if I’m infertile or have an early menopause, will my body age more quickly?
No, taking replacement hormones will allow your body to age in the same way that it would have done otherwise.
does it make any difference if you’re gay or lesbian?
The effect of cancer treatment on fertility is the same regardless of whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual (‘straight’).
can I stop the effect of treatment on my fertility?
There is nothing you can do to stop the effect that your treatment has on your fertility. There are studies looking at using hormone therapy to protect fertility in women having chemotherapy. But we don’t know how effective it is yet.
why should I use contraception if I might be infertile?
It may feel as though you are getting mixed messages if your doctor tells you to use contraception when they’ve also told you that you may be infertile. The problem is that no-one can know for sure whether the treatment has caused infertility and it’s best to avoid any chance of you or your partner becoming pregnant accidentally.
Getting pregnant accidentally is hard enough for anyone to cope with. However, it can be especially difficult if you’ve had cancer, as there are extra factors to weigh up when deciding whether or not to have children.
Even if you know that your fertility has been affected, it’s important to practice safe sex to protect you and your partner from sexually transmitted infections. This may mean using a condom or other form of barrier contraception, unless you are in a long-term stable relationship.
