As far as we know, most young people who have had cancer will find that the cancer or its treatment doesn’t permanently damage their reproductive system. There’s still a lot to learn about the effects, so your doctor or nurses may not be able to say for certain about how your fertility will be affected.
Most teenagers and young adults who have had cancer won’t have long-term problems. Often, it’s not possible to tell for some time after treatment what damage, if any, has been done and whether the damage is temporary or permanent.
If the damage to your reproductive system is temporary, how quickly it recovers varies. Full recovery can never be guaranteed. If the damage is permanent, you won’t be able to have children naturally. This can be very distressing and you may need some emotional support.
contraception
For a while after treatment, you’ll be advised to use contraception if you’re having sex, even though you and your doctor may not know if any damage has been done to your fertility. This is so that you don’t accidentally become pregnant or make a woman pregnant while you are still recovering from the effects of the treatment.
Barrier methods of contraception (eg condoms) can also reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Your doctor or nurse can discuss this with you.
