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.
Author: ASRM News and Research
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.
Mammal Embryos Develop Normally in Space
It seems increasingly plausible that humans will colonize space. But to continue the human race as we know it, we would have to reproduce in space. Up until now, scientists weren’t sure that was possible—one 2009 study conducted in simulated zero gravity, and another done in 1996 in which NASA scientists sent embryos to space, did not see any mammalian embryos develop.
Should Students Learn About Declining Fertility?
Mentioning the topic of declining fertility is surprisingly controversial — partly because of political arguments over sex education in schools. But there are also different ideas about whether a policy priority of avoiding teenage pregnancy clashes with teaching students how to preserve their fertility.
Gene-Editing Research in Human Embryos Gains Momentum
At the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Fredrik Lanner is preparing to edit genes in human embryos. It’s the kind of research that sparked an international frenzy in April last year, when a Chinese team revealed that it had done the world’s first such experiments.