Deciding on future fertility: considerations of girls with Turner syndrome and their parents to opt for or against ovarian tissue cryopreservation

Abstract

Research questionWhat are the considerations of girls with Turner syndrome and their parents to opt for or against ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC)? DesignSemi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with girls with Turner syndrome and their parents until data saturation was reached. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. ResultsThirteen parents and five girls who opted for OTC, and seven parents and three girls who declined OTC, were interviewed. Parents and girls mentioned that OTC offered hope, an opportunity to have genetic offspring and clarity about their current fertility status. Most participants were not afraid of the risks of surgery and trusted healthcare providers with this procedure. In contrast, families had to deal with uncertainties, owing to the lack of information on the success rate and long-term consequences of OTC in this group. Families indicated that they had to go through an important decision-making process in a short period of time, because of the limited number of participants in the OTC study. ConclusionA new opportunity and hope for future fertility were considerations for opting for OTC. However, OTC also came with uncertainties owing to the experimental nature of this procedure in girls with Turner syndrome. Healthcare providers could share these experiences with girls with Turner syndrome and their parents to improve fertility-preservation counselling in this group.