The basic princples of cryobiology are described for both slow freezing and vitrification of spermatozoa. Specific aspects of cryopreserving human spermatozoa are discussed in detail, incluidng the formulation of cryopreservation media and their proper use. Alternative packaging devices are discussed in relation to the achievement of correct cooling and warming curves as well as effective biocontainment. High security straws are recommended as the best method to use from both perspectives, and a standard operating procedure (SOP) for easy use at the bench is provided. SOPs for human sperm vitrification techniques are also gven. Quality control and risk management aspects of sperm freezing and for cryobank organzation are described. Finally, there is a section on sperm donation.

Following an overview of Risk Management, tools such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) are described. The key role of risk management in laboratory accreditation and certification is discussed, and the main sources of risk in the andrology laboratory are considered. The specific areas of specimen provenance and sperm cryobanking / cryobank management are discussed, as well as the post-analytical phase of sperm testing in terms of results intepretation and diagnosis.