Freezing Sperm Practices for the Past 50 Years Helps Prevent Pregnancy Problems

Frozen sperm as a result of freezing sperm practices in the last 50 years ago has significantly contributed to preventing pregnancy problems and has increased live birth rates.

During the 1970s, there was a wide-scale skepticism towards freezing sperm, but it has been proven to be effective until today.

Sperm-Freezing Methods

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The process of freezing sperm is made possible when males deposit their semen with sperm into a so-called "sperm bank" where it will be frozen and stored for months or years.

During its initial conception, freezing sperm were met with debates on the length of effectiveness.

In 1972, scientists have contested that frozen sperm, from storage until its usage to impregnate a woman, can only be valid approximately between 16 months and 10 years.

Research updates reveal that a frozen sperm can last even for several decades, as per the Science News report on Friday, Feb. 25.

Also called the sperm-freezing method¸ the practice of freezing sperm aims to answer the challenges of pregnancy problems, including adverse clinical outcomes and neonatal outcomes.

The method helps prevent the occurrence of stillbirth, miscarriage, or pregnancy loss.

Furthermore, freezing sperm practices have also been used to address the health condition of infertility among males; as frozen sperm provides an allowance of time for women, who have an impotent husband or a similar female partner, to give birth independently.

Also read: Endangered Species Reproduction and Frozen Sperm: New Black-Footed Ferrets

Frozen Sperm for 40 Years

A study published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics in 2013 showed that human semen that was frozen and stored for approximately 40 years was able to yield a successful birth of twin girls.

The study concluded that frozen semen can last for at least several decades.

Furthermore, scientists from the 2013 study also confirmed that the freezing and storage of semen can be used for both humans and animals.

The scientists also re-affirmed that the frozen cells incur little or no damage when placed in a low-temperature container with liquid nitrogen.

The sperm used in the study dates back to 1971-when a man in his early 50s requested to be a donor of his semen and had it frozen and stored for a long period of time. The recipient of the man's semen and the subject of the study was a woman in a same-sex relationship.

Frozen Sperm vs. Fresh Sperm

For decades, there have been rigorous debates and discussions on whether fresh sperm is more efficient and safer when it comes to natural birth than frozen sperm.

However, the answer is still based on certain circumstances since frozen sperm is used only when necessary and is equivalent to fresh sperm.

In a related study published in the journal PLOS ONE cited by Medical News Today, researchers said a frozen sperm is as similar to a fresh sperm in terms of causing a successful pregnancy or live birth rate.

In conclusion, a frozen donor sperm also helps prevent pregnancy problems such as adverse clinical and neonatal outcomes in case a fresh sperm does not work. This is due to another study published in the Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine in 2017.

The 2017 study revealed that a frozen donor sperm does not increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, or pregnancy loss when compared to a fresh sperm of the study subject's husband.