Fertility Preservation

Treatment Options

What is Fertility Preservation?

Fertility Preservation is the process of safeguarding your reproductive well-being by freezing your eggs or sperm, also known as cryopreservation, with the intent of using them to build a family in the future.

If you’re not yet ready to start a family, it may be best to look into fertility preservation. By preserving your fertility, you are allowing yourself more time to prepare for future family planning. As we age, the quality of our eggs and sperm may lessen over time.

Fertility preservation techniques allow individuals to store healthy eggs and sperm for future use. These procedures can also safeguard your fertility prior to any surgery or medical treatment that may permanently inhibit your ability to conceive naturally.

Prior to any cryopreservation, we recommend that you fully discuss the benefits, risks, advantages, and disadvantages with our physicians prior to making the decision to freeze your eggs.

When to consider Fertility Preservation?

There are many reasons why fertility preservation may be considered. Oftentimes, it can be for personal choices, but other times can include those who are undergoing specific medical treatments or surgeries that could potentially impact their chances of conceiving in the future, or men undergoing procedures like vasectomies or testicular biopsies who would like to preserve their potential for future parenthood. Looking into fertility preservation may be best for those who fall under these categories:

Chemotherapy and Other Cancer Treatments:

Individuals battling cancer and undergoing treatments like chemotherapy or radiation may want to consider our Oncofertility treatments. Oncofertility is the joining of oncology and fertility treatments. Cancer treatments may damage reproductive organs, making it difficult to conceive in the future.

Gender-Affirming Treatments:

Those undergoing gender-affirming procedures may need to consider fertility preservation, as gender-affirming treatments can affect the ability to have biological children later on. This approach allows individuals to prioritize their gender-identity while preserving their potential for family in the future.

High-Risk Jobs:

Those with professions that expose them to high levels of occupational hazards or risks may find fertility preservation beneficial, ensuring that their reproductive options remain open despite the potential dangers they may face in their line of work.

Not Ready to Start a Family:

For both men and women, fertility decreases with age, so for those who are not currently ready to have children but wish to preserve the option for later in life, fertility preservation is something to consider. Whether you are not emotionally ready, want to focus on your career, or travel before settling down, fertility preservation allows you more time to prepare for parenthood.

How to Preserve Fertility?

Egg
Freezing

Egg freezing is the process in which eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and then cryopreserved as a way to preserve a woman’s fertility for future use. When the time is right, the individual will use IVF to fertilize the eggs for implantation.

Sperm
Freezing

Sperm freezing is the process of preserving sperm specimens through cryopreservation for future use. The preserved sperm samples can be used with assisted reproductive techniques like Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).