Joseph M. Letourneau, MD

Languages Spoken: English

As a fertility / infertility specialist, my clinical interests include: infertility, family building after a cancer diagnosis, egg and embryo freezing, IVF, in vitro fertilization, fertility preservation, egg/oocyte freezing, reproductive endocrine disorders, and recurrent pregnancy loss. My research focuses on the effects of chemotherapy exposure on ovarian function, uterine function, and pregnancy outcomes. I am currently the Co-Director of the University of Utah Onco-fertility Program. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and earned my medical degree at University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Medicine. In medical school, I became interested in fertility preservation for patients diagnosed with cancer. After medical school, I completed Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UCSF.

My own medical journey informs my care of patients with infertility. Most of us take our ability to eat for granted, and most of us love to talk about food – these are social norms. When I was in my mid-twenties, I lost my ability to swallow food, as an autoimmune disease paralyzed my esophagus. Something I did not expect happened to me: the less I could eat, the more I heard people talk about food, the more isolated I felt. A surgery eventually helped to restore the function of my esophagus. Not only did the surgery restore my ability to eat, but my doctors helped me find a renewed sense of normalcy and happiness. From what I have observed, the infertility journey can be a similar struggle. Many people may take becoming pregnant for granted, and many people love to talk about their kids – these are also social norms. Unfortunately, social norms like this are not very sensitive to the difficulties of struggling to conceive. I look forward to helping patients build their families and to helping them process feelings, both expected and unexpected, that may arise along the path to parenthood.

As a fertility / infertility specialist, my clinical interests include: infertility, family building after a cancer diagnosis, egg and embryo freezing, IVF, in vitro fertilization, fertility preservation, egg/oocyte freezing, reproductive endocrine disorders, and recurrent pregnancy loss. My research focuses on the effects of chemotherapy exposure on ovarian function, uterine function, and pregnancy outcomes. I am currently the Co-Director of the University of Utah Onco-fertility Program. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and earned my medical degree at University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Medicine. In medical school, I became interested in fertility preservation for patients diagnosed with cancer. After medical school, I completed Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UCSF.

My own medical journey informs my care of patients with infertility. Most of us take our ability to eat for granted, and most of us love to talk about food – these are social norms. When I was in my mid-twenties, I lost my ability to swallow food, as an autoimmune disease paralyzed my esophagus. Something I did not expect happened to me: the less I could eat, the more I heard people talk about food, the more isolated I felt. A surgery eventually helped to restore the function of my esophagus. Not only did the surgery restore my ability to eat, but my doctors helped me find a renewed sense of normalcy and happiness. From what I have observed, the infertility journey can be a similar struggle. Many people may take becoming pregnant for granted, and many people love to talk about their kids – these are also social norms. Unfortunately, social norms like this are not very sensitive to the difficulties of struggling to conceive. I look forward to helping patients build their families and to helping them process feelings, both expected and unexpected, that may arise along the path to parenthood.