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Wait and see

The "wait and see" option is the choice to not preserve your fertility right now with one of the fertility preservation options.

 

Instead, you choose to wait and see what happens with your fertility in the future, such as after treatment for cancer or a blood disease.

Where to start?

Who can choose to wait and see?

Anyone can think about choosing to wait and see instead of choosing to do fertility preservation now:

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  • You have or have not gone through puberty

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  • You have any risk level of fertility problems

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Choosing to wait and see could be the right choice for you if:

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  • You feel OK with the amount of risk to your fertility.

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  • You want to focus only on your treatment for cancer or a blood disease.

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  • Preserving your fertility doesn’t seem important or worth it to you at this time.

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What will I need to do if I choose to wait and see?

If you choose to wait and see, you start your treatment for cancer or a blood disease without having a fertility preservation procedure first.

1

During your treatment, you may be able to change your mind and use a fertility preservation option. Tell your doctor or nurse if you change your mind.

2

After you finish your treatment, you can do tests to find out if your fertility was lowered and talk to your doctor about what steps you can take.

3

When can I choose to wait and see?

You can choose to wait and see anytime you have a choice to make on whether or not to do fertility preservation.

 

Usually this choice is first made before you start treatment for cancer or a blood disease. You may also be given the choice before starting more treatments or after treatment.​

The downsides

What are the side effects of choosing to wait and see?

Choosing to wait and see has no side effects.

How much will it cost if I choose to wait and see?

There are no costs now if you choose to wait and see. You would start treatment for cancer or a blood disease without paying for fertility preservation.

Upfront and yearly costs

Future costs

There could be no extra costs in the future if you are able to have biological children without help from doctors or if you decide you are OK not having children.

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There could be extra costs in the future if:

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  • You choose a fertility preservation option.

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  • You need help to produce a pregnancy (such as with IVF) due to lower fertility. In IVF, eggs and sperm are combined in a lab before being put into the uterus (where a baby grows).

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  • You use other ways to become a parent, such as donor eggs or donor sperm or adoption.

In the future

What happens in the future if I choose to wait and see?

If you choose to wait and see now, in the future you may:

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  • Be able to choose a fertility preservation option later, or you may not, or

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  • Be able to have biological children with or without help from doctors, or

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  • Become a parent in other ways, or

 

  • Decide you are OK with not having children

Try for pregnancy without help from doctors

If you decide to have biological children someday, you can try to get pregnant without help from a doctor or fertility clinic if: 

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  • Your ovaries are working or if your testicles still produce sperm.

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  • Your doctor has said it’s safe for you to try and produce a pregnancy.

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  • You have a partner that you can produce a pregnancy with.

If you try for 6-12 months and don’t produce a pregnancy, you and your partner should see a fertility specialist.

If you are unable to have biological children, there are other ways to become a parent. Visit this page to learn more.

Pathways for AYA homepage

See other options you may have

Where can I choose to wait and see?

You can choose to wait and see anywhere.

What are the risks of choosing to wait and see?

There are risks of choosing to wait and see instead of using a fertility preservation option before you start treatment for cancer or a blood disease. In the future, you could have:

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  • Fewer options for having biological children

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  • Extra costs for having children, such as for adoption or donor eggs or sperm

How well does choosing to wait and see work?

You may have the option in the future to preserve your fertility or to have biological children. Or you may not.


You can talk to your doctor or nurse about how choosing to wait and see may work for you, which may depend on things like:

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  • Your age

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  • Your sex

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  • Your risk of fertility problems after treatment for cancer or a blood disease

 

  • Other factors

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