What is fertility preservation?
Fertility preservation refers to medical procedures used to safeguard an individual or couple’s ability to have biological children in the future, including eggs, embryos, sperm, and reproductive tissues.
What are the benefits?
People choose to undergo fertility preservation for numerous reasons.
– Planning for the Future: Studies show that aging impacts fertility. If you’re waiting to have children in your late 30s or beyond, you may want to consider fertility preservation before your fertility declines. Common reasons people delay having children include the desire to reach a certain career / financial / educational goal or wanting to meet the right partner.
– Medical Risk or Necessity: Your future fertility may be at risk if you have certain diseases or conditions, either due to the condition itself or to the treatment for the condition. For example, patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment may have their fertility affected. Similarly, autoimmune diseases and their treatments can also impact fertility.
– Transgender Care: Gender-affirming treatment can also impact a person’s reproductive abilities. You can save your eggs, embryos, or sperm before this treatment.
What are my fertility preservation options at TFI?
We offer several fertility preservation options at Tennessee Fertility Institute.
– Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation): Hormones are used to stimulate egg production in the ovaries. A physician removes the eggs, freezes them, and stores them for future use.
– Embryo Freezing (Embryo Cryopreservation): Like egg freezing, embryo freezing involves the removal of mature eggs from the ovaries. A physician fertilizes the eggs with sperm (either from a partner or a donor), which creates the embryos. This process is called in vitro fertilization (IVF), and your physician will either implant the embryos in your body right away or freeze and store them for future use.
– Sperm Freezing (Sperm Cryopreservation): A sample of semen is submitted for freezing and storage.
When should I talk to my healthcare provider about fertility preservation?
In general, it’s best to start the fertility preservation process as soon as possible. We recommend speaking with a physician at Tennessee Fertility Institute:
– By age 35 for women who have no immediate plans of having children
– Soon after diagnosis of a disease or condition that may affect your fertility and before any treatment that may affect your fertility
– Before gender-affirming treatment
If you have already undergone medical surgeries or treatments in the past that have decreased your fertility, you should still talk to your physician about your options for fertility preservation.
Whether you are just starting to explore your options or are ready to preserve your fertility, give us a call at (615) 721-6250 or schedule a consultation with us today!
Sources: Fertility Preservation (Mayo Clinic, February 2022); Fertility Preservation (NIH, January 2017)