Risk of cross-contamination and its prevention in human sperm cryobanking / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Despite the worldwide application of sperm-freezing technology as a means of preserving male fertility functions, few reports are seen about the transmission of microorganisms to cryopreserved sperm via contaminated liquid nitrogen (LN). Although the risk of cross-contamination between samples stored in liquid nitrogen is "vanishingly small", it must be accepted as a finite risk and all reasonable measures taken to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Moreover, all methods employed, including collection, cryopreservation, storage and thawing of human sperm as well as the clinical use of cryobanked human sperm, must reduce the risk of contamination from any source throughout the entire process.