4 Types of People Who Should Seriously Consider Fertility Preservation
Fertility preservation is the cryopreservation or freezing of eggs, embryos, sperm or other reproductive tissue in order to protect your future options of building a family. Deciding which form of fertility preservation is right for you depends entirely on your current health, career, relationship, and personal general outlook on family planning.
There are many reasons why an individual may choose to preserve their eggs, embryos, or sperm. Some of which include:
1. **Individuals about to undergo radiation or chemotherapy and wish to preserve fertility**
Radiation and chemotherapy treatments, though life-saving, can damage fertility in both men and women. For men, these treatments can affect sperm quality, structure, and motility. They can also cause issues with ejaculation and hormones; if surgical removal of the testicles is needed, fertility will obviously be affected. For women, cancer treatments can affect the development of eggs, hormones, ovary function, fallopian tubes, uterus, and/or cervix. Surgical removal of female reproductive organs will also affect fertility.
2. **Women with a family history of early menopause**
Women with a family history of early menopause who also want to have children should consider having their eggs preserved in order to better protect any future plans of building a family.
3. **Women over the age of 35 who might want children later in the future**
Fertility can be fragile for women age 35 and up. Women reach their fertility peak in their twenties. After age 35, the risk of infertility increases steadily year after year. If you are 35 or older and are concerned about fertility, you should contact a fertility specialist as soon as possible to discuss your options.
4. **Members of the military who are serving abroad**
For members of the military serving abroad or in a combat situation, fertility preservation is an important step in being prepared for life after you return from service. A military career can pose a risk to fertility in that injury to the reproductive organs is a possibility in combat. Preserving fertility before active duty is an excellent step for proactive family planning. Washington Fertility even offers a discount for fertility treatments to veterans and military members.
Regardless of a person’s reasons for seeking fertility preservation, it is important for patients to be aware of all of their options when it comes to building a family. If you are an individual who finds that is in one of the situations listed above, or if you are simply curious about fertility preservation and would like to learn more, contact the Washington Fertility Center and we’ll be happy to set up a consultation.