Self-preservation is instinctive, and that’s science, so is the essence of this story where Kenyan men have found a way of ensuring lineage continuity, even when they’re miles away from their wives.
Before leaving to work or study abroad, men leave behind their sperms, stored in private sperm banks locally, so their wives can undertake artificial insemination at a time of their choice.
The increasingly common trend saves the family the expenditure and hassle of travelling back and forth to be with each other.
Dr Sarita Sukhija, senior In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and fertility specialist at Myra IVF and Medical Clinic in Nairo-bi, says that the demand for sperm freezing services in her facility has been steadily rising.
“The facility is currently storing sperm of over 100 men who travelled abroad. The sperm can later be used to fertilise their wives or girlfriends when they are ready to conceive,” she says.
Some sperms stay in the clinic for up to three years before the partners show up for fertilisation, according to Dr Sukhija.
She says freezing of sperm for men who live thousands of kilometres away from their partners is also important for purposes of quality.
Studies indicate that like female fertility, male fertility also wanes with age. As men get older, the quality of their sperm declines, leading to overall declines in fertility.
Aging, according to various studies, can affect the quality of sperms, including the motility, shape and concentration, which then makes it more difficult for sperm to fertilise an egg.
“Fertility starts to decline for men when they are in their late 40s, with up to a 23 per cent annual decline in fertility beginning at age 39,” she says.
Dr Sukhija says her facility is also storing eggs for about 25 young women who are planning to have children in future after completing their studies.
Freezing sperm or eggs while young can increase chances of a successful fertility treatment later on, according to Dr Sukhija.
“Deferring pregnancy can be a solution for people who are still focusing on career progression and other matters in life. This is because as you age, the number and quality of eggs deteriorate thus increasing the chances of infertility,” she says. “It is very important to understand that every woman is born with a certain number of eggs which go on finishing with age. It becomes difficult for women to get pregnant once they hit 40 years.”
But freezing comes at a cost. Preserving sperm, eggs or embryos costs between Sh10, 000 and Sh15, 000 a month, depending on where you store them.
Frozen sperm are usually stored in a nitrogen tank for future use at a temperature of -196 degrees centigrade.
Semen samples are slowly frozen in liquid nitrogen vapours. Once the samples have been frozen, they are placed in special containers where they are stored in liquid nitrogen until they are needed.
With the country lacking public facilities for sperm bank-ing, the life cells are frozen in private facilities at a higher cost.
The sperm bank, which was run by the University of Nairobi’s Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) collapsed some years ago after donors pulled out of the project.
Dr Sukhija’s clinic, for instance, charges Sh10, 000 per month or a discounted Sh100, 000 per year.
“Freezing sperm or eggs is expensive because we refill liquid nitrogen after every 15 days as it evaporates,” Dr Sukhija explains.
She says the facility has also recorded increased demand for sperm from women who wish to get pregnant from unknown sperm donors.
Women who need sperm from Kenyan or African men are charged between Sh25, 000 and Sh30, 000 at Myra IVF and Medical Clinic.
The KNH facility charged sperm recipients a nominal fee of Sh5, 000 before it collapsed.
The variation, Dr Sukhija says, is because the sperm are taken as far as Egypt for screening of any abnormalities. Kenya has no machines that can detect genetic conditions and other defects in sperm.
Kenyan women who want sperm from white men are charged at least Sh150, 000.
“This is because sperm from Kenyan men are readily available. But (for white men), we have to import from international sperm banks,” she says.
Sperm bank (cryo-bank or semen-bank) is a repository that purchases and stores the sperm under scientifically controlled conditions to keep them viable for a longer period of time.
These stored sperm are sold to clinics and hospitals across the globe for artificial insemination, which involves introduction of the sperm directly into the female’s uterine cavity to fertilise the egg.
Dr Sukhija says the demand for virginal rejuvenation services is high.
“Every 10 inquiries we receive, three are seeking vaginal rejuvenation services. After giving birth to three or more children, some women feel that their vaginas are relaxed and need tightening.
“We are planning to introduce the services from March 2023. The clinic will charge between Sh70, 000 and Sh100, 000 for vaginal rejuvenation which consists of surgical or nonsurgical treatments that firm up the skin around the vagina,” she explains.