What is Fertility Preservation?
Fertility preservation is the cryopreservation (freezing) of human reproductive tissue to be used later for in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapies or intra uterine insemination (IUI).
With the use of liquid nitrogen, human tissues such as semen, oocytes (eggs), and embryos (fertilized eggs) are frozen at temperatures exceeding 320 degrees (Fahrenheit) below zero and stored in specially designed tanks. When the patient is ready to begin a family, the tissues will be shipped to an IVF clinic, thawed, and used in a procedure by a licensed IVF doctor to impregnate the woman.
Who uses Fertility Preservation and Why?
Fertility Preservation is typically used by patients concerned about their future fertility. Fertility can be affected by a number of different factors, including disease, lifestyle, career, or age. The ability to preserve reproductive tissues is a great option and often recommended by doctors for cancer patients, military personnel, high impact athletes, and transgender clients. Regardless of the causes of infertility, cryopreservation and cryostorage are advances in the medical field that allow patients another attempt at having a family—an option that is priceless to many who have practically given up on raising children.
If you’re looking for proof of success in long-term fertility preservation, then we have the perfect story for you…
In 1971, a Japanese American man, who was the last hope in maintaining his family’s bloodline, was also informed that he and his wife were unable to have children together. He decided that sperm banking was his only option. He spent years trying to find a surrogate to have his child, but to no avail. Finally, 40 plus years later, his sperm was used in an in vitro fertilization procedure that was a success—and a set of twin girls were born. The surrogate couple was eager to parent the twins and allow the man’s bloodline to carry on. Intrigued? Click here for the full story.
Experts in Fertility Preservation
ReproTech opened its doors in 1990 to provide superior fertility preservation services nationwide. We are the only company committed exclusively to long-term storage of cryopreserved specimens. Over the years, we have developed the systems, infrastructure, and networks to become the leader in the long-term reproductive storage industry.
We store cryopreserved reproductive specimens for men, women, and prepubescent children. The type of specimens we handle include sperm, embryos, oocytes, ovarian tissue, and testicular tissue. In order to provide patients with not only long-term storage, but also cryopreservation services, ReproTech has developed the Fertility Preservation Network, a network of freezing centers with which we have established a lasting partnership. This way, coordination between freezing centers and our ReproTech storage facilities is safe and efficient.
Our facilities are monitored 24/7 by state-of-the-art Rees monitoring systems, which record temperature changes as small as 0.01 degrees Celsius. Additionally, all tanks are manually monitored on a weekly basis by our experienced personnel and our facilities are under 24-hour security and surveillance. Each facility has on-site back-up, bulk nitrogen storage, and all electronic data is backed up daily with off-site data storage.
When the patient is ready to begin a family, the tissues are shipped to one of our Network’s IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) clinics, thawed, and used for reproduction.
How do I get started with Fertility Preservation?
To begin the process of fertility preservation through ReproTech’s long-term storage, contact the location nearest you:
For more information on and locations for our Fertility Preservation Network of Freezing Centers, please click here.
Oftentimes, due to time constraints, geography, or privacy reasons, men need the option to collect their semen directly from home. For those who are unable to travel to one of our many freezing centers throughout the country, we have the perfect answer—OverNite Male™. This kit gives men the comfort of being able to securely bank their sperm within 24 hours of their decision to do so. For more information on OverNite Male™, click here.
Financial Assistance for Cancer Patients is available through three programs:
- LIVESTRONG‘s Fertility Discount Programs are available through many of the members of ReproTech’s network
- ReproTech’s financial assistance program, Verna’s Purse, is available for cancer survivors who have already banked their specimens and for individuals who visit centers which are not enrolled in LIVESTRONG‘s Fertiltiy Discount Programs.
- Ferring\Walgreens h.e.a.r.t.BEAT program – Click here to learn more about Ferring\Walgreens h.e.a.r.t.BEAT program.
Fertility Preservation Options
If you are looking for more information on topics specific to fertility preservation, we encourage you to explore our Fertility Preservation 101 Online Booklet. This booklet has material on many different topics including, but not limited to:
The Future of Fertility Preservation
The past decade has brought tremendous advancements in fertility treatment. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)—first available at only a handful of fertility clinics in 1994—is now available in almost every metropolitan area.
Egg freezing success has improved significantly and is more readily available. Current research projects on ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation are yielding exciting results for both adults and prepubescent children. These advancements have given hope for the long-term reproductive life of cancer patients.
If you have further questions or need assistance with finding a fertility clinic, please call 888-831-2765 (West), 888-489-8944 (Midwest), 888-350-3247 (South), or 888-953-9669 (East)
ReproTech’s educational pages on Fertility Preservation.
