Contraception for cancer survivors
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
Published on: September 16, 2021
Eleanor Bimla Schwarz1, Rachel Hess, James Trussell
1Center for Research on Health Care, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 230 McKee Place, Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. schwarzeb@upmc.edu
Abstract:
Women who have survived cancer may need guidance in choosing a method of contraception. This paper reviews the evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of available methods of contraception for cancer survivors and concludes that the Copper T380A intrauterine device (IUD), a highly effective, reversible, long-acting, hormone-free method should be considered a first-line contraceptive option for women with a history of a hormonally mediated cancer. However, the levonorgestrel-containing IUD may be preferable for women being treated with tamoxifen and women who have survived non-hormonally mediated cancers. Women with IUDs can undergo all forms of imaging, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
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