Fertility Concerns and Depression Among Culturally Diverse Young Adult Survivors of Childhood/Adolescent Cancers

As of January 1, 2016, over 8 million women (and nearly 100,000 young women age 20-29 nationwide) are designated as survivors. Young female cancer survivors are vulnerable to unique challenges stemming from both their disease and subsequent late effects due to medical treatments. These challenges include infertility and/or delays in childbirth/adoption, and early menopause. These consequences can have dramatic impact on overall wellbeing, as younger cancer survivors become adults and survivors report knowledge of fertility issues as one of their greatest unmet needs. Additionally, little is known about cultural variation in fertility concerns and the association of these concerns with depressive symptoms. We assessed fertility concerns and depressive symptoms among 647 young adult female cancer survivors (mean age=26; 49% Latina). Depressive symptoms were positively associated with worries about the inability to have children (r=.19, p<0001), sexual functioning (r=.25, p<.001) and early menopause (r=.22, p<.001). Latinas (vs. non-Latinas) were more likely to report worries about having children (15% to 10%). In a multivariableregression model, controlling for age, having children, ethnicity, and marital status, only the inability to have children and worries about sexual functioning remained associated with depressive symptoms. These results suggest that fertility and sexual health concerns are associated with mental health and warrent greater resources to address the wellbeing of young adult, culturally diverse, cancer survivors.