If you’re a young woman diagnosed with cancer, you are likely concerned about your future prospects for having children. Chemotherapy and radiation can harm your eggs, but there are many options for fertility preservation. Chief among them: freezing your eggs for future use or fertilizing the eggs and freezing the embryos.
It’s important to be your own advocate and discuss the options with your doctor, says Dr. Jaime Knopman, Director of Fertility Preservation at CCRM NY. Studies have shown that as many as 50 percent of women across the country are not informed about what they can do to preserve fertility before undergoing cancer treatment.
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Fertility struggles are a genuine concern among cancer patients, as certain cancer treatments can cause infertility. Fortunately, in many cases, efforts can be made before beginning treatment to help preserve fertility. Even without a diagnosis, many couples, at one point or another, experience infertility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says within the U.S., “about one in five” married women between the ages of 15 and 49 with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after trying for a year. Additionally, “one in four” of women in this group struggle to get pregnant or carry the pregnancy to term.WATCH: How does chemotherapy affect fertility?
Infertility can be a side effect of cancer treatment due to how it impacts the body. Various cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, can affect both men’s and women’s fertility. Before undergoing cancer treatment, patients should speak to their doctors about fertility preservation if they wish to have a family in the future.
Patients should also recognize that infertility is a problem that affects so many people hoping to be parents, and nothing to be ashamed of.
The American Psychological Association said in its Monitor on Psychology Magazine, “A diagnosis of infertility — the inability to get pregnant after a year or more of trying — can lead to depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems, trigger feelings of shame and failure to live up to traditional gender expectations, and strain relationships.”
Among men, infertility can “cut into a man’s feelings of masculinity” and “can lead to issues of shame and embarrassment,” psychologist William D. Petok told the outlet.
Cancer’s Impact on Male Fertility
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can damage sperm in men, and hormone therapy can decrease sperm production, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation treatment can also lead to lower sperm count and testosterone levels, impacting fertility.
Possible side effects of cancer treatment should be discussed with your doctor before starting treatment. Men may have the option to store their sperm in a sperm bank before treatment to preserve their fertility.
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This sperm can then be used later as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
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