Choosing life when facing death: Understanding fertility preservation decision-making for cancer patients

On a fundamental biological level, humans are programmed to reproduce; hormonal and physiological influences are reinforced by social pressures and structures that urge parenthood in most cultures. The inability to reproduce usually causes distress and suffering among men and women alike. The advent of assisted reproductive technologies such as embryo/egg banking and in vitro fertilization has changed the face of reproduction, offering the possibility of parenting to a wider range of individuals who formerly were unable to reproduce. Although these controversial technologies have arguably blurred the boundaries of what it means to be a family or to parent a child, their wide use reveals that reproduction, particularly biological reproduction, holds great value.