Fertility counseling and preservation: considerations for the pediatric endocrinologist

Infertility is known to diminish quality of life, and cause distress among individuals and couples trying to conceive (1). While this is an issue that may not immediately appear to be relevant in pediatrics, there are many childhood conditions and treatments which pose a risk to future fertility. Guidelines have thus been published by groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics encouraging providers to discuss infertility risk and fertility preservation options in a timely manner (2). Of note, a significant number of these children will be seen by a pediatric endocrinologist at some point during their medical journey, for management of hypogonadism and/or other endocrine sequelae of various treatments