Fertility Counseling for Adolescents.

Fertility awareness, or general knowledge about one's fertility, is low in adolescents and in adult women as well. Misconceptions about reproduction contribute to high rates of unplanned pregnancy in the United States, as well as delayed childbearing and infertility. Alhough primary care providers caring for adolescents have historically focused on contraception and reduction of sexually transmitted infections during their sexual and reproductive health conversations with adolescents and young adult women, fertility awareness counseling would help these women optimize their future fertility and make informed reproductive choices throughout their life. This is particularly true for adolescents with chronic medical conditions, certain gynecologic conditions, or a history of therapies that could potentially affect fertility, for whom preemptive conversations about fertility are needed, but often overlooked.