Galloping advances in genetic and stem-cell technologies raise the inviting prospect that some devastating diseases could be treated. Conditions caused by natural mutations might be avoided by judicious genome tinkering to set things right for the next generations. But ‘inviting’ does not always mean ‘advisable’.
Month: September 2015
After Surviving Cancer, This Infertile Mom Gives Birth to Miracle Daughter
Every birth is special, but baby Evie is a downright miracle. Her mom, Jodie, was diagnosed with cancer of lymphocytes, commonly known as follicular lymphoma, when she was 23 years old. In order to cure the serious disease, Jodie underwent months of serious treatment that left her infertile.
Why is Male Infertility So Under-Researched?
The medical advice for infertile men is 50-years old and counting. You can bet that science wouldn’t have neglected the area of research if the sufferers were women, writes Neil Lyndon
Couples Paying Most Canadian Donors for Their Eggs, Breaking Controversial Fertility Law, Study Find
Most Canadian women who donate eggs for fertility treatment receive payment above their expenses – even though providing such fees violates the country’s controversial fertility law, suggests a new study.
If Menopause Gives You Hot Flashes, New Report Shows What Helps, What Doesn’t
After reviewing the medical literature on non-hormonal hot flash treatments, experts at the North American Menopause Society have weighed in with a report published Wednesday. The downside? The list of treatments that have NOT been proven to work is longer than the list of those that do — and the news may leave many women unhappy.
Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization to Become Single Parents, Not Due to Fertility Issues
After four years of pondering becoming a single parent by using a sperm donor, Bennett found herself in the office of Dr. Anthony Imudia, an IVF specialist at USF who is based at Tampa General.
The Affordable Care Act is Great for Women of Reproductive Age
A report from the Guttmacher Institute found that the proportion of women between the ages of 15 and 44 without insurance dropped by 22 percent in the ACA’s first year. Between 2013 and 2014, the percentage decreased from 17.9 percent to 13.9 percent, according to the report, which was released on Tuesday. That was largely a result of increased Medicaid coverage under the act, which saw a 17.4 percent increase among women of reproductive age.
Scientists Apply for License to Edit Genes in Human Embryos
Scientists in London have asked for permission to edit the genomes of human embryos—a request that could lead to the world’s first approval of such research by a national regulatory body.
FDA to Review Safety of Controversial Women’s Sterilization Device
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration will hold a public hearing to consider the stories of women like Hughes, who claim they have been seriously harmed by the permanent birth-control device. The agency called the meeting earlier this year amid mounting reports of complications linked to the device — more than 5,000 at last count — and a long-running social media campaign by women who want Essure pulled from the market.
Embryo Battles are Likely to Get a Precedent in San Francisco Couple’s Case
Dr. Mimi C. Lee and Stephen E. Findley had not been married long when he began to have doubts about the relationship. Now divorced, he is fighting to prevent her from having a child with their frozen embryos, made after Lee was diagnosed with cancer.