We offer fertility preservation for people who may be at risk of infertility due to cancer treatment, treatment for certain benign conditions, gender transition or early menopause.
Storage and future use
Eggs and embryos can be stored for up to 55 years, with storage reviewed at least every 10 years. Patients are responsible for keeping their contact details up to date and informing the clinic of their wishes regarding stored eggs or embryos.
Funding for fertility preservation is available in many medical circumstances, such as before treatment that may affect fertility. However, patients choosing to delay childbearing may need to pay for treatment and storage themselves.
In some cases, ongoing storage costs may apply, even if the initial treatment was NHS funded.
The decision between egg and embryo freezing is personal and can have legal implications. Embryo storage requires ongoing consent from both partners, so it is important to carefully consider which option is right for you. While freezing and thawing techniques are well established, no fertility treatment can guarantee a future pregnancy.
Sperm storage
We provide sperm storage for men undergoing cancer treatment and for people planning treatment with feminising hormones. We also offer egg freezing for women undergoing cancer treatment, those with certain benign gynaecological or genetic conditions, women at risk of early menopause, people undergoing gender transition, and those choosing to preserve their fertility for social reasons.
Egg freezing
Egg freezing involves collecting and storing unfertilised eggs and is available to both single women and those in relationships. Embryo freezing involves fertilising eggs with sperm and growing the resulting embryos in the laboratory before freezing them. This option is available when sperm is provided by a partner. As embryos are jointly owned, both partners must consent to their future use. Because embryo storage requires the ongoing consent of both partners, it is important to carefully consider which option is right for your circumstances.
Ovarian and testicular tissue freezing
In partnership with specialist centres, we can also arrange referrals for ovarian or testicular tissue freezing for children and young people who are too young to undergo egg or sperm storage before cancer treatment.
Some fertility preservation treatments need to be arranged at very short notice. Referrals cannot be made directly by patients and must come from a hospital specialist or GP, who can contact the fertility centre to arrange an urgent appointment where needed. Less urgent cases should be referred to our young persons’ clinic.
Further information about fertility preservation is available on the HFEA website.
Read the patient information leaflet on fertility preservation
