Categories: Health news

Fertility preservation methods for women and people designated female at birth (DFAB)

Egg freezing: You receive treatment with hormones to stimulate egg production in your ovaries. Your provider removes the eggs and freezes and stores them.
Embryo freezing: Similar to egg freezing, this involves the removal of eggs from your ovaries. Your provider fertilizes the eggs with your partner’s sperm or donated sperm, creating embryos. This procedure is called in vitro fertilization (IVF). Your provider may implant the embryos in your body right away or freeze and store them for future use (embryo cryopreservation).
Ovarian tissue freezing: If you’re receiving cancer treatment, you may not be able to wait the two to six weeks needed to receive hormone treatment. Instead, you can have your ovarian tissue removed and frozen. After your cancer treatment (once you are medically cleared and are ready to conceive), your surgeon reimplants the thawed tissue. If the tissue regains function, you may be able to become pregnant spontaneously or via IVF.
Ovarian transposition (oophoropexy): This procedure can help protect your ovaries from radiation treatments. Your surgeon moves your ovaries up out of your pelvis and into your abdomen, away from the treatment area.
Radiation shielding: A lead shield can protect your ovaries during radiation treatments. Your provider may also use precise radiation technologies that limit the dose of radiation your ovaries receive.