Fertility in the Individual with Thalassemia

Prevention of Reduced Fertility
It seems that the best approach to trying to prevent reduced fertility or infertility is controlling iron levels. The body is unable to get rid of the excess iron it accumulates from chronic blood transfusions. Desferrioxamine (Desferal) helps to remove this excess iron. This medication is usually administered five to seven nights a week through a pump that slowly infuses the desferrioxamine beneath the skin over several hours. Studies suggest that effective use of desferrioxamine can lead to normal sexual maturation. Patients who do best are those that start treatment early, before iron levels become high, as measured by increased ferritin levels. Those that keep their iron levels low throughout treatment also seem to have a better chance at preserving their fertility. However, even those with very high ferritin levels over a long period of time can experience normal sexual maturation, although rarely. This is seemingly counter to the proven positive effects of desferrioxamine therapy. It is important to remember that ferritin values are not an absolute indication of body iron burden, as these values can be affected by other conditions, especially liver disease. The only positive method measuring iron deposition is a liver biopsy.

<page 1> <page 2>