Implementation and evaluation of a fertility preservation telehealth counseling intervention for males with cystic fibrosis

• Published in: Journal of cystic fibrosis 2024-07, Vol.23 (4), p.658-663
• Main Authors: Woods, Brittany M., Bray, Leigh A., Campbell, Sukhkamal B., Li, Peng, Kazmerski, Traci M., Hovater, Cade, Pitts, Leslie N., Ladores, Sigrid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Counseling - methods; Cystic fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis - psychology; Cystic Fibrosis - therapy; Feasibility Studies; Fertility preservation; Fertility Preservation - methods; Humans; Infertility, Male - etiology; Infertility, Male - prevention & control; Infertility, Male - psychology; Infertility, Male - therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Patient education; Telehealth; Telemedicine; United States
• ISSN: 1569-1993; 1873-5010; 1873-5010
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2024.06.011

•Males with CF desire provider-initiated SRH education early in life and on a regular basis.•The counseling intervention was developed with input from males with CF, CF providers, & CF researchers.•Telehealth counseling is acceptable, appropriate, & feasible for males with CF.•SRH counseling may improve fertility knowledge, self-efficacy, & care satisfaction.•Telehealth counseling by a fertility specialist may reduce the CF team's burden. Most males with cystic fibrosis (MwCF) have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens and require assisted reproductive technology to conceive, yet many have limited knowledge about how CF affects sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of telehealth fertility preservation (FP) counseling for MwCF. Pre-lung transplant MwCF ≥18 years, recruited from U.S. CF centers, social media, and via snowball sampling, received individualized telehealth counseling. Participants completed intervention feasibility/acceptability one week post-counseling and FP knowledge, care satisfaction, and self-efficacy assessments at baseline and two months post-counseling. We completed acceptability interviews one-week post-counseling and audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed results. We descriptively analyzed survey results and conducted pre/post comparisons using paired t-tests. Thirty MwCF (ages 22–49 years) completed counseling. Most were in a relationship (70 %) and White (86.7 %). Telehealth FP counseling was acceptable (M = 4.38/5 ± 0.60), appropriate (M = 4.37/5 ± 0.60), and feasible (M = 4.60/5 ± 0.45) to MwCF. FP knowledge (9.53 vs. 10.40/12; p = .010), care satisfaction (20.23 vs 26.67/32; p