The average paternal and maternal age has been increasing over the past decades. Postponing parenthood to advanced age is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. E.g., mothers having an increased rate of miscarriages, offspring having an increased risk of childhood cancer and mental disorders, and men having a decrease in semen parameters and increased genetic mutations in their sperm. Cryopreservation of gametes enables protection, prolonging, and seemingly preserving of fertility potential. This can be used for medical reasons e.g., men undergoing cancer treatment, military service, or a vasectomy. Cryopreservation without a medical reason, known as social freezing, is becoming increasingly popular.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cryos International experienced an influx of men wanting to deposit their sperm. A questionnaire-based study was initiated to investigate the motivations for the men wanting to deposit sperm. Findings of the study showed that depositors chose to deposit mainly due to medical reasons e.g., cancer, sex change, and that the COVID-19 pandemic had no significant influence on the reason for depositing their sperm.