Fertility Preservation

Fertility preservation is any process that preserves the ability of a person to have children in the future. It may involve the storage or protection of eggs, sperm, embryos or ovarian tissue.

Fertility preservation may be required in a number of situations:

Prior to cancer treatment that is expected to severely damage the ovaries or testes
Women with a genetic condition (eg, BRCA1 or 2 gene carrier) that places them at increased risk of ovarian cancer and therefore are planning prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries to prevent ovarian cancer)
Women who are expected to undergo an early menopause, either due to a medical condition or a family history of early menopause
Women who have had one ovary removed or substantially damaged, especially if they are considered to be at increased risk of loss or damage to the remaining ovary
Women with an unexpectedly low ovarian reserve for their age
Women who are forced to delay childbearing for a medical reason
Transgender men or women prior to the commencement of hormonal treatments that may damage or impair their fertility, or prior to gender confirming surgery
Prior to a man undergoing vasectomy (freezing sperm prior to vasectomy ensures that sperm is available for a future pregnancy should a man change his mind at a later date and want children)

Egg freezing for social reasons is actually a form of fertility preservation, although the term ‘fertility preservation’ is generally used when there is a medical indication