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Aim: To evaluate the female oncofertility attitude and knowledge of reproductive health professionals in China., Methods: An online survey was distributed to reproductive health professionals in Shanghai, China., Results: Female professionals were more likely to consider that cancer patients would want to preserve their fertility. Participants with higher educational background tended to have a more positive attitude toward oncofertility. The majority of the participants (71.0%) obtained a fair or low level of oncofertility knowledge, and only 25.3% of them received scores at the 'good knowledge' level., Conclusion: There are significant gaps in the current oncofertility knowledge among reproductive health professionals in China, suggesting an urgent, unmet need for establishing an interdisciplinary fertility preservation training and service system.

Once unimaginable, fertility management is now a nationally established part of cancer care in institutions, from academic centers to community hospitals to private practices. Over the last two decades, advances in medicine and reproductive science have made it possible for men, women and children to be connected with an oncofertility specialist or offered fertility preservation soon after a cancer diagnosis. The Oncofertility Consortium's National Physicians Cooperative is a large-scale effort to engage physicians across disciplines - oncology, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, and behavioral health - in clinical and research activities to enable significant progress in providing fertility preservation options to children and adults. Here, we review the structure and function of the National Physicians Cooperative and identify next steps.

Access to assisted reproductive technology (ART) and fertility preservation remains restricted in middle and low income countries. We sought to review the status of ART and fertility preservation in Brazil, considering social indicators and legislative issues that may hinder the universal access to these services. Although the Brazilian Constitution expressly provides the right to health, and ordinary law ensures the state is obliged to support family planning, access to services related to ART and fertility preservation is neither easy nor egalitarian in Brazil. Only a handful of public hospitals provide free ART, and their capacity far from meets demand. Health insurance does not cover ART, and the cost of private care is unaffordable to most people. Brazilian law supports, but does not command, the state provision of ART and fertility preservation to guarantee the right to family planning; therefore, the availability of state-funded treatments is still scarce, reinforcing social disparities. Economic projections suggest that including ART in the Brazilian health system is affordable and may actually become profitable to the state in the long term, not to mention the ethical imperative of recognizing infertility as a disease, with no reason to be excluded from a health system that claims to be 'universal'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oncofertility is a newly developed medical field dedicated to preserving adolescent and young adult-aged cancer patients' fertility. For female cancer patients who desire to have children, fertility preservation has become an important concern before the cancer therapy. This study for the first time aimed to investigate attitude and knowledge regarding female fertility preservation among reproductive health professionals in China. Methods: An online questionnaire assessing participants' demographics, experience, attitude, and basic knowledge regarding oncofertility was designed and distributed to reproductive health professionals in Fujian, one of the major regions for cancer and reproductive care in southeast China. Results: The majority of participants (96.6%) who were familiar with fertility preservation were willing to collaborate with oncologists on preserving patients' fertility. However, ∼20% of participants were not familiar with the term fertility preservation, and 30.4% and 52.2% of them were never consulted by a cancer patient or an oncologist about the infertility risk from cancer therapy, respectively. Years of working experience, but not gender, educational background, and marital status, was significantly associated with participants' oncofertility experience and attitude. A majority of participants (79.3%) had a middle or low level of oncofertility knowledge, which was significantly linked to their educational background. Conclusion: Most of the surveyed reproductive health professionals held a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary collaboration with oncologists during oncofertility practice. However, the lack of their oncofertility knowledge highlighted the need of standard oncofertility education and training in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose In the accompanying article, “Analysis of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe,” we showed that specific fertility preservation services may not be offered at various sites around the world because of cultural and legal barriers. We assessed global and regional experiences as well as the legal status of third-party reproduction and adoption to serve as a comprehensive international data set and resource for groups that wish to begin oncofertility interventions. Methods We provide data on the legalities of third-party assisted reproductive technologies and other family-building options in the 28 oncofertility-practicing countries surveyed. Results We found regional and country differences that will be important in the development of tailored resources for physicians and for patient brochures that are sensitive to these local restrictions and cultural norms. Conclusion Because many patients first consult Web-based materials, the formal assessment of the availability of these options provides members of the global oncofertility community with data to which they might otherwise not have ready access to better serve their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Little is known about oncofertility practice in developing countries that usually suffer from a shortage of health services, especially those related to cancer care. Materials and Methods: To learn more about oncofertility practice in developing countries, we generated a survey to explore the barriers and opportunities associated with oncofertility practice in five developing countries from Africa and Latin America within our Oncofertility Consortium Global Partners Network. Responses from Egypt, Tunisia, Brazil, Peru, and Panama were collected, reviewed, and discussed. Results: Common barriers were identified by each country, including financial barriers (lack of insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket costs for patients), lack of awareness among providers and patients, cultural and religious constraints, and lack of funding to help to support oncofertility programs. Conclusion: Despite barriers to care, many opportunities exist to grow the field of oncofertility in these five developing countries. It is important to continue to engage stakeholders in developing countries and use powerful networks in the United States and other developed countries to aid in the acceptance of oncofertility on a global level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]