Male Oncofertility Content Still Lags on NCI Cancer Center Websites

In a conversation with CancerNetwork®, Melody Rasouli, MD, MBA, FACOG, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist at HRC Fertility in Newport Beach, CA, discussed findings from her research evaluating fertility preservation resources on the websites of National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in 2015 and 2020. Although information directed toward men, such as sperm cryopreservation, became more common over the study period, nearly one-third of center websites still lacked male-specific fertility preservation content, which was less than the information on female infertility.

Centers in higher-income areas and in regions with more fertility clinics and higher in vitro fertilization (IVF) volume were more likely to address male infertility. Rasouli outlined how institutions can close the gap by building male-directed content that mirrors existing female resources, covering options, timing, and contacts, and by strengthening relationships with local fertility physicians, particularly in areas with fewer fertility clinics.

Transcript:

Rasouli: Male-specific content lagged. Information directed toward men, such as sperm cryopreservation, increased from 60% to 70% over the course of our study, but that still left 30% of NCI-designated cancer center websites without fertility preservation information directed specifically toward men. That compared with around 80% for information on female infertility and the impact of cancer treatment. We also found that centers in the highest quartile of per capita income were significantly more likely to address male infertility, as were centers in areas with a higher density of fertility clinics and higher overall IVF volume.¹

How do we fix this? The first step is to recognize that male fertility is important and that we need to build content directed specifically at men. We can use the same structure we’ve laid out for female content, covering options, timing, and who patients can contact, and we can strengthen relationships with physicians in the area, especially in areas that have fewer fertility clinics overall. The good news is that sperm banking is fast and well established, so adding it clearly to websites is a very achievable improvement.

Reference

Rasouli MA, de Haydu C, Liu AH, et al. Has oncofertility information for male patients improved? Objective assessment of internet-based fertility preservation resources at NCI cancer centers from 2015 to 2020. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2021;38(11):3057-3060. doi:10.1007/s10815-021-02302-1