Fertility Concerns and Access to Care for Stem Cell Transplantation Candidates with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects 100,000 Americans and causes significant psychiatric illness and poor quality of life in many domains, including infertility. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only available cure for SCD, but it can entail chronic toxicities, including psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and sterility in both men and women. There is scant literature on fertility or psychiatric outcomes for patients with SCD receiving HCT, and none considering the additive ramifications of the stresses of SCD, transplantation, and infertility. Financial toxicity is a significant concern for all patients undergoing HCT. Treatment for infertility is also very expensive, and access to fertility services is variable in the United States, adding to the medical and quality of life burden for this patient population. Here we review the relevant areas of SCD and infertility, SCD and psychiatric wellness, access to care, and infertility and quality of life. Collectively, these data suggest that the group of patients with SCD who undergo HCT and experience infertility are at particularly high risk for poor quality of life, worsening psychiatric health, and poor access to adequate fertility treatment.

Keywords: Access; Infertility; Psychiatry; Quality of life; Sickle cell disease.