Sperm banking - Information for teenagers and young adults with a cancer diagnosis

Just as you can save money in a bank, you can save sperm in a sperm bank. The sperm is stored in a liquid nitrogen tank and saved for future use.

Some illnesses or treatments can affect sperm production and your ability to have children. You might become less fertile (subfertile) or unable to have children (infertile). Your healthcare team think it might be helpful for you to save sperm, just in case.

For men, being fertile means being sexually mature. It also means being able to produce enough healthy sperm to fertilise your partner’s egg, which can lead to having a baby. 

Saving sperm gives you more options, even if you haven’t decided yet if you want to have children in the future. 

Here’s your short biology lesson!

First, your sexual parts (penis and testes or ‘balls’) need to be fully developed (sexually mature). 

As you go through puberty, your testes start making more of the male hormone testosterone. You grow taller, develop body hair, your testes and penis get bigger, your voice deepens, and you start feeling sexually aroused. This makes your penis stiffen (have an erection) long enough to have sex if you choose, and to ejaculate (‘come’). The fluid you ejaculate contains sperm. You might have noticed this in ‘wet dreams’ or during masturbation (‘wanking’). 

Even without becoming ill and needing treatment, some young men don’t produce enough good-quality sperm to make a baby naturally. Your illness and treatment can raise that risk. However, you will likely still produce enough male hormones to have a normal sex life.

Before giving a sperm sample, you will need a blood test to check for viruses like hepatitis and HIV. This is also a routine test before starting treatment. If you test positive for any of the viruses, you can still bank sperm, but it will need to be frozen and stored differently. 

To bank sperm, you will need to masturbate and ejaculate into a small container. This has to be done in the fertility unit, which is on the lower ground floor of the Elizabeth Garret Anderson (EGA) Wing at University College Hospital. There are private rooms with locks and magazines to help you. You can also bring your own magazines if you prefer. 

For the best chance to produce a strong sample, avoid masturbating for at least three days before your appointment.

Even if you are under 16, only YOU – not your parents or your partner – can give permission to bank your sperm. 

You will need to decide: 

• Whether to try to produce a sample at all. 
• Whether your doctors can know the quality of your sperm. 
• Whether to store your sperm for later (up to 10 years), with the option to extend storage. 
• Whether you are in a position to consider fertility treatment for yourself and a partner. 
• What should happen to your sperm if something happens to you (destroy it, donate it for research, or donate it to someone else). 

We will explain everything to you in detail and answer your questions before you sign the consent forms. Feel free to ask anything. It’s important that you are well informed before deciding to bank your sperm.

You can bring someone with you to your appointment at the fertility unit. This could be a nurse, a friend, a sibling or a parent. 

If you bring someone, you will need to decide whether you want them present during the consent discussion. Sensitive topics may come up that you might not want to talk about in front of others. If you’d prefer they aren’t present for this part, just let them know.

A sperm bank is like a savings account. Your sperm is frozen and stored for up to 10 years, in case you want to use it later to have children. Just like a bank account, it is legally protected. No one can use your sperm without your written permission.

This depends on whether your sexual parts are developed and if you have reached puberty. Puberty happens at different times for everyone, so there is no specific age for it. If you are unsure or confused, talk to your doctor or clinical nurse specialist (CNS). 

Other things can also make it hard to bank sperm. For example, your illness, previous treatments, if you have recently ejaculated, or if you are feeling nervous. 

If you can’t bank sperm now or decide not to try, don’t worry – we will still support and guide you. 

After you provide a sample, it will be examined under a microscope to check the health, movement and numbers of sperm (sperm count). It is best to store as much healthy sperm as possible in separate tubes. If time allows, we may offer you a chance to bank sperm more than once. But some fertility treatments can work with just one healthy sample to help you have a baby in the future. 

Your sperm will be safely frozen for several years. The sperm bank will contact you occasionally to check if you want to continue to store it.

You will have another chance to provide a sperm sample for analysis. This will help us to check how the treatment has affected your sperm count. It will also help us to see if your sperm count improves over time or if you might need help to have a child in the future.

While it’s not guaranteed, there is a good chance that your stored sperm could help you and your partner have a healthy baby in the future. If that time comes, different fertility options will be explained to you. Both you and your partner will need to give your written permission for the treatment at that time. 

Sperm banking is a free service provided by the NHS, but we cannot promise that future fertility treatments will be free or successful.

Many young people find the idea of sperm banking upsetting or embarrassing. We understand this and are here to listen and answer any questions you have. You can choose to speak with a hormone specialist or a male staff member if you prefer. But you can also decide not to talk to anyone if that feels more comfortable for you.

• Try not to ejaculate for two to three days before sperm banking. 
• Avoid using soap or lubricants around your penis or genital area just before collecting your sample. This is because they may damage the sperm. 
• Do not use condoms to collect your sample because the spermicide in them destroys sperm. 
• Do not use alcohol gel to clean your hands before providing your sample as this may also damage the sperm. 
• Try to collect all of the sperm in the specimen pot. The first part of the sample contains the most sperm. 

If you have any questions or concerns about sperm banking, please contact your doctor or CNS. 

To contact the fertility unit, please email uclh.fertilitylab@nhs.net.

Hospital switchboard: 020 3456 7890 

Website: uclh.nhs.uk

A special thank you to one of our patients who drew the illustrations included on this page.