Current and future concepts and practices in human sperm cryobanking

Abstract

This article focuses on a range of issues that are of current concern to those working in human sperm cryobanking and considers them within a general framework of risk analysis and management, taking into account the available evidence and perceptions of ‘best practice’ from both the medical and legal perspectives. In particular, issues arising from concerns over the risk of cross-contamination between samples during storage immersed in liquid nitrogen have been analysed in detail. Even though such an occurrence has never been reported for spermatozoa or embryos, and the risk is generally accepted to be vanishingly small, it does represent a finite risk and all reasonable measures should be taken to reduce the chance of its occurring. It is concluded that all methods used to collect, cryopreserve, store, thaw and use cryobanked human spermatozoa must address the risk of contamination from any source throughout the entire process. To assist workers in this area, a series of recommendations as to current best practice are made, based upon conclusions from risk analyses using currently available information.