Fertility preservation for transgender patients involves banking gametes before hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery that would impair future fertility. For trans women (assigned male at birth), sperm banking before oestrogen therapy is the primary option — semen samples are cryopreserved in cryovials or straws and stored in a semen storage tank at -195.8°C. For trans men (assigned female at birth), oocyte or embryo freezing using vitrification protocols is available before testosterone therapy begins.
Storage rights and access
Under the Health and Care Act 2022, stored gametes can be held for up to 55 years. All cryopreservation and storage standards are identical to those applied in standard fertility treatment. Cryolab supplies cryogenic storage equipment to fertility clinics and reproductive medicine centres worldwide.
Cryolab supplies cryogenic storage equipment to fertility clinics worldwide. Visit cryolab.co.uk or call 01243 781 121.
