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The Birds and the Bees and the Bank: Talking with Families About Future Fertility Amidst a Cancer Diagnosis

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Textbook of Oncofertility Research and Practice

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Abstract

There are many reasons why discussions about fertility preservation may be difficult after a cancer diagnosis, though it is critical that these discussions occur prior to the start of cancer treatment in order to give patients the greatest chance of successfully having children in the future. There are many educational materials available and several new online tools that can connect patients with the information they need to make a decision about their fertility; however, face-to-face communication with health-care providers is a more effective way to convey complex information regarding cancer treatment and fertility. This chapter describes recent research into the beliefs and attitudes of adolescents and young adults regarding their fertility and how clinicians can more effectively conduct discussions about fertility with cancer patients within the difficult context of a recent cancer diagnosis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Oncofertility Consortium NIH/NICHD 5UL1DE019587.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Gwendolyn P. Quinn

  2. Department of Health Policy and Administration, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Caprice Knapp

  3. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn, AL, USA

    Devin Murphy

Authors
  1. Gwendolyn P. Quinn
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  2. Caprice Knapp
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  3. Devin Murphy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gwendolyn P. Quinn .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University , Chicago, IL, USA

    Teresa K. Woodruff

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Divya K. Shah

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Wendy S. Vitek

Review Questions and Answers

Review Questions and Answers

  1. Q1.

    There are no tools available to help AYA make fertility decisions. True or False?

  2. A1.

    False

  1. Q2.

    Most oncology providers are well trained in AYA reproductive health. True or False?

  2. A2.

    False

  1. Q3.

    The reproductive concerns scale was designed for male teens. True or False?

  2. A3.

    False

  1. Q4.

    AYA patients often “shut down” after receiving a cancer diagnosis. True or False?

  2. A4.

    True

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Quinn, G.P., Knapp, C., Murphy, D. (2019). The Birds and the Bees and the Bank: Talking with Families About Future Fertility Amidst a Cancer Diagnosis. In: Woodruff, T., Shah, D., Vitek, W. (eds) Textbook of Oncofertility Research and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02868-8_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02868-8_25

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-02867-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-02868-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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