How Breast Cancer Previvor Sarafina El-Badry Nance Is Taking Charge of Her Health With IVF

The astrophysicist is using preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to eliminate her future children’s risk of inheriting the BRACA-2 gene mutation.

Sarafina El-Badry Nance was photographed by Yu Tsai in the Dominican Republic. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kickstart your New Year alongside SI Swimsuit with 31 Days of Wellness! This January, SI Swimsuit will unlock exclusive offerings with SI Swimsuit models, wellness experts, fitness gurus and others, who will guide you through 31 days of rejuvenating workouts, recipes, self-care rituals and more.

While many of us often reassess our physical and mental health at the start of a brand-new year, others use their platforms to advocate for women’s health issues year-round. Astrophysicist and author Sarafina El-Badry Nance is one such individual who regularly reminds us to speak up where our health and well-being are concerned. Today, we’re sharing her story to motherhood in the hopes of helping other women who may be struggling with infertility, or those who, like Nance, are pursuing in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a way to reduce the risk of passing on genetic conditions to their children.

Nance was 23 when her father was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer. It was then that the 2022 Swim Search finalist learned that her dad was a carrier of the BRCA-2 gene mutation, and after testing, Nance learned she was also a carrier.

A few years later, at the age of 26, Nance decided to undergo a preventative double mastectomy in order to reduce her lifetime breast cancer risk from 87% to less than 5%. The women’s healthcare advocate has been incredibly outspoken about her health journey in the hopes of helping others, and now that she is undergoing in IVF, Nance is using her voice to share how she is using preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to eliminate her future children’s risk of inheriting the BRACA mutation.

“After undergoing IVF and retrieving my eggs, my team at Spring Fertility will create embryos and then perform biopsies to determine which ones carry the mutation,” Nance explains. “When my partner, Taylor, and I are ready to get pregnant, we’ll transfer an embryo that doesn’t carry the mutation. I feel incredibly empowered by reclaiming agency over my BRCA diagnosis for my future children, [as] our future child won’t have to worry about carrying the BRCA mutation and our family’s long lineage of cancer will end with me.”

As part of the IVF process, Nance administers daily injections herself, and undergoes almost-daily blood draws and ultrasounds, a process she says leaves her feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. During her first IVF cycle, she slept on average 10 to 12 hours per night. Despite the emotional and physical side effects, Nance is exercising daily, eating clean and prioritizing her sleep in an effort to keep her energy up, and is leaning on her husband and friends for support.

“Balancing an IVF cycle with a full-time job is so hard, and I think, as a society, we need to be more transparent about how hard becoming a parent can be—and how support systems, both familial and structural, are absolutely necessary,” she adds.

Nance’s physician, Dr. Serena Dovey, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Spring Fertility, adds that the challenges Nance describes are ones that women commonly experience during the IVF journey.

“One of the most surprising aspects of IVF is how much it can touch every part of your life—not just physically, but emotionally, too,” Dr. Dovey tells SI Swimsuit. “While many patients come in ready to tackle the medical side, the emotional ups and downs can be an unexpected part of the experience. That’s where having a dedicated care team makes such a difference ... Knowing you’re cared for, advocated for and never alone can transform what might feel overwhelming into something hopeful and empowering.”

Sarafina El-Badry Nance was photographed by Yu Tsai in the Dominican Republic. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

As she continues to go through the IVF process, Nance is also juggling the emotions of her father undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 3 pancreatic cancer, which he was diagnosed with in August. In sharing her story, and her family’s story, Nance hopes that she can empower women to take control of their own health this year.

“Getting genetic testing and learning I carry the BRCA-2 mutation was incredibly hard, but now, I’m so glad that I carry that knowledge. I’ve been empowered to make decisions to protect my health ... and have agency around my own fertility to protect my future children,” Nance says. “In a country in which reproductive health is often taboo and reproductive rights are increasingly jeopardized, I hope to empower women that they are their own best advocate—and spread the word that every woman deserves access to excellent reproductive care.”

So, whether you can relate to Nance’s IVF journey or not, her story is one we can all learn from heading into 2025 by understanding that there has never been a better time to take charge of your physical health than the present. If you’re interested in learning about genetic testing, find a genetic counselor here, and to stay on top of your breast health, learn how to perform regular breast self-exams here.

Stay tuned to SI Swimsuit’s 31 Days of Wellness to continue to learn how to take charge in the year ahead!

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