What is a sperm bank?

A sperm bank or cryobank is a facility that collects and stores human sperm from patients or from sperm donors, for the purposes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART is a general term referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means. It is reproductive technology used in infertility treatment, which is the only application routinely used today of reproductive technology. While there is no consensus on the definition, generally the process of intercourse is bypassed either by insemination (example IUI) or fertilization of the oocytes in the laboratory environment (i.e. in IVF). The sperm bank stores the semen in frozen condition after a special preparation of the semen. Normally semen is kept in liquid nitrogen at −196 °C.