Press Release: Free Sperm Banking Offered To All Florida-Based Military

Business Wire
Wednesday, March 19, 2003

TAMPA, Fla. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- March 19 -- The Florida Fertility Institute (FFI) announced today that it will provide semen collection and storage services completely free of charge to all Florida-based reservists and active duty military personnel. The free Military Sperm Bank Program is effective immediately.

"As our reservists and remaining military ready themselves for possible deployment, we at the Florida Fertility Institute would like to do our part to preserve their opportunity for future fatherhood," said FFI founder and Medical Director, Edward Zbella, M.D. "The armed forces are protecting our freedom at home and abroad and we are happy to make this free Military Sperm Bank Program available to them," said Dr. Zbella who is a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert.

The program is available to reservists, the military currently stationed in Florida, as well as military that return on leave or are rotated to Florida during the upcoming year. Dr. Zbella said that the savings to military personnel would be approximately $1200 (the cost for the initial collection, analysis, cryopreservation and storage for up to three years). According to Dr. Zbella the semen can be "stored indefinitely with no loss of potency."

Semen cryopreservation or sperm banking is a "simple and straightforward process involving the collection of a man's semen which is then frozen for future use" says Dr. Zbella. Florida Fertility Institute typically provides sperm banking to cancer patients and men about to undergo treatments or medications that may affect their fertility. The procedure involves collecting semen and freezing it in liquid nitrogen at about 196 degrees below zero.

Collection and storage services are being offered at the Florida Fertility Institute's Clearwater, Florida office. Detailed information on the free Military Sperm Bank Program, the Sperm Bank Hotline phone number and downloadable forms are available at the Institute's website www.TheFertilityExperts.com.

The Florida Fertility Institute is a nationally recognized practice that provides patients with a full array of state-of-the-art reproductive technologies for the treatment of male and female infertility problems. The Institute offers the technology to store semen and with a physician's assistance this semen can be used in the future to bring to life the dreams of parenthood.