by Corey Whelan
When I was an infertility patient, like most, my insurance didn’t cover IVF. Looking back, I have to say I have never been as aggressive, or creative, or determined, or driven to find a solution to any situation as I …
Month: October 2012
Child Abuse Associated with Reproductive Disorders Later in Life
Two studies were presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine that described an apparent link between childhood abuse and reproductive disorders later in life.
Comprehensive Chromosomal Analysis Shown to Improve IVF Outcomes
Researchers at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine presented research showing that by screening all the chromosomes in an embryo the number of successful pregnancies could be increased over traditional methods of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).
ASRM Practice Committee Releases New Report on Ovarian Reserve Testing
Report expresses concern with “lack of validated results” for most proposed testing methods.
Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Associated with Earlier Age at Menopause
In a study to be presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis show for the first time the potential effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on ovarian reserve.
New Report on Egg Freezing; ASRM Lifts Experimental Label from Technique
The Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued a new report today stating that in young patients egg freezing techniques have been shown to produce pregnancy rates, leading to the birth of healthy babies, comparable to IVF cycles using fresh eggs.
Female Patients’ Age Is an Important Consideration in Choosing Fertility Treatment
Researchers from the Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center will present studies at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine showing that the effectiveness of intrauterine insemination (IUI) for unexplained infertility falls off for women over the age of 40 and that, for women aged 38 to 44, IVF is more effective than IUI.
Freezing Eggs For Fertility Works, Caution Urged
WASHINGTON (AP) — Freezing human eggs can be successful in treating infertility — but guidelines issued Friday still urge caution for women hoping to pause a ticking biological clock.
Egg freezing had long been labeled experimental, but the American Society for Reproductive Medicine declared that’s no longer the case. The group cited studies that found younger women are about as likely to get pregnant if they used frozen-and-thawed eggs for their infertility treatment as if they used fresh ones.
The move is expected to help cancer patients preserve their fertility, by pushing more insurers to pay for their procedure, and to boost banking of donated eggs, similar to sperm banking. Read full article.
Fat Teenage Boys Could be Impotent and Infertile Later in Life
Obese teenage boys have up to 50 per cent less testosterone than their leaner pals – increasing their risk of infertility in later life, a study has found.
Researchers said the results were a ‘grim message’ for overweight young adults.
The study by scientists at the University at Buffalo in the U.S shows for the first time that obese young men aged 14 to 20 have around half the total testosterone than normal weight youths. Read full article.
Weight Loss Does Not Improve Fertility
HERSHEY, Pa. — Losing weight does not lead to improved fertility in women, but does improve sexual function, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
“Obesity in women has been linked to lack of ovulation and thus infertility,” said Richard Legro, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology. “Obesity, especially centered in the abdomen, among infertile women seeking pregnancy is also associated with poor response to ovulation induction and with decreased pregnancy rates.”
Obese women are often told to lose weight prior to conception, so researchers looked at changes in reproductive function after gastric bypass surgery. One way to learn more about the effects of obesity on reproduction is to study women after bariatric surgery, since a large amount of weight is lost in a relatively short period of time. Each person can be studied while obese and after surgery to detect changes. Researchers report their findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Researchers followed 29 morbidly obese women — women whose body fat accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health — of reproductive age for up to two years after Roux en Y gastric bariatric bypass surgery. Roux en Y is a procedure that creates a small pouch in the stomach that is directly connected to the midsection of the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine. Read full article.