Male Fertility Options

We work with storage facilities to offer fertility preservation options for boys who have started puberty. Our medical team can help assess a child’s pubertal status. We can explain your fertility preservation options, including potential risks, cost and likelihood of success and connect you with knowledgeable specialists. We can also explain experimental options that may be available for young boys who have not started puberty.

Additional discussion and further details of each option can be provided during fertility team consultation.

Sperm Banking

Sperm banking is the best option for boys who can produce a sperm sample, including those who are going through puberty (typically 12-13 or older) or have already completed pubertal development. A semen sample is obtained from self-stimulation (masturbation), processed and stored frozen for future use. This sample can be obtained at home, at the sperm banking facility, or even at the hospital if needed.

Testicular Sperm Extraction and Banking

This option is used for boys who have shown some early pubertal changes but are not able to produce a semen sample through self-stimulation. This requires a small surgical procedure; if the patient requires other surgical procedures, this can be done at the same time.

Under general anesthesia, sperm is aspirated from the testicle using a small needle and vacuum device. Alternatively, in some boys, an open biopsy with sperm retrieval techniques may be used. These sperm are processed and similarly stored frozen for later use. Both techniques have very low complication rates, which will be reviewed prior to the procedure.

Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation (TTC)

This experimental procedure involves surgically removing a small part of one testicle and storing it for later use. TTC is currently the only option for boys who have not yet started puberty. We are one of the few institutions in the country offering this treatment as part of a research protocol.