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Sperm Cryopreservation

Meaning

Sperm cryopreservation is a specialized clinical procedure involving the collection, laboratory processing, and subsequent long-term storage of semen by freezing it at ultra-low temperatures, typically in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. This technique is a critical component of reproductive medicine, offering men a vital option for fertility preservation prior to treatments that may impair spermatogenesis, such as chemotherapy or radiation. It is also routinely used in assisted reproductive technologies to facilitate timed insemination or in vitro fertilization. The viability of the stored sperm can be maintained for decades, providing significant reproductive flexibility.