Michael von Wolff1, Dagmar Giesecke2, Ariane Germeyer3, Barbara Lawrenz4, Melanie Henes4, Frank Nawroth5, Stefanie Friebel6, Anke Rohde7, Peter Giesecke2, Dominik Denschlag2. 1. University Women's Hospital, Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: Michael.vonWolff@insel.ch. 2. Hochtaunus-Kliniken Bad Homburg, Women's Hospital, Bad Homburg, Germany. 3. University Women's Hospital, Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. 4. University Women's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. 5. Centre for Infertility, Prenatal Medicine, Endocrinology and Osteology, Hamburg, Germany. 6. University Women's Hospital, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. 7. University Women's Hospital, University of Bonn, Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Gynaecological Psychosomatics, Bonn, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: What are the patients attitudes about their fertility and about the counselling process at the time when fertility preservation counselling is performed? STUDY DESIGN: A survey regarding fertility concerns and counselling performance in relation to the chosen fertility preservation procedure such as no treatment, GnRH agonists, and freezing of ovarian tissue or oocytes/zygotes was prospectively conducted in four university centres and one private centre, all belonging to the network FertiPROTEKT in Germany and Switzerland. RESULTS: All women (n=145) received a questionnaire at the first counselling appointment. The mean age of the patients was 30 years (±5.8, range 17-43 years). 91% were referred by their treating oncologists. Single patients preferred invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (44.3%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (36%), whereas only 19.7% opted for no treatment/GnRH agonists. In married couples, the proportions were 28.9%, 31.1% and 40.0% respectively. Women without children also opted more frequently for invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (84.5%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (74.1%), and less frequently for no treatment/GnRH agonists (63.3%). Physical and psychological status, current and future fertility concerns and satisfaction with the counselling process were equal in all treatment groups. CONCLUSION: As fertility concerns and attitudes about the counselling process were independent from the fertility preservation procedure chosen, the preferred treatment can hardly be predicted and therefore all women should be counselled about all possible fertility preservation techniques.
OBJECTIVE: What are the patients attitudes about their fertility and about the counselling process at the time when fertility preservation counselling is performed? STUDY DESIGN: A survey regarding fertility concerns and counselling performance in relation to the chosen fertility preservation procedure such as no treatment, GnRH agonists, and freezing of ovarian tissue or oocytes/zygotes was prospectively conducted in four university centres and one private centre, all belonging to the network FertiPROTEKT in Germany and Switzerland. RESULTS: All women (n=145) received a questionnaire at the first counselling appointment. The mean age of the patients was 30 years (±5.8, range 17-43 years). 91% were referred by their treating oncologists. Single patients preferred invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (44.3%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (36%), whereas only 19.7% opted for no treatment/GnRH agonists. In married couples, the proportions were 28.9%, 31.1% and 40.0% respectively. Women without children also opted more frequently for invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (84.5%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (74.1%), and less frequently for no treatment/GnRH agonists (63.3%). Physical and psychological status, current and future fertility concerns and satisfaction with the counselling process were equal in all treatment groups. CONCLUSION: As fertility concerns and attitudes about the counselling process were independent from the fertility preservation procedure chosen, the preferred treatment can hardly be predicted and therefore all women should be counselled about all possible fertility preservation techniques.