The Concern Of Male Fertility: Opinions And Research On Cryopreservation

by Joanne P. Health Enthusiast

Did you know that, in 60% of all couples experiencing infertility, a male factor is involved? It is primarily a male factor in 40% of these couples and in an additional 20% of these couples, it is a combination of male and female factors.

This only means that when a couple is having trouble producing conceiving, it makes sense to not just assess the female, but to also check the male factor, too. But science, as always, never fails to amaze us with great innovations that help us in our daily lives. For the concern of male infertility, science has given us an answer – testicular sperm extraction and sperm cryopreservation or freezing.

But is today’s society ready to open this “freezer door” of opportunity?

Armed with the information that sperm cells could actually be preserved for a long time simply by preserving their carcasses or testes, some scientific minds are already working overtime.

Perhaps sperm freezing could be used in animal experiments, to bring back extinct animal species. Again, scientists have revealed that anyone can engage in the process of sperm extraction or cryopreservation.

What the Social Conservatives Have to Say

Some social conservatives are opposed to artificial insemination for human beings. They believe that it mocks the natural process of conceiving and giving birth. However, others welcome such breakthroughs. They argue that artificial insemination advances science and gives hope to some childless couples. Nonetheless, imagine using the sperm of celebrities such as Elvis Presley or James Dean, to create a horde of clones. Is that disturbing to you?

The issue of artificial insemination certainly addresses the possibility of only “desired” people being duplicated. That said, wouldn't it be a heart-stopping experience to see a man's bits and pieces--or worse—his whole body, shoved inside your kitchen freezer? And all of this would be done in the name of “sperm integrity”!

It would be like something out of the Twilight Zone. But this isn’t the case of course.

What Cryopreservation Really is and its Benefits

Scientists from Britain, Japan, and America have just made a remarkable breakthrough. In their latest joint experiments, these scientists learned something that could even bring extinct species back to life!

They conducted experimentation on sperm extracted from mice and testes. Here's what they learned: even sperm frozen for as long as 15 years can still yield normal and healthy offspring. That's through a process called micro insemination that also involves sperm freezing.

Atsuo Ogura of Japan Riken Biosource Center said that society has undermined “sperm integrity” and thought that we could only retain them for months. But it appears now that the sperm nucleus can actually last a couple of years with the help of sperm extraction and freezing. With all these medical innovations, childless couples now have different choices to fulfill their dream of having a beloved offspring. Thanks to science!