Sperm freezing in Goa for husbands who work away from home

Pai Hospital is registered as a Level 2 ART clinic under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 (Reg. No. GA/AC/2022/12689/L2/South Goa/02, valid to 14 January 2030).

Why would a husband freeze his sperm?

Fertility treatment runs on the wife's cycle, not on a work calendar. In an IUI cycle the sample is needed on the day of the IUI, which is fixed only a day or so ahead, after the trigger injection. In IVF it is needed on the day of egg collection. Husbands who work in the Gulf, on ships, in the Navy or the army, or in another city often come home only for short visits, and the right day may not fall in their leave.

If the sample is frozen while he is here, the treatment can go ahead when the timing is right for her, even if he is away. A frozen sample can also be a backup: if a husband finds it hard to give a sample on the day, a sample frozen in advance means the cycle does not have to be cancelled. Tell us early, so that it can be planned before he travels.

Whose sample is frozen, and for whom?

Only the husband's own sample, for his own wife's treatment. The frozen sample is labelled with the couple's details, used only in her IUI or IVF, and never given to anyone else. Both of you sign a consent form before the sample is frozen, which records that it is for your own treatment.

Which tests are needed before freezing?

• A semen analysis. It shows how many sperm there are and how well they move, which tells the doctor whether a frozen sample is likely to suit IUI, or is better kept for IVF with ICSI. Read what a semen analysis shows under the microscope.
• Blood tests for infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. These are standard before any sample is frozen and stored.
• A consultation with you both, so that the doctor can see where your fertility tests stand and plan when and how the sample will be used.

How is the sample given and frozen?

1. The gap before the sample. As before an IUI, the husband is told when to ejaculate last, generally leaving a gap of two to five days.
2. Giving the sample. The sample is given at the hospital at Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama, into a sterile container.
3. Checking and preparing. The laboratory checks the sample under the microscope and mixes it with a special freezing solution that protects the sperm.
4. Freezing. The sample is divided into small labelled containers, cooled step by step and stored in liquid nitrogen, at about minus 196 degrees Celsius.
5. More than one sample, if advised. If the count is low, or more than one IUI is planned, the doctor may suggest freezing two or more samples, on different days, before you travel.

How is the frozen sample used later?

When the wife's cycle reaches the right day, the sample is thawed in the laboratory. For IUI, it is then washed and concentrated, as a fresh sample would be, and the prepared sperm are placed high in the womb. Read how a sample is prepared for IUI.

For IVF, the thawed sperm are used to fertilise the eggs collected that day, often by ICSI, in which a single sperm is injected directly into each mature egg. Read how IVF with ICSI works for a low sperm count.

Some sperm do not survive freezing and thawing, so a thawed sample has fewer moving sperm than the fresh sample it came from. With a good count this matters less. With a low count, the doctor may advise IVF with ICSI rather than IUI, because ICSI needs only one good sperm for each egg. This is discussed before the sample is frozen, so you know what to expect.

Is sperm freezing useful for any other reason?

Yes. A husband who needs cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or an operation that may affect his fertility, can ask to have his own sample frozen first for his wife's later treatment, if there is time and his treating doctor agrees. Wives who want to keep their own eggs for later can read about egg freezing in Goa.

How long can sperm stay frozen, and what does it cost?

How long your sample will be stored, and the fee for freezing and storage, are explained at the consultation, before anything is frozen. The fees for IUI and IVF themselves are on the fertility fee list.

How do you plan it around your leave?

Tell us your leave dates as early as you can, and plan the consultation and tests early in your time at home, so that the results are ready before the sample is frozen. Consultations are held in Panjim, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco; the sample is given and frozen at the hospital at Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama. If you are abroad now, send your reports on WhatsApp first, so that the visit can be planned. This guide is by the Pai Hospital Team.

Your questions

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This page is for general education and is not personal medical advice. Treatment depends on your own examination and reports, so please speak to a doctor about your situation. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind.