Protecting Fertility for Patients at Risk of Medically Induced Infertility
Facing a medical condition can be overwhelming. One concern you might not have considered is its potential impact on your future fertility. Certain medical conditions and their treatments can affect your ability to conceive naturally. At the University of Miami Health Center for Reproductive Medicine, we understand the importance of family planning, and we're here to help.
What is Medically Induced Infertility?
Medically induced infertility refers to a situation where a medical condition or its treatment makes it difficult or impossible to get pregnant naturally. This can happen due to:
- Impacts on hormone production. Conditions that affect hormone balance, like endometriosis or certain autoimmune diseases, can disrupt ovulation or sperm production.
- Surgery or radiation. Certain surgeries or radiation treatments can damage reproductive organs or impair fertility.
- Medications. Some medications used to treat various conditions can have side effects that impact fertility.
Who Is at Risk for Medically Induced Infertility?
Common conditions that may increase the risk of infertility include:
- Known cancer mutations (e.g., BRCA 1 & 2)
- Autoimmune diseases (lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
- Genetic disorders (Turner syndrome)
- Neurological conditions (epilepsy)
- Anemia (sickle cell, aplastic anemia, thalassemia)
- Gender dysphoria
- Systemic sclerosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Hepatitis B
- Chronic renal disease
- HIV
- Cancer treatments
The Effects of Medical Treatments that Can Cause Infertility
The effects of different treatments on fertility can vary. In some cases, damage may be short-term. However, it can also be permanent.
Here are some examples of how treatments may affect fertility:
- Chemotherapy and infertility. Chemotherapy may harm the ability of the ovaries or testicles to produce viable eggs and sperm.
- Radiation and infertility. Radiation may cause damage to the ovaries and uterus in women and girls, affecting female fertility. In men, radiation may damage sperm and lower sperm count.
- Surgeries affecting fertility. Certain surgeries can affect or sometimes remove the organs needed for fertility and pregnancy. These may include testicular and prostate surgeries for men, and hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) for women.
- Certain medications. Some medications such as hormone therapies may affect fertility. But this may be only a temporary effect of treatment
- Sickle cell disease treatment. Blood and bone marrow transplants may decrease women’s ovarian reserve (number of eggs).
Fertility Preservation Options for At-Risk Patients
Advancements in fertility preservation offer hope if you are facing medically induced infertility. At the UHealth Center for Reproductive Medicine, we offer a range of options depending on your individual situation.
Here are some possible fertility preservation options if you are at risk:
- Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation. This allows you to preserve your fertility by freezing your eggs for future use. If and when you’re ready to try for a baby, your eggs can be fertilized with sperm through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Sperm banking, also called sperm freezing or sperm cryopreservation. This allows you to bank your sperm for future use. This process involves collecting and freezing a semen sample. The sample can then be stored for years until you’re ready to start a family.
- Embryo cryopreservation (freezing). This allows you to preserve an egg that has been fertilized by a sperm (or an embryo) for later use.
- Medical ovarian suppression. This prevents the ovaries from making estrogen and may help improve future fertility after breast cancer treatment.
- Ovarian transposition. This involves moving the ovaries out of the way of harmful radiation.
- Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (freezing). This preserves egg-producing ovarian tissue to help support future fertility. It may be used to help protect your reproductive options if you have cancer or other diseases affecting the ovaries.
- Testicular transposition. This involves moving the testicles out of the way of harmful radiation.
- Testicular tissue cryopreservation (freezing testicular tissue). This is still considered an experimental option and is only completed for research purposes.
Benefits of Fertility Preservation
If you plan to have a child in the future, fertility preservation can help you take control of your health. Benefits can include the following:
- Reproductive options. Procedures such as egg freezing and sperm freezing can provide options to have a biological child with methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Peace of mind. Knowing that you have taken steps to protect your fertility can help you focus on getting better if you’re being treated for cancer or another condition.
- Flexibility. Options such as freezing eggs, sperm, and embryos enable you to plan your family at a time that works for you.
Don’t wait
If you’re facing a medical diagnosis, getting better is your top priority – as it should be. Still, it’s important to talk with your provider about possible effects on your fertility if you plan to have a child in the future. The sooner you do this, the better. Your provider can explain your options and help you find a plan that works for you.
Success Rates of Fertility Preservation Techniques
Fertility preservation success rates can vary widely based on factors such as your age, health, and the treatment you’re considering. There is no guarantee that treatment will result in a pregnancy. However, many people have had children with support from fertility preservation.
Factors affecting outcomes may include:
- A female’s age at the time her eggs are frozen.
- The age and overall health of a female at the time of fertility treatment.
- The number of available eggs.
- The quality of the sperm.
If you’re considering fertility preservation, talk with your doctor about the success rates for your specific procedure and what you can expect.
