Even if you aren’t ready for pregnancy right now, you might want to preserve your fertility for later.
Our fertility preservation services can give you the opportunity to conceive later after overcoming health or personal issues that may affect your fertility. These complications may include cancer and other diseases, reproductive problems, lack of a supportive partner, or side effects caused by treatments such as chemotherapy.
Penn Fertility Care offers advanced reproductive technologies specific to fertility preservation that include egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation), ovarian tissue banking, embryo cryopreservation and sperm banking.
Types of Fertility Preservation
If you’re interested in fertility preservation, you’ll meet with one of our specialists for a fertility counseling session to discuss your options. You’ll have ample opportunity to talk about any concerns regarding the effects of a previous or current condition, such as cancer, and the treatments available to preserve your sperm or reproductive organs. In general, it's possible to schedule sperm analysis and freezing for the same day as your consultation.
We will explain the process and procedures of various treatments you’ll be requested to sign a permission and instructions form. In addition, a financial counselor will be on-site to discuss the cost of consultation and treatment.
Some of the more common services or procedures used in fertility preservation, including in the treatment of cancer-related infertility are:
Egg Freezing and Embryo Freezing
Storage of frozen eggs, also known as cryopreservation, may be an option for women without a committed partner who wish to have biological children in the future. Women who need cancer treatment may choose this option before beginning cancer treatment.
The storage of frozen embryos may be an option for women with a committed male partner who wish to have biological children in the future. Women who need cancer treatment may choose this option before beginning cancer treatment.
Learn more about cryopreservation.
Sperm Banking
You can use a bank to store sperm for use later in life. For example, if you have cancer, sperm banking allows you to preserve your fertility so you can have an opportunity to conceive after cancer treatments end.
Learn more about sperm banking.
Ovarian Tissue Banking and Cryopreservation
This is an experimental option that is offered to patients facing cancer therapies. Ovarian tissue banking includes a minor surgical procedure to remove an entire ovary or a piece of an ovary. The tissue is then frozen and can be used in the future.
Donor Sperm and Donor Eggs
You can pursue donor sperm or donor egg therapies to pursue either intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization.
- Donor sperm can be used for men who do not have sperm after cancer treatment.
- Donor eggs can be used for women with ovarian insufficiency after cancer therapy once cancer treatment is complete and it is safe to achieve pregnancy.
Learn more about our Donor Egg Program.
Premature Menopause Programs
You may experience premature menopause, including after cancer therapy. We have ongoing programs to counsel and advise you regarding your specific hormonal needs.