As of last week, CVS is selling over-the-counter fertility kits, commercially (and cutely) known as PregPrep. The kit includes two different supplements, one of which is a mucolytic, which is more commonly used to break up congestion in the lungs. In this case, however, it’s meant to thin cervical mucus.
Month: July 2015
Colorado’s Push Against Teen Pregnancy Proves Huge Success
Teenage births have been declining nationally, but experts say the timing and magnitude of the reductions in Colorado are a strong indication that the state’s program using a long-acting method of birth control was a major driver.
Report: Women in Connecticut Denied Some Mandated Health Benefits
Women in Connecticut have been denied health insurance benefits in violation of the federal Affordable Care Act, according to a study by the National Women’s Law Center.
Team Identifies Gene Responsible for Some Cases of Male Infertility
In the most severe form of male infertility, men do not make any measurable levels of sperm. This condition, called azoospermia, affects approximately 1 percent of the male population and is responsible for about a sixth of cases of male infertility.
Oftentimes men with azoospermia don’t know the underlying cause of their condition. But new research led by University of Pennsylvania scientists suggests that mutations in an X chromosome gene called TEX11 are responsible for a significant number of cases of infertility—an estimated 1 percent of cases of non-obstructive azoospermia.
The Strange, Everyday Causes of Male Infertility
RedOrbit recently spoke to a leading urologist, Dr. Paul Turek, to get an overview of the causes of low sperm count and what lifestyle changes men can make to avoid it. In this follow-up, we’ll cover some of the stranger causes that men might encounter every day.
Why Birth Control Dispensers Look the Way They Do
The first working model of the now-iconic birth control pill dispenser is in the Smithsonian’s history collection. It’s built out of clear plastic, paper, and double-sided tape, held together by a snap from a child’s toy, with slices of wooden dowel standing in for pills. It was created to solve a vexing problem.
Questions Over What to Do With Unused Embryos
A few months ago, “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara’s dispute with her ex-fiance Nick Loeb over what to do with their frozen embryos became public. The two used in vitro fertilization to create embryos. But when they split, Vergara wanted keep the embryos frozen, while Loeb wanted them as children. The disagreement highlights the complicated moral and legal questions that families, doctors and courts are facing as the number of frozen embryos in fertility clinics across the country grows. We look at what families are doing with unused embryos.
Palestinians Pay High Cost to Conceive
According to Aajour, the cost for an IVF is somewhere between $2,200 and $2,500. Referring to the rising number of people resorting to infertility treatment centers in Gaza, he said, “People often look for an IVF at a price that suits them, due to the deteriorating economic conditions in Gaza and the lack of governmental support for families suffering delayed childbearing, in addition to the lack of charities’ support.”
Christie Vetoes Surrogacy Contract Bill
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on June 29 vetoed, for the second time, a bill that would have permitted legally binding gestational carrier agreements.