Blog written by Laboratory Staff Zachary K.
When I was first offered the lab technician position at Cryogenic Laboratories, my father thought I would be dealing with frozen bodies or something of that sort. When I explained that the company I would be working for dealt with human tissue, specifically sperm, he was a little taken a back that I would pursue a job such as this. Additionally my friends were surprised with the work that my position entailed. With all of this said, I believe many people have some discomfort or awkward tendencies when talking about the processes of sperm banking, sperm donations and cryopreservation of tissue.
Recently, some of my coworkers and I were at an event in which we had a booth to advertise our services. We were approached tentatively by some who were not quite sure what we did exactly. Others saw our banner and table decorations and figured out what it is we do. Of the few who spoke with us, they were surprised that there are companies who offer services like ours. It was as if they had heard about sperm donors and sperm banking before, but never actually witnessed anything that dealt with that topic in person. One individual in particular was surprised that the actual lab technicians were the ones out advertising and recruiting. They were surprised because the other booths were occupied by overly-talkative and separately hired PR representatives. It is wonderful to be able to get out and “spread the word” about what we do. Although some may chuckle or get a little uncomfortable when they talk to us, I believe that as people learn more about the advantages of sperm donations and cryopreservation, it will not be such an uncomfortable topic for the general population to discuss
