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DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1739234
Fertility preservation in women with endometriosis
Number 10 - October 2021
Key points
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Endometriosis is a common benign disease that can compromise female fertility.
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Fertility preservation is a key consideration in the care of girls and women with endometriosis, especially those with ovarian endometriomas.
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Although there is no definitive study on the subject yet, correct information on disease progression, treatment options, and the risks involved should be available for these women.
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It is too early to define fertility preservation as the standard of care for all women with endometriosis.
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Fertility preservation, however, should be considered for women with unoperated bilateral endometriomas and those who have previously removed unilateral endometriomas and need surgery for a contralateral recurrence.
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Since age is the most important prognostic factor, all patients should be aware of its adverse effect on fertility and pregnancy.
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Available strategies include cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes.
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Women should be counseled individually about the risks, benefits and costs involved. In this scenario, the approach of a multidisciplinary team on endometriosis is essential to reach good results.
The National Specialty Commission in Ensometriosis of the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations (FEBRASGO) endorses to this document. The content production is based on scientific studies on a thematic proposal and the findings presented contribute to clinical practice.
Publication History
Article published online:
16 November 2021
© 2021. Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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