Sperm Banking by Mail for Cancer Patients
January 11, 2008 by Gabrielle
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
You already know that I love the organization called Fertile Hope.
Fertile Hope is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reproductive information, support and hope to cancer patients and survivors whose medical treatments present the risk of infertility.
Fertile Hope helped me realize that there were options available to me, even though I spent my entire adult life assuming I was infertile and that was that. Had Fertile Hope existed when I was just beginning my cancer treatments twenty years ago, I would have even more fertility options open to me.
Luckily, Fertile Hope exists now. And it has joined forces with Cryogenic Laboratories, Inc., and the Lance Armstrong Foundation to offer a sperm banking kit for cancer patients called Live:On.
If you are (or know of) an adolescent or young adult male who is about to begin chemotherapy, radiation or surgery and is/are concerned about the effects of treatment on fertility, please ask your oncologist about this sperm banking option. They can give you a Live:On kit for free; or you can order one yourself by calling (800) 466-2796 (it’s $65 to order one directly).
Now, banking your sperm for an extended period of time isn’t free. It’s about $280/year. But if you use Live:On, a percentage of the sperm banking and long-term storage fees will go back to Fertile Hope and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. And those funds will be used to help more cancers survivors pursue their dreams of having a family.
If you’d like more information, check www.liveonkit.com or call (800) 466-2796.
Just wanted to add that many fertility clinics are starting to offer egg freezing services to women who are about to undergo cancer treatment. Although these procedures are still in the early stages, it offers some options for women whose fertility may be compromised.
Absolutely, Anita! Folks can check out http://www.fertilehope.org to find more information on egg freezing and what options are available to women about to undergo treatment.
Thanks for your comment!