in the comfort of your home? According to experts, you can collect your sperm at home, but it is not advisable to freeze them in your home freezers.
Cryobanks can provide storage and collection kits for about $350. These containers are specialized kits as they can maintain the necessary temperature that sperm would need to survive for as long as one week.
Do not attempt to freeze and thaw the sperm at home. This is because only a professional andrology clinic has the capability to perform the critical steps in extracting the sperm from the antifreeze process.
The sperm bank prices may be high, but if it is important to you, then you can save up until you have enough money to pay for it.
Other Services And Fees You Need To Know
Aside from the usual storage fee that you pay when you store your sperm in a cryobank, there are other additional fees that you may want to know about with regards to freezing sperm price.
If you want to remain unidentified, then, there is an option to become an anonymous donor. A premium ICI (Intracervical Insemination) will cost $740, while a premium IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) is priced at $840.
If you want to avail of an existing sperm from a donor and are interested in knowing who the potential donor would be, this is very much possible. The cryobank offers Donor Information Subscription services wherein you will get to know the donor profiles, medical histories, donor personal essays, and staff impressions for all donors.
The level 1 information is free, but if you want to go into details, which include extended donor profiles, childhood photo(s), and ‘express yourself’ for all donors, the level 2 fee is around $145.
If the information that you have is still not enough, you can go ahead and request level 3 information, which includes facial Features Reports, Donor Conversations, Keirsey Reports, and Keirsey Q&As for all donors for the price of $250.
If the cost is too much for you, sperm banks have downloadable “A La Carte” donor information for only $25. You can choose from the following: Extended Donor Profile, Express Yourself, Facial Features Report, Donor Conversation, Keirsey Report, and Handwriting Analysis. A childhood photo or photos will cost you $30.
Factors Affecting Cost of Freezing Sperm
The cost of sperm banking is not the same everywhere. In fact, the prices can be very different depending on several factors, such as the following:
- Facilities – the most obvious factor that comes to mind when you ask the question ‘how much does it cost to freeze sperm’ is the particular facility you are going to tap the services of. While most of these sperm banks have similar processes, each will have their own cost of maintaining the business, cost of living where the facility is operating, and also their reputation.
- Type of fertility treatment – there are instances where the type of storage will depend on the type of fertility treatment it will be used for. This may entail special handling, which may cost you additional charges.
- Number of Samples – if you want to ensure that you have reserved sperm just in case the first batch fails, having two or more samples is the way to go. However, obviously, this would entail additional costs on your part.
- Storage duration – when availing of this service, you have the option to choose for how long do you intend to have your sperm preserved. The longest most men want to have is 10 years. However, would you believe it’s even possible to store sperm for up to 55 years?
Why Would Men Want to Preserve Their Sperm?
Men and couples have different reasons for wanting to do so. However, the most compelling ones are mostly health-related. Some of these are enumerated below:
- Men who are tested to have a continuously deteriorating sperm count
- Boys or men who will be undergoing health treatment that may affect their fertility, such as those with cancer and needing chemotherapy.
- Men who are planning to have gender reassignment surgery,
- Men who are planning to have a vasectomy but aren’t fully sure if they want a child in the future.
- Men who are at higher risk of death or injury than others, such as soldiers deployed to war zones.
- Men who are starting to get older but don’t have a partner yet.