Different factors affect your fertility or chances of conceiving. But did you know you can prevent that and preserve your fertility? One issue behind infertility is medical conditions and treatments, such as cancer. Cancer survivors are likely to experience fertility issues after their treatments. For this reason, Celebration fertility preservation specialists and fertility experts at the Center for Reproductive Medicine offer fertility preservation options to allow you to start a family after your cancer therapies. This article will provide all the details you need to know about fertility preservation.

What is fertility preservation?

It’s unfortunate when you have to go through cancer therapy, among other therapies likely to interfere with your fertility, before having children or starting your family.

Fertility preservation involves techniques to preserve your fertility before you begin your treatments. The Center for Reproductive Medicine team provides you with various options and techniques to protect your fertility from the harsh effects of cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy.

What is fertility preservation for women?

Women usually have a limited number of eggs at puberty. The number declines as the woman approach menopause. After the depletion of the ovarian reserve, it’s impossible to rejuvenate the reserve.

Cancer, among other treatments, affects and decreases the production of eggs in women, causing premature menopause. However, different factors contribute to the decline in egg production, including:

•         The radiation dosage
•         Age
•         Hodgkin’s disease
•         Older women above 35
•         Type of chemotherapeutic agent

Usually, you may not tell whether your cancer therapies will affect your fertility; hence you might want to consider fertility preservation options before you begin your treatment process.

What are your fertility preservation options before treatment?

Different options are available depending on the time before you start the therapy or whether you are married or single.

•         In Vitro fertilization and embryo freezing
•         Mature oocyte cryopreservation
•         In vitro maturation
•         Medical suppression of the ovaries
•         Fertility-sparing surgery

What are the options available after cancer therapy?

If you wish to start a family after your cancer treatment, the first step after your cancer therapy should be to evaluate your fertility. Depending on the treatment effects on your fertility, your provider may suggest the following options.

•         Egg donation
•         Ovulation induction
•         In vitro fertilization
•         Intrauterine insemination
•         Gestational carriers

What does fertility preservation for men involve?

Cancer therapies may not affect reproductive function in boys or before puberty. But, chemotherapy or radiation affects sperm production. The degree of the risk depends on the age of the man, the part exposed to radiation, the type of chemotherapeutic used, and the dose of radiation used.

Fertility preservation options before cancer therapies include

•         Testicular aspiration
•         Semen cryopreservation
•         Shielding the testicles from radiation

After the cancer treatment, your provider conducts a comprehensive analysis to determine whether the man can produce sperm. Your provider may recommend the following fertility preservation options based on your assessment results.

•         Sperm extraction
•         Intrauterine insemination
•         In Vitro fertilization
•         Donor sperm

If you wish to start a family after cancer therapy, please reach out to a fertility expert to help preserve your fertility. Call the Center for Reproductive Medicine to book your appointment.