Effect of Long-time Human Sperm Storage in Liquid Nitrogen on Semen Parameters

Sperm cryopreservation is an essential tool for men fertility preservation in the context of gonadotoxic treatments or/and pathologies such as cancers, gamete donation and ART. Nevertheless, it is validated that the freezing and thawing procedures affect sperm parameters and in particular motility. It is therefore essential to determine the impact of storage time on motility and particularly the number of progressive motile spermatozoa which will determine the choice of ART technique. However, few studies have analyzed the impact of storage time in liquid nitrogen and no study over a long period on human spermatozoa and their use in ART. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of long-time storage, from 2 to 12 years, in liquid nitrogen on standard semen parameters, notably motility.