In this unprecedented era of menstrual activism, invention, and public discourse, it was only a matter of time before period talk reached outer space. Last week, in a report published in Npj Microgravity, researchers made one of the first scientifically backed recommendations for astronauts who menstruate.
Month: April 2016
11 Things You Should Know if You’re Considering Freezing Your Eggs
Freezing your eggs used to be an out-there procedure deemed “experimental” because of its iffy odds. But thanks to better success rates—and major media buzz from celebrities like Olivia Munn, Maria Menounos, and Jennifer Love Hewitt—it’s become an empowering way to buy time to have a baby on your own terms. More fertility clinics are offering it, and tech giants like Google and Facebook are covering it in their benefits packages.
Breast Cancer Gene Might Lower Women’s Fertility
The BRCA1 gene mutation, which raises the risk of breast cancer by 80 percent, may be linked to having fewer eggs in the ovaries as a woman ages, the Australian investigators said. But a cause-and-effect relationship was not proven.
Infertility Treatment in the Age of Zika
Elena (not her real name) had been undergoing fertility treatments for more than a year when she learned that the Zika virus had arrived in Puerto Rico. Naturally, she was concerned. She’d heard the stories about babies born to Zika-infected mothers in Brazil—babies with abnormally small heads and uncertain futures. And briefly, she considered suspending her fertility treatments.
University of Maryland Tests Non-Surgical Methods of Treating Fibroids
Surgery is by far the most frequent treatment for fibroids, which afflict up to 80 percent of women of childbearing years, and doctors say most people are like Spellman and don’t know there are other options available and in the works. Up to a quarter of sufferers have symptoms, and many live with the excessive bleeding, cramping and pressure because they want to avoid invasive procedures that come with risks and recoveries lasting weeks or months.
Are You Worried About Your Fertility? Young People Share Their Stories
The Guardian asked young readers about the subject, and we heard from lots of people who said that they couldn’t even think about starting a family until they had a home and stable income – which tend to come much later for young adults today.
Sperm Donor Lied About Criminal and Mental Health History, Lawsuit Alleges
He was handsome and healthy, with several degrees and a genius-level IQ. On paper, Donor 9623 embodied the best genetics had to offer. At least 36 children were born using his donated sperm. According to a lawsuit filed by three families, it took almost 14 years before the donor’s true identity was revealed: A schizophrenic college dropout with a felony conviction.
In IVF, Questions About ‘Mosaic’ Embryos
The couple wanted a baby boy, but the male embryo they had chosen — the only one available after an expensive round of in vitro fertilization — received a troubling test result. A handful of cells from the five-day-old embryo were deemed abnormal, apparently missing Chromosome 21, an absence that can lead to developmental defects.
Potential Effects of Fertility Treatments on Breast Density, Cancer Risk
Infertility and hormonal fertility treatments may influence the amount of dense tissue in the breast, a risk factor for breast cancer, according to a study involving 43,313 women, published in the open access journal Breast Cancer Research.
Researchers Have Found a ‘Striking’ New Side Effect from Eating Fast Food
Researchers at George Washington University have linked fast-food consumption to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, a connection they argue could have “great public health significance.” Specifically, the team found that people who eat fast food tend to have significantly higher levels of certain phthalates, which are commonly used in consumer products such as soap and makeup to make them less brittle but have been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including higher rates of infertility, especially among males.