The drug hydroxyurea has been used for decades to prevent sickle cell crises, but there have been questions about its impact on female fertility A new study involving a close look at ovarian tissue found no differences between girls exposed or not exposed to the drug One researcher added that many of her female patients who've taken the drug have gone on to successfully have children MONDAY, July 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A drug called has long been used to fight sickle cell disease, but some female patients may have shied away from it due to concerns that it could harm future fertility. Those fears may be unfounded: A new study finds that hydroxyurea has no effect on what's known as "ovarian reserve" -- the number of healthy eggs a girl or woman may have on hand to conceive. Based on the new findings, women with sickle cell disease "should be more confident in hydroxyurea as a therapy," said study lead author , of the University Children’s Hospital Basel in Switzerland.
Hydroxyurea cuts down on sickle cell-related crises and hospitalizations "and, according to the data from this study, doesn’t impact fertility," she said in a news release from the American Society of Hematology (ASH). According to ASH, over 100,000 people in the United States currently suffer from sickle cell disease, where a genetic aberration creates bent (sickle-shaped) blood cells that can get lodged in blood vessels. Sometimes these blockages are so severe as to impede that flow of blood to organ.