Optimizing health literacy to facilitate reproductive health decision-making in adolescent and young adults with cancer

• Authors: Leena Nahata, Ohio State University; Antoinette Anazodo, Sydney Children’s Hospital; Brooke Cherven, Emory University; Shanna Logan, University of New South Wales; Lillian Meacham, Emory University; Cathy D Meade, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Centre & Research Institute; Sara Zarnegar-Lumley, Vanderbilt University; Gwendolyn P Quinn, New York University
• Journal Title: PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
• Publisher: WILEY | 2020-07-06, Pages e28476-e28476
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.28476
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Oncology; Hematology; Pediatrics; adolescents; cancer; health literacy; reproductive health; young adults; FERTILITY PRESERVATION; MEDIA LITERACY; SPERM BANKING; CARE; DISCUSSIONS; BEHAVIORS; ONCOLOGY; SURVIVOR; PATIENT; SUPPORT

Abstract

Despite being considered “standard of care” by many organizations, fertility and reproductive health communications and counseling practices remain inconsistent for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) newly diagnosed with cancer and during survivorship. One factor known to affect how information is provided and received in the medical setting is health literacy. Providers should consider health literacy to optimize reproductive health communication with AYAs as they cope with their diagnosis, understand what it means for their future, process information about treatment options, learn about their potential harmful effects on fertility, make quick decisions about fertility preservation, and navigate a future family planning course. Thus, the objectives of this manuscript are to (a) summarize literature on reproductive health literacy; (b) describe health literacy frameworks; (c) examine ways to assess health literacy; and (d) identify ways to enhance clinician-patient communication in the AYA oncofertility setting.