Preserving Fertility
There are many reasons why people may seek to preserve their fertility, which typically fall into the categories of medical reasons or elective reasons.
Ontario residents who wish to preserve their fertility for medical reasons can access government-funded treatment. Cancer treatment (such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy), reproductive organ surgery or treatments that impact hormone production, are all valid medical reasons to freeze sperm or egg samples to be used later in either artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilization. You can learn more about government-funded coverage by visiting the Government of Ontario website.
For those who wish to preserve their fertility for non-medical (elective) reasons, visit our Elective Egg Freezing section for more information.
Egg cryopreservation
The freezing of eggs until you are ready to attempt pregnancy requires approximately two weeks of hormonal stimulation with injectable medication, and a ten minute procedure to extract eggs from the ovaries through the vaginal canal under IV sedation. The eggs are frozen long-term until you are ready to conceive.
Embryo cryopreservation
The freezing of embryos until you are ready to attempt pregnancy requires the same stimulation as egg cryopreservation, but after the eggs are extracted, they are fertilized by partner or donor sperm to create embryos that are then frozen long-term.
Sperm Freezing
Sperm can be frozen for future use when ready for pregnancy. Sperm freezing is an option for those looking to preserve fertility ahead of gender transition.
