When a child or adolescent is diagnosed with cancer, the focus is often on survival, so health professionals and families may not always think about fertility. Many young people say that fertility is important to them.
How treatment affects fertility
Some cancer treatments do not affect a child’s reproductive system, while others can damage the ovaries or the testicles. Sometimes this damage is temporary, but sometimes it’s permanent.
Learn more about how cancer treatments affect fertility.
Making fertility decisions
In many cases, decisions about fertility preservation are made before treatment begins. Often the decision involves specialists, the young person and their parents or carers. Parents of children under 18 will usually need to consent to any fertility preservation procedures.
Support for young people
During and after treatment for cancer, young people continue living life as normally as possible, which may include going on dates and having a partner. They may feel confused about how much to share with others about having cancer and the impact on their fertility.
The organisation Canteen supports young people aged 12–25 who have been affected by cancer. It offers counselling and also runs online forums and camps.
To get in touch, call 1800 945 215 or visit canteen.org.au.
The Royal Women’s Hospital in Victoria allows young people to have their ovarian or testicular tissue harvested by their own fertility specialist and then transported and stored at the national cryobank at the hospital.
→ READ MORE: Other ways to be a parent
Podcast: Explaining Cancer to Kids
Listen to more episodes from our podcast for people affected by cancer
More resources
Dr Sally Reid, Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Adelaide) and Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Dr Sarah Ellis, Clinical Psychologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital and UNSW, NSW; John Booth, Consumer; Hope Finlen, Haematology Nurse Consultant, Gold Coast University Hospital, QLD; Dr Michelle Harrison, Medical Oncologist – Gynaecological cancers, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Melissa Jones, Nurse Consultant, Youth Cancer Service SA/NT, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Dr Violet Kieu, Clinical Director, Melbourne IVF and Fertility Specialist, The Royal Women’s Hospital, VIC; Prof Declan Murphy, Consultant Urologist, Director – Genitourinary Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The University of Melbourne, VIC; Stephen Page, Family and Fertility Lawyer, and Legal Practice Director, Page Provan, QLD; Ann Retzlaff, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; A/Prof Kate Stern AO, Fertility specialist, Gynaecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist, Royal Women’s Hospital and Melbourne IVF, VIC; Georgia Webster, Consumer.
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