TY - JOUR
T1 - Young males' experiences of sperm banking following a cancer diagnosis - a qualitative study
AU - Crawshaw, M
AU - Glaser, A
AU - Hale, J
AU - Sloper, P
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Existing research into sperm banking by young males following a cancer diagnosis is predominantly quantitative, little is known about personal experiences, psychosocial and attitudinal barriers to it amongst patients and/or professionals, or the later impact of potential or actual subfertility when banking has or has not taken place. This qualitative study used single in-depth interviews with 16 males aged 13 to 20 at diagnosis (16 to 30 years at interview) to report retrospectively on their experiences, concerns and satisfactions. There was support for sperm banking, including among those who declined to bank or failed to do so successfully. Many reported that, when successful, it eased any later fertility-related concerns by offering a possible alternative route to biological fatherhood. There was satisfaction with levels of understanding, recall and decision making, though lack of clarity about consent conditions. Sperm bank professionals were less likely than oncology staff to achieve good rapport. Improvements to consent arrangements, facilities, written information and sharing of results were suggested. Small numbers from minority ethnic or disabled communities meant that any uniqueness in their experiences could not be identified. While some improvements to the process of sperm banking and follow-up can be acted upon with minimal implications, others may be more complex.
AB - Existing research into sperm banking by young males following a cancer diagnosis is predominantly quantitative, little is known about personal experiences, psychosocial and attitudinal barriers to it amongst patients and/or professionals, or the later impact of potential or actual subfertility when banking has or has not taken place. This qualitative study used single in-depth interviews with 16 males aged 13 to 20 at diagnosis (16 to 30 years at interview) to report retrospectively on their experiences, concerns and satisfactions. There was support for sperm banking, including among those who declined to bank or failed to do so successfully. Many reported that, when successful, it eased any later fertility-related concerns by offering a possible alternative route to biological fatherhood. There was satisfaction with levels of understanding, recall and decision making, though lack of clarity about consent conditions. Sperm bank professionals were less likely than oncology staff to achieve good rapport. Improvements to consent arrangements, facilities, written information and sharing of results were suggested. Small numbers from minority ethnic or disabled communities meant that any uniqueness in their experiences could not be identified. While some improvements to the process of sperm banking and follow-up can be acted upon with minimal implications, others may be more complex.
KW - ill/disabled adults
KW - ill/disabled children
KW - health services issues
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=57749090597&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14647270802132752
DO - 10.1080/14647270802132752
M3 - Article
SN - 1742-8149
VL - 11
SP - 238
EP - 245
JO - Human Fertility
JF - Human Fertility
IS - 4
ER -