Preparing for Fertility Preservation Procedures
If you’re preparing for fertility preservation such as egg or sperm freezing, you probably have many questions. It can be overwhelming.
Knowing what to expect can help. Here’s an overview of the different steps in fertility preservation preparation.
- Consultation. This is a chance to better understand your fertility status and any patient preparation needed before you move forward with fertility preservation. You and your physician can review information about your health and treatment. Take this opportunity to ask questions like:
- How long do I have to complete your fertility preservation treatment?
- How can fertility preservation impact my chances of having a child in the future?
- Medical evaluations. Your physician may order testing depending on the procedure you’re planning. For sperm banking, this may include lab analysis of sperm quantity and quality for sperm freezing. For egg freezing, you may need blood tests and fertility tests such as ovarian reserve testing to estimate the number of eggs you have present.
- Steps to take before the procedure. Depending on which procedure you’re having, you may need to take different steps to prepare. These steps can be more extensive for procedures such as egg freezing. For example, you’ll need to take hormone injections to stimulate your ovaries to produce mature eggs as part of the egg freezing process. Your provider will guide and support you each step of the way.
What Happens After Fertility Preservation?
Completing a fertility preservation procedure can be a milestone in your family planning journey. Treatments such as egg freezing or sperm freezing can expand your reproductive options, allowing you to pursue parenthood when the time is right for you.
The next steps after fertility preservation procedures can include:
- Storage and monitoring. Frozen eggs, sperm, and embryos are stored and monitored in designated storage labs or facilities. Technicians help ensure the proper temperature and environment. This can help preserve them for years until you’re ready to use them.
- Starting your family. When you’re ready to try having a child, you can use your preserved eggs, sperm, or embryos for a fertility procedure, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Intrauterine insemination. This fertility procedure places sperm directly in a woman’s uterus with a catheter to begin a pregnancy.
Is Fertility Preservation Covered by Insurance?
Fertility preservation is not typically covered by insurance. Still, check with your insurance provider for possible exceptions. At UHealth, we offer financing options to help make payment more affordable.
Schedule a Consultation
If you have concerns about medically induced infertility, you’re not alone. Fertility preservation treatments may give you more options to have a biological child in the future. Taking proactive steps can empower your future family planning.
We understand that facing a medical condition is stressful. At the UHealth Center for Reproductive Medicine, we're here to provide compassionate care and support as you navigate your fertility options.
Contact Us: Have questions? Contact our fertility experts today. Call us at 305-243-8642.
Why Choose UHealth?
Patient-centered fertility preservation care. The ideal approach to fertility preservation varies for each patient. Factors like age, diagnosis, family planning goals, and potential fertility challenges all play a role. We work closely with you to understand your specific risks and fertility preservation options. This ensures you receive the best possible care.
Focus on urgency and personalized care. Early action is key, particularly when treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy pose a risk to fertility. Our compassionate team works closely with you to explore fertility preservation options and prioritize your consultations in our schedule.
Wide range of innovative treatments. If you need specialized services such as genetic testing to aid you in your fertility planning, you can find them right here with us. We offer treatments for both women and men, including diagnosis of infertility, pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), semen analysis, and microsurgeries that restore the normal function of the reproductive organs.
High pregnancy rates. We can support you through every stage of your family-planning journey – from fertility preservation to in vitro fertilization (IVF) when you’re ready to pursue parenthood. We have some of the highest pregnancy rates in not only South Florida, but in the entire United States. Our success stories include even the most challenging cases. When caring for each of our patients, we strive to always maintain the highest ethical standards and practices.
Academic medical center expertise. Faculty members at the Miller School of Medicine, a nationally recognized institution, currently conduct nearly 2,000 research projects in science and clinical care in a variety of fields. Our emphasis on research and innovation ensures you receive the most sophisticated diagnostic tests and advanced fertility treatments available. This combination of our physician-directed practice within a university-based health system emphasizes research and innovation in fertility medicine.
Active members of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART). Our experts strive to uphold the highest standards in our field of medicine. As members of SART, we follow the strictest guidelines and rules set forth by this industry-leading organization.
Affordable fertility care. We offer cost-effective treatments and make the process as affordable as possible with our competitive pricing, view our financing options. Our center prides itself on integrity and we are dedicated to providing a transparent process. Your treatment options are clearly outlined and presented to you at the time of consultation. We provide financial consultations and will show you how our plans differ from what other centers in our area offer. We are committed to making sure you know what to expect upfront. We offer financing through Lending Club Patient Solutions. In addition, we do not bundle price for our in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, which means if you get pregnant within one cycle, you will only be charged for that one cycle. If pregnancy does not occur in the first cycle, we provide discounts for second and third IVF cycles.
Questions? We're here to help.
Our appointment specialists are ready to help you find what you need. Contact us today.