Make an appointment
- If you need to start cancer treatment immediately, the appointment can often be made on the same day.
- To begin, make an appointment at a fertility clinic. Sometimes your cancer care team will help you with this.
- If you’re unable to go to a fertility clinic, arrangements can often be made to provide a sperm sample at the hospital or your home. The fertility clinic will give you instructions on how a family member could help. Often, family members assist in taking the sample to the clinic. Make sure to follow the sampling protocol that the clinic provides you.
Before you bank
- Go through infectious disease testing. To prevent delays, many banks will allow you to provide a sperm sample and then test later for infectious disease. Check with your fertility clinic.
- Ideally, and if you have time, it is best to abstain from ejaculating for 3–4 days before going to the clinic to provide a sample.
- If you need to start cancer treatment right away, it is still possible to provide a sperm sample even if you have not abstained for the recommended period of time.
- You will probably need to get a blood test to screen for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), either at the fertility clinic or at the hospital where you are receiving your cancer treatment. This is a standard procedure. Even if you have an STI, you will be able to bank your sperm.
Sign a consent form
- You will then be asked to sign a consent form.
- The consent form will ask you some sensitive questions about what will happen to your sperm.
- The consent form deals with events that could possibly happen in the future. You may not want to view this information at this time. If you would like more information on what questions the consent form will ask, please click here.
