WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Fresh or frozen, sperm is sperm as far as in vitro fertilization is concerned.
A review of 10 years of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures at the Mayo Clinic revealed no difference in success rates between the two, according to a study unveiled May 12 at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in San Francisco.
For some infertile couples, the use of frozen sperm is preferable because it decreases the risk of not having sperm on hand the day the female egg is retrieved.
"IVF can be a physically, financially and emotionally draining process for couples, and use of frozen sperm eliminates the pressure of obtaining sperm on a specific day," senior author Alan Thornhill said in a prepared statement.
Researchers reviewed 2,039 consecutive IVF cycles over a decade, comparing fresh and frozen outcomes along with different methods of sperm retrieval.
More information
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has more about in vitro fertilization.
