Right to give birth

A women's purpose in life isn't limited to childbirth. However right to give birth is one of the most important for a woman. Cancer surviving women of childbearing age are significantly less likely to get pregnant. The chance to regain fertility depends on the type and duration of treatment and the patient's age. While modern medical science is generally optimistic about the possibility to give birth to a healthy child after treatment, medical advice and care are crucial in such cases. Unfortunately, many women still do not have access to it. Some because of a lack of qualified healthcare personnel, others because of the higher cost of such care, which is not always covered by insurance. Furthermore, there is not enough information about the possibility of pregnancy after cancer. Moreover, taking into account the psychological stress that survivors can't get rid of for years, giving birth after cancer still is a challenge few can accomplish.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on my 29th birthday. After completing the treatment and some years of infertility, my doctor told me that I probably wouldn't be able to conceive a child anymore. I was depressed and then the COVID-19 lockdown hit. Being at a high-risk as a former cancer patient I had to cut off most of my face-to-face contacts and became a prisoner in my own house. After two months of isolation, my husband and I found out that I was pregnant. So a new phase of my life started, joyful yet disturbing. The anxiety grew as my closest relatives became ill. After nine months full of hope and worries I gave birth to a boy.