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21 February 2000

Dear Colleague,

Re: Storage of Sperm for Vasectomy Patients

I am writing to clarify the situation with respect to storage of sperm for men who undergo vasectomy operations. Some centres and professional organisations have asked the HFEA for clarification on this issue.

Section 14(3) of the HFE Act 1990 states that the statutory storage period in respect of gametes is ten years. Regulations made by Parliament in 1991 allowed for an extension to this storage period in certain circumstances. The Regulations allow for the extension of the statutory storage period if the gametes were provided by a person:

i)  whose fertility since providing them has, or is likely to become, in the written opinion of a medical practitioner, significantly impaired;

ii)  who was aged under 45 on the date on which the gametes were provided; and

iii)  who intends the gametes for his own use only. 

The HFEA have agreed that men that satisfy ii) and iii) above and who have stored sperm prior to a vasectomy do fulfil the criteria set out in the Regulations and are, therefore, eligible for extended storage.

I hope this has clarified the situation.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the HFEA.

Yours faithfully,

Ruth Deech
Chairman

Page last updated: 14 April 2009

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