A question to all those cancer-patients out there... (esp. UK)?

Question

Hey! Fellow cancer-sufferers/survivors! I have a question that I think really needs addressing.

Any of you who have had radiotherapy, and are male, will probably have had to have some sperm stored somewhere. I certainly have, and now, a year after my treatment finished, the storage place are demanding money off me, for continued storage!

This is totally outrageous! I can't see how they can FORCE me to pay money for something that I may never need, nor never actually have any use for. For one, I might NOT actually be infertile, there's no-one who's checked that. Secondly, the stored sperm still doesn't guarantee sucess if I ever even WANT a baby (which I don't know I do yet...). Thirdly, how can they charge someone for something that we HAVE to have?

My doctor says I don't have a leg to stand on, because my PCT doesn't pay for Sperm Storage, so, what am I supposed to do? Pay the £200 each year???? Comments will be much appreciated.

Answer 1

You don't have a leg to stand on. You should have known from the beginning that there would be a storage fee for as long as you continue to store your sperm. It is a very common practice.

My son did radiation and chemo about a year ago. We did not store sperm because the chance of him having trouble having kids is so small that it is almost non existant. It really depends on your chemo drugs and where you were radiated.

Answer 2

You are simply paying foe the cost of storing your otherwise biohazardous waste until such time that you may need it. Your money goes towards the electricity, rent, equipment, salaries, refrigeration etc... That building wasn't a gift to you, and neither was the liquid hydrogen that your sample is stored in.
Additonally, you cannot justify paying for something that you HAVE to have, and which you may never need. Consider this the same as paying for auto insurance....