Abstract
Objective: Fertility loss due to cancer treatment can be a devastating experience for women and the couple. Undergoing fertility preservation can be a complex decision from both a medical and emotional point of view. The aim of the present study was to evaluate which socio-demographic and psychological factors predict a high motivation to undergo fertility preservation.Methods: Fifty-eight female cancer patients who accessed an Oncofertility Unit completed: a questionnaire to collect socio-demographic characteristics and the level of motivation, the Beck-Depression Inventory-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, and the Fertility Problem Inventory.Results: Almost half of the sample (44.8%) declared a high motivation. At multiple logistic regression analysis only the “Need for parenthood” subscale of the FPI predicted a high motivation. We alternatively evaluated as possible predictor the construct “Representations about the importance of parenthood” (i.e., the sum of the “Need for Parenthood” and “Rejection of childfree lifestyle” subscales) in place of the two separate subscales. At multiple logistic regression analysis, only this variable predicted a high motivation to undergo fertility preservation.Conclusion: The most important predictor of a high motivation to undergo fertility preservation is the individual desire for parenthood. This implies that, regardless of socio-demographic characteristics, any woman of childbearing age should receive an appropriate counseling about fertility preservation.
Highlights
MethodsFifty-eight female cancer patients who accessed an Oncofertility Unit completed: a questionnaire to collect socio-demographic characteristics and the level of motivation, the Beck-Depression Inventory-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, and the Fertility Problem Inventory
The results of our study support the initial hypothesis, highlighting that women who decide to undergo fertility preservation show psychological characteristics, such as low levels of depression and anxiety, that may favor the possibility to preserve the mental space for future planning and for possible parenthood
The crucial clinical implication underlined by our results is that the most important predictor of a high motivation to undergo fertility preservation is the strong desire for parenthood, regardless of the sociodemographic characteristics which could potentially limit the referral of patients to fertility specialists
Summary
Fifty-eight female cancer patients who accessed an Oncofertility Unit completed: a questionnaire to collect socio-demographic characteristics and the level of motivation, the Beck-Depression Inventory-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, and the Fertility Problem Inventory. Female patients referred to the San Raffaele Hospital Oncofertility Unit after cancer diagnosis and before gonadotoxic treatment between March 2016 and June 2020 were invited to participate in the study. All patients received oncologic and fertility counseling from a group of specialists including a gynecologic oncologist, a reproductive gynecologist and a psychologist. Eligible women had to meet the following criteria: being at least 18 years old, having been recently diagnosed with cancer, speaking and understanding Italian, having at least an elementary school certificate, and agreeing to voluntarily participate in the research. Following these criteria, 58 women took part in the research. A psychologist illustrated the research objectives during the psychological counseling which precedes the gynecologic examination and obtained written informed consent from every participant
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