According to the American Cancer Society, this year in the United States, over 13,000 women will be diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. Luckily, advances in treatment have enabled women to survive and thrive after a cancer diagnosis. But these same therapies used to treat Cervical Cancer, while they improve patients’ chances of survival, have side effects that may negatively impact a woman’s fertility. Many of these women are in their prime reproductive years, leaving these women wondering how Cervical Cancer may affect their ability to have a child in the future.
Cervical Cancer Treatments & Infertility
Depending on how early it is caught, Cervical Cancer can be treated using procedures that can preserve a woman´s ability to have children in the future. For women with early-stage Cervical Cancer that has not spread, less aggressive forms of treatment that leave the uterus intact allow women to preserve their ability to carry a pregnancy.
For women with more aggressive forms of cancer, the need for chemotherapy and radiotherapy can dramatically affect a woman’s fertility. Chemotherapy, in particular, can cause premature ovarian failure or even early menopause. While some women will find their ovaries regain function after some time, older patients and those who have received higher levels of chemotherapy may never regain ovarian function. Women with the most aggressive forms of Cervical Cancer may need a hysterectomy, preventing them from carrying a pregnancy in the future.
Preserving Your Fertility
While treatment for Cervical Cancer can negatively impact your fertility, there are steps women can take to help preserve their fertility for the future. If time permits, women can meet with a Reproductive Endocrinologist to discuss fertility preservation options prior to beginning treatment.
Some options for fertility preservation prior to treatment include egg banking, embryo banking, and ovarian tissue banking. These options all provide women with the ability to have biological children in the future, either carrying the child themselves or utilizing a gestational carrier. Patients seeking to utilize any of these options prior to beginning cancer treatment should consult with their oncologist to determine if they are a viable candidate.
Unfortunately, some women are unable to see a fertility specialist prior to beginning treatment. While this means they may not be able to have genetically related children, they have other paths to parenthood. For patients who did not need to have a hysterectomy, donor eggs can be used to facilitate a pregnancy. If a patient had a hysterectomy, the use of donor eggs in combination with a gestational carrier can help them realize their dreams of family.
With so many advances in treatment, many more women are leading long and healthy lives post-diagnosis. For many of these women, the ability to build a family is integral to their future happiness. If you are facing a cervical cancer diagnosis and would like to learn more about the fertility preservation options available to you, please contact us at 866.770.2168 or schedule an appointment today.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 10 Jan 2018
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
When you’re dealing with infertility, it can be difficult to feel grateful or positive. The stress and struggle can leave even the most positive of people straining to think of what they have to be grateful for. Failed pregnancy attempts may leave you feeling desperate and in despair, and the longer the journey, the more inclined you may start to believe that something is wrong and that all hope is lost. However, research shows that integrating gratitude into your daily routine can result in a host of health and wellness benefits – including ones that can affect your fertility.
When these feelings internalize, they can leave you in constant crisis mode, which creates stress and results in a negative impact on fertility. These negative thoughts and feelings can take over your mindset, and you’ll lose touch with feelings like joy, happiness, and gratitude.
The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
Scientific studies have demonstrated that simple gratitude and perspective can genuinely make people feel happier, more positive, and even a little more resilient. And since emotions can affect our health, making a conscious effort to steer your feelings in a positive direction can be extremely beneficial to your overall wellness and your infertility. Here are just a few benefits of being thankful:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved immune system
- Better sleep
- More positive emotions and happiness
- Increased optimism
- Less loneliness and isolation
- Better connection with others
- Stronger relationships
- Greater chance of meeting your goals
How to Practice Gratitude When Dealing with Infertility
There are a variety of ways to practice gratitude in your everyday life – the key is to find out what works best for you. The experts of IVF FLORIDA suggest trying some of the methods below to see what works best for you.
- Writing in a gratitude journal
- Mindful Breathing
- Meditation and/or Yoga
- Giving sincere compliments
- Recognizing negative thoughts and trying to turn them into a positive
When you incorporate gratitude into your everyday life, it can become a tool that you’ll use to alter the way you think and feel. You will start to look past the negative and notice how much has been taken for granted. The process of cultivating gratitude can actually rewire your brain chemistry and build a neural connectivity that will lead to more positive thinking and an overall balanced state. In other words, the more you practice gratitude, the more likely you will default into a grateful, more positive state.
