Preservation
Sperm freezing and sperm banks
What sperm freezing and sperm banking involve, how UK consent works, which fees are usually separate, and the one US storage price we could check.
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- Modified
- Clinician review
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Short answer
Sperm freezing stores sperm so it can be used later, whether you call it freezing, banking or storage. In the UK, the HFEA explains that sperm can be stored for treatment for up to 55 years, with consent renewed every 10 years. A semen analysis describes the sample. It does not promise that later treatment will work. Fees for consultation, screening, collection, freezing and each year of storage are often separate, so SemenBoost does not collapse them into one price.
Storage prices we could check
United Kingdom and United States fees are not combined into one price. No UK provider has a verified storage fee yet. The only figure below is a US starting annual storage price.
| Provider | Market | Consultation | Screening | Collection | Freezing | Initial storage | Annual storage | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | US | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | $245 | 2026-10-05 |
The homepage says sperm freezing starts at $245 per year. That is a starting annual storage figure. Consultation, screening, collection, the initial freeze and multi-year packages were not itemised on that page.
Key takeaways
- Freezing is used before treatment that may harm fertility, before a vasectomy, or to store sperm for later treatment.
- You must be contactable. If the clinic cannot reach you to renew consent, storage is at risk.
- UK storage law is not US storage law. Read the rule for the country where the sperm is stored.
- The only annual storage figure checked so far is Legacy in the US, starting at $245 a year. That is not a full fee list.
How it is done
The HFEA describes producing a sample, mixing it with a cryoprotectant, splitting it across straws so it need not all be thawed at once, and storing it in liquid nitrogen. Not every sample freezes equally well. A laboratory should tell you what was stored. SemenBoost has not audited any laboratory’s survival rates, so none are quoted.
UK storage limits
The HFEA’s public guidance says storage for treatment is allowed for any period up to 55 years from first storage, with consent renewed every 10 years. The clinic should offer counselling before you consent and should contact you when renewal is due. Keep your address current. This is a summary for orientation. The consent form you sign, and the HFEA page, are the operative sources.
What the bill is usually made of
A useful quote separates the first consultation, infection screening, producing the sample, the freeze itself, the first period of storage, and the renewal each year. A multi-year package is not the same number as one year. An extra sample is not the same as the first. If a clinic publishes only “from” a figure, that is a starting price, not the amount you will pay. We show “Not published” for any of those lines we have not checked.
United States
US sperm banks set their own contracts. There is no HFEA-style storage statute being summarised here. Legacy’s homepage, checked on 5 October 2026, says sperm freezing starts at $245 per year and that the service is available in the United States. Consultation, screening, collection and the initial freeze were not itemised, so they stay blank in the table. Ask any bank what happens if a renewal is missed, and how a partner’s consent is recorded.
When people look into it
The clearest medical reasons are treatment that may harm sperm production, including chemotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy and some testicular surgery. Storage before a vasectomy is a different, elective decision. So is storage before testosterone treatment. TRT can substantially suppress sperm production, which is why freezing is easier to discuss before treatment than after production has fallen. That timing belongs with the prescriber. The TRT and fertility page explains the reproductive effect without turning freezing into a sales script.
A sperm bank and a diagnostic semen analysis are not the same visit. If you are still deciding whether you need a test at all, start with sperm tests.
Questions
Does a normal semen analysis mean frozen sperm will work?
No. Freezing and later treatment add steps a diagnostic semen analysis does not measure. The clinic should explain the sample it actually stored.
Related
Sources
- Sperm freezing — Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
- Choose a clinic — Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility in Men: AUA/ASRM Guideline (amended 2024) — American Urological Association, 2024
How this page was prepared
Drafted with automated research assistance and checked against the cited primary sources. A named clinician has not reviewed this page. Medical review is pending. Changes to reference values are not published automatically.