Cryopreservation of semen involves the cooling of a sperm and storage at a temperature  where all metabolic processes are arrested. In practice, frozen sperms are stored at the temp. of -196°C in liquid nitrogen.

Indications for sperm cryopreservation :

Frozen sperm can be divided into two categories

-   Semen for auto conservation and
-   Donor semen

Reasons for Auto conservation :

“Long-term”cryopreseration of sperm is designed to ensure later fertility in men who   have to undergo

-  Radio or chemotherapy – which might lead to sterility
-  Surgical sterilization by vasectomy
“ short – term” storage of sperm can be useful in case of ...
- stress with regard to collection of semen on demand on the day of IUI or IVF
- Absent husband during the wife's treatment and
- Large variations in individual sperm quality.