ABSTRACT
Objective
to identify in women of reproductive age, with cancer and during chemotherapy treatment, the guidelines on fertility preservation and reproductive planning and to know the information provided by the health team.
Methods
descriptive study, conducted with premenopausal women diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Data collection was performed with the support of an instrument with sociodemographic information about cancer and its treatments, information regarding the preservation of fertility and the use of contraceptive methods before and after cancer diagnosis. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics.
Results
the average age of the 49 participants was 38.2 years (SD=6.1) and 79.6% were being treated for breast cancer. Regarding the information received about the importance of reproductive planning, 77.6% of participants reported that they were oriented and 59.2% received such guidance from the medical team. However, regarding counseling on methods to maintain fertility, only 6.1% of participants were counseled.
Conclusion and Implications for practice
consideration should be given to the importance of expert counseling and the maintenance of active decision making by women about preserving their fertility.
Keywords:
Neoplasms; Combined Chemotherapy; Infertility; Family Planning