The History of Semen Cryopreservation, Sperm cryo-preservation and banking has become a widely accepted part of our culture. Once looked upon with uncertainty, this practice has proven time and time again to be a successful method of keeping the hope of a family alive for many men.

As early as the 1940's cattle breeders and veterinarians had pretty much refined the process of cryo-preserving bull semen and artificially inseminating heifers. It was obvious then, that the technology they were working with would be of great benefit to mankind.

However it wasn't until the 1950's that the methods for cryo-preserving human semen and artificial insemination were refined, resulting in the first human birth. Since then, careful ongoing research has aided in the development of more sophisticated procedures and techniques for the freezing and storing of human semen.

Today, conservative estimates prove that as of 1996, more than 260,000 human births have been achieved through artificial insemination with cryo-preserved semen. So far, no limit has been established for how long human semen can be frozen when maintained and stored in appropriate liquid nitrogen storage. Santan ART bank has maintained cryo-preserved human semen in storage for over 7 years. Scientific literature shows conclusively that sperm motility; viability and morphology are not affected by proper long-term cryo-preservation.

• In 1790, the renowned Scottish anatomist and surgeon, Dr. John Hunter, reported that he had successfully inseminated the wife of a linen draper, using her husband's sperm.
• In 1909, the author, Addison Davis Hard, claimed that the first human donor insemination had been performed at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1884 -- twenty-five years earlier.
• Until 1954, DI remained virtually unknown to the public.
• In 1954, the Supreme Court of Cook County ruled that regardless of a husband's consent, DI was "contrary to public policy and good morals, and considered adultery on the mother's part.
• In 1964 Georgia became the first state to pass a statute legitimizing children conceived by DI, on the condition that both the husband and wife consented in writing.
• In 1973 the Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, and a year later, the American Bar Association, approved the Uniform Parentage Act. This act provides that if a wife is artificially inseminated with donor semen under a physician's supervision, and with her husband's consent, the law treats the husband as if he were the natural father of the DI child.
• In 1866 a man by the name of Montegazza was the first to envision banks for frozen human sperm.
• In 1953 the first successful human pregnancy with frozen spermatozoa was reported.
• In the early 70s, the first commercial sperm bank was opened.