What Are the Fertility Preservation Options for Women?
Women have several fertility preservation options:
1. Egg Freezing: This involves extracting and freezing a woman's eggs for future use. The eggs can be thawed and fertilized later, allowing the woman to conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
2. Embryo Freezing: Similar to egg freezing, but the eggs are fertilized with sperm before freezing. This method is often preferred if the woman has a partner or is willing to use donor sperm.
3. Ovarian Tissue Freezing: A part or all of an ovary is surgically removed and frozen for future re-implantation. This is still considered experimental but has shown promise.
4. Ovarian Suppression: Medications like GnRH agonists can be used to temporarily shut down ovarian function during chemotherapy to protect the ovaries.
