Fertility preservation is a broad term which involves many procedures to retain fertility in men and women. This mainly applies to people who are being treated for cancer or other illnesses which might prevent them from having children. It may also apply to those who wish to postpone child bearing due to personal or social reasons. It includes:

Freezing of sperms

A person who might undergo treatment which might potentially make him infertile – can produce semen by masturbation and get it frozen for future use. It is best to freeze multiple samples (if time permits). 

Freezing of eggs

It involves administration of medications for a period of two weeks or more to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are then collected by a minor surgical procedure under general anaesthesia. These eggs are then frozen for future use.

Freezing of embryos

For married women, the eggs collected can be fertilised with the husband’s sperm (IVF or ICSI) and then cultured to form embryos. These embryos are then frozen. When the woman is ready to initiate pregnancy, the embryos are thawed and transferred into the uterus for further growth and development of pregnancy.

Ovarian transposition (oophoropexy)

This surgical procedure is sometimes recommended if radiation is being planned to your pelvis. The ovaries are surgically repositioned just before radiation therapy so that they are as far away as possible from the planned radiation field. This though does not always completely protect the ovaries. After completion of the radiation, you might need to have the ovaries repositioned again or use IVF to conceive.