Sometimes in our lives we have to face unexpected things. Maybe a serious illness, or because of prioritizing studies or work, we have to postpone thinking about having a child. At a time like this, it is normal to have the fear of "Will I not be able to have a child of my own in the future?". In such a situation, today we are talking about a very valuable medical and scientific method that can help you preserve that hope. That is Fertility Preservation , or as we say in English.
So, what is Fertility Preservation?
Simply put, this involves taking your embryos, eggs, sperm, and reproductive tissues and storing them safely for future use without any harm. This is something that can be done for adults as well as, and sometimes, young children.
This is mainly divided into two parts. One is to preserve fertility before it is damaged due to a medical condition (for example, cancer). The other is to use this method to preserve one's fertility if one wants to delay having children for personal reasons, such as work, education, or until a suitable partner is found.
Who is this method important to?
There are many factors that can affect your future fertility. Let's look at a few of them. If you're facing a situation like this, it's worth thinking about.
| Reason | Description |
|---|---|
| Age | Fertility naturally declines, especially in women's late 30s and 40s. So, if you're delaying having children, you can save your eggs or sperm during your most fertile time. |
| Cancer | Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and some surgeries for cancer can directly damage fertility. |
| Autoimmune Diseases | Diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and the medications they take, can also cause fertility problems. |
| Reproductive health problems | Conditions like endometriosis and uterine fibroids can make it difficult to get pregnant. |
What are the main methods of preserving fertility?
These methods are different for women and men. We will talk about each method separately.
Methods for women
- Egg Freezing: This involves stimulating the ovaries with hormone injections to develop multiple eggs at once. The mature eggs are then removed from the body, frozen, and stored for future use.
- Embryo Freezing: This also involves removing eggs. But then those eggs are fertilized in a laboratory with your partner's or a donor's sperm to create embryos. We call this process In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) . Then these embryos are frozen for future use. This is also called Embryo Cryopreservation .
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing: In an emergency, such as cancer treatment, you may not have time to wait weeks for your eggs to mature after taking hormones. In such cases, a small portion of your ovary is surgically removed and frozen. When your treatment is over and you are ready to have a child, the tissue is then reinserted into your body.
- Ovarian Transposition / Oophoropexy: If radiation therapy is being performed, the ovaries are surgically removed from the pelvis and placed in a safe location in the abdomen to prevent damage.
- Radiation Shielding: During radiation treatment, the ovaries are protected by a special shield made of lead.
Methods for men
- Sperm Freezing: This is the simplest and most commonly used method for men. A semen sample is collected, frozen, and stored.
- Testicular Tissue Freezing: Some men may have no sperm in their semen. Also, boys who have not reached puberty cannot produce sperm. In such cases, a small piece of tissue is taken from the testicle, the sperm is extracted, and it is frozen.
- Radiation Shielding: Like women, special shields are used to protect the testicles during radiation treatment for men.
Are there any risks in this process? How successful is it?
As with any medical procedure, there may be some risks.
The important thing is that none of these methods can guarantee 100% pregnancy. But it does give you great hope and opportunity for the future.
- Infections or bleeding can very rarely occur during egg or sperm retrieval procedures.
- IVF treatment may increase the chances of having multiple births, having a baby at a young age, and having low birth weight babies.
- There are risks associated with anesthesia during surgery.
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can sometimes occur due to hormones that stimulate the ovaries.
When it comes to success, it depends on many things, such as your age, body mass index (BMI), and existing health conditions . In general, eggs and sperm collected at a younger age are more likely to have successful results.
Therefore, it is best to talk openly with your doctor about the method that best suits you and its success rate, and seek his advice.
When is the best time to talk to the doctor about this?
Time is a very important factor in this. The sooner we talk about this, the better.
- Before starting cancer treatment: It is essential to consider fertility preservation methods before starting chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
- Before age 35 (for women): If you are thinking about delaying having children, it is best to think about this before age 35.
- As soon as you are diagnosed with a disease that affects fertility: As soon as you are diagnosed with a disease like endometriosis, discuss this with your doctor as well.
If you've already completed fertility treatments, don't give up hope. Talk to your doctor about your options.
Take-Home Message
- Fertility preservation is a valuable opportunity for those who are delaying having children due to cancer treatment, aging, or other personal reasons to have a child of their own in the future.
- There are separate methods for women and men. The main methods are freezing eggs, sperm, embryos, or reproductive tissue.
- While these methods cannot be guaranteed to be 100% successful, they do give you great hope and choice.
- If you are concerned about this, talk to your doctor about it openly as soon as possible, especially before starting any treatment, such as cancer treatment. Then you can make the best decision.
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