Spotlight Video | Fertility Preservation Options For Women| Tina J. Falika King, MD, MPH

Fertility Preservation Options for Women

In today’s world, many women are choosing to delay starting a family for various reasons, including career advancement, personal development, or health issues. Fortunately, advances in medical science provide numerous options for women who wish to preserve their fertility for the future. Here are some of the key fertility preservation options available for women:

1. Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation)

Egg freezing is a process where a woman's eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for future use. This method is particularly beneficial for women who want to delay pregnancy until later in life, when their natural fertility might decline. The process involves hormonal stimulation to produce multiple eggs, which are then retrieved and frozen using a technique called vitrification, which prevents ice crystals from forming and damaging the eggs.

2. Embryo Freezing

Similar to egg freezing, embryo freezing involves fertilizing a woman’s eggs with sperm to create embryos, which are then frozen for future use. This option is ideal for women who have a partner or are using donor sperm and want to increase their chances of a successful pregnancy later. Embryo freezing is a well-established method with high success rates.

3. Ovarian Tissue Freezing

Ovarian tissue freezing is a relatively new and experimental technique where a piece of ovarian tissue is surgically removed, frozen, and later re-implanted. This method is particularly useful for young girls who have not yet reached puberty or for women who need to undergo cancer treatment that could harm their ovaries. The re-implanted tissue can restore hormonal function and fertility.

4. Ovarian Suppression

Ovarian suppression involves the use of medications to temporarily shut down the ovaries and protect them from the damaging effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This method is primarily used for women undergoing cancer treatment and aims to preserve ovarian function and fertility by reducing the ovaries' exposure to harmful treatments.

5. Fertility-Sparing Surgery

For women with certain medical conditions, such as early-stage ovarian or cervical cancer, fertility-sparing surgery can be an option. These surgical procedures aim to remove cancerous tissue while preserving the ovaries and uterus, thus maintaining the woman’s ability to conceive naturally or with assisted reproductive technologies in the future.

6. GnRH Agonists

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists are medications that can temporarily suppress ovarian function. By creating a temporary menopausal state, these drugs can help protect the ovaries during cancer treatment. This method is still under investigation, but early results suggest it may be beneficial for some women.

7. In Vitro Maturation (IVM)

In vitro maturation (IVM) is a technique where immature eggs are collected from the ovaries and matured in the laboratory before being frozen or fertilized. This method can be particularly useful for women who need to avoid the hormonal stimulation required in traditional egg retrieval processes, such as those with hormone-sensitive cancers.

8. Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT)

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) can be used alongside in vitro fertilization (IVF) to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before implantation. This technology is beneficial for women with known genetic disorders or those who are at risk of passing on genetic conditions to their offspring. By selecting healthy embryos, PGT can increase the chances of a successful pregnancy and reduce the risk of genetic diseases.

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