Are you having problems conceiving? IVF Florida can help with compassion and understanding. For information on our fertility treatment options or to schedule an appointment with a fertility specialist at one of our fertility clinics in the south Florida area, please call us today at 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 18 Dec 2017
More women than ever before are looking to delay pregancy to pursue personal goals. Thanks to scientific advancements in the freezing and thawing protocols for eggs, elective egg freezing is now a viable option for women who would like to maintain their ability to have children later in life. But how common is elective egg freezing, and what is the process like? Get the answers to your questions in our infographic below.
If you are interested in freezing your eggs, the experts at IVF FLORIDA can help. For more information or to schedule a consultation with one of our top fertility specialists at any of our South Florida infertility clinics, please call 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 11 Dec 2017
De-stressing is key when you’re #TTC… but is that realistic during the holidays? You bet. Take our fun & quick quiz to identify the best chill-out tactics for you!
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IVF FLORIDA Fertility Experts at 6 Dec 2017
Over 30 million Americans are currently living with diabetes, with another 84 million at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is to blame for a variety of health problems such as blindness, nerve damage, and kidney disease – as well as fertility issues for both genders. For National Diabetes Month, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA are here to provide you with more information on how diabetes doesn’t just affect your general health, but your reproductive health as well.
How Diabetes Can Impact Female Fertility…
Women who have diabetes are also at a greater risk of having issues with conceiving. There are many factors that can contribute to lower rates of fertility: obesity, being underweight, having diabetic complications, having PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), or having an autoimmune disease. The following conditions are associated with diabetes in women and generally lead to reduced fertility rates:
- PCOS – This is a common condition in which a large number of cysts develop on the ovaries and can affect fertility by leading to irregular or absent periods. PCOS is largely associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- Irregular or absent periods – Periods are considered irregular when they arrive at intervals of 35 days or more between cycles. Periods are considered absent when a woman previously had a normal cycle but stopped getting a period for 6 months or longer.
- Premature menopause – Primarily associated with type 1 diabetes, premature menopause is defined as when a woman stops getting a period prior to the age of 40.
- Endometrial cancer (uterine cancer) – This disease is more common in women with type 2 diabetes and PCOS and can lead to infertility if not treated at an early stage.
- Microvascular and cardiovascular complications – Studies show that women with type 1 diabetes who experience microvascular or cardiovascular complications have much lower rates of fertility.
How Diabetes Can Impact Male Fertility…
In the United States, 3 out of every 1,000 reproductive-aged men (18 to 45 years old) are living with diabetes. This number is significant because not only are these men living with a high risk of cardiovascular, renal, ophthalmologic, and neurologic issues, but they also are at a higher risk for having fertility issues. Diabetes can have several effects on male fertility such as:
- Erectile dysfunction - Damage to the nerves due to diabetes can cause decreased sensation and arousal, and therefore, the decreased blood flow to the penis can lead to difficulty in maintaining an erection.
- Ejaculatory dysfunction – Long-standing damage to the nerves can cause a failure of the mechanism that propels sperm forward. At times, sperm can go back into the bladder instead of out through the penis (retrograde ejaculation). In other instances, there is a complete lack of ejaculation (anejaculation).
- Semen abnormalities – Men who suffer from diabetes often have a higher risk of sperm abnormalities such as a decreased sperm count, poor motility, increased number in abnormal sperm shape, and a decrease in sperm DNA integrity.
While diabetes can drastically decrease an individual’s fertility, diabetic individuals are still able to conceive so long as the diabetes is well controlled and a healthy body weight is maintained.
If you or your partner has diabetes and there are concerns about fertility, the experts at IVF FLORIDA can help. For more information or to schedule a consultation with one of our top fertility specialists at any of our South Florida infertility clinics, please call 866.770.2168.
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The Fertility Experts of IVF FLORIDA at 28 Nov 2017
