Demand for sperm banking services has increased in Russia

This is associated with partial mobilization – men tend to preserve their biomaterial

After the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia, the demand for the services of reproductive banks (colloquially, sperm banks) has increased dramatically. And if earlier the main consumers of such a service were people with certain chronic diseases, now quite healthy men leave their biomaterial for storage in order to have a guaranteed opportunity to become fathers in case of emergency.

The sperm cryopreservation service has been offered in our country for more than a decade, and most often it was used by people who risked losing their reproductive potential due to a health condition (for example, before starting a course of aggressive treatment, including chemotherapy). In addition, people who have the goal of becoming fathers closer to old age resorted to bioinsurance of their reproductive function. Another group of patients were men whose work is associated with harmful working conditions, which, in turn, can affect the quality of sperm. Modern technologies make it possible to keep cells frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees indefinitely. After defrosting, sperm retains its reproductive properties – it can be used for its intended purpose after 10 years, and after 100.

However, the announcement of partial mobilization unexpectedly revived this market. In an organization where you can leave your sperm for storage with virtually no limitation of the statute of limitations, healthy men have reached out who, according to the selection criteria, can be mobilized.

As Avtandil Chogovadze, an expert, told MK, the demand has increased, if not by an order of magnitude, then five times: “Previously, an average of 20-25 patients a month resorted to sperm cryopreservation services, and now up to ten people a day. At least because of stress, spermatogenesis is inhibited, and the possibility of its restoration depends on the individual characteristics of the person, and it is not clear when this can happen. Including spermatogenesis can be lost due to various reasons: injuries, injuries, serious health complications. Well, it is clear that a person can simply die. And sperm storage is an opportunity to ensure that a man can become a father in the future: if he returns, but loses fertility, and if he dies. In the latter case, the woman will be able to use the genetic material. In Russia, this is somewhat difficult in terms of the heritability of the biomaterial, but nevertheless there are precedents, and this is normal practice. And in the world this is widespread. For example, in the armies of Israel and the United States, each soldier is asked to save his biomaterial before being sent to the combat zone, including women soldiers who are asked to save eggs.

Experts note that in order not to have any problems with the law, a man must issue a notarized power of attorney for his wife or beloved woman. Now it is difficult: there are also huge queues for notaries.

Meanwhile, various clinics even began to offer special promotions for those who are subject to mobilization.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28882 dated October 4, 2022

Newspaper headline:
No, I won’t be gone