Some of the drugs used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia can cause temporary or permanent infertility. Your doctor will talk to you about this in more detail before you start your treatment. If you have a partner you may want him or her to join you at this time so you can discuss any fears or worries together. It is usually possible for men to have some of their sperm stored before they start treatment so it can be used later if they want to have a family. Parents of older boys should be aware of this so that, where possible, their son's sperm can be stored for later years.
Most women find that their periods stop or become irregular during their treatment.
The periods may return to normal once their treatment is over, but often they will disappear completely. Women who are having periods can take hormone tablets, before their chemotherapy starts, to stop them having the side effects of an early menopause. However, the hormones will not prevent infertility. You should continue using contraception during treatment because pregnancy is not advisable at this time and it is not certain that chemotherapy will cause infertility. Some drugs have less effect on your fertility than others.