Loud applause erupted when an advisory panel recommended in early June that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve the first medication to treat low libido in women. Many more must have cheered when the FDA followed the committee’s advice and approved the prescription drug, which will go by the name Addyi, on 18 August.
Author: ASRM News and Research
How Babies are Really Made: Researchers Find Sperm Use a Tiny ‘Harpoon’ to Attach Themselves to Eggs
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that explains how eggs are fertilised. A 14 year study concluded that sperm harpoon the egg to facilitate fertilization.Researchers found a protein within the head of the sperm forms spiky filaments, suggesting that these tiny filaments may lash together the sperm and its target.
The 1 Birth Control Pill Risk You Should Know About Above All Else
The Internet is flooded with information about contraception these days, and you have probably heard your fair share about IUDs and diaphragms and any other form of birth control that is available through your insurance provider. As you’re wading through the muck of statistics, though, there are a few things you need to pay attention to more than others. If you’re either currently taking the birth control pill or you’re shopping around for new contraception, listen carefully — because the most significant risk you face when you choose the Pill is developing blood clots.
Six Things Never to Say to Someone Who’s Pregnant After Infertility
Getting pregnant can often elicit a colorful array of responses—not only from family and friends, but also from strangers. Saying the right thing can make a big difference in supporting a pregnant woman you care about.
Same-Sex Couples May Face More Obstacles In Infertility Treatment
New research suggests that same-sex couples face more obstacles to treatment for infertility than opposite-sex couples.
Why Frozen Sperm Can’t Save Earth’s Imperiled Species—Yet
Zoo Animals are giving humans a run for their money in the assisted reproduction department. Mei Xiang, a giant panda at the National Zoo, gave birth to twin babies this past Saturday, thanks to artificial insemination. And earlier this month, scientists announced the birth of a bouncing baby black-footed ferret, conceived with cryogenically preserved sperm from a father who had died twenty years ago.
Why Your Doctor Won’t Friend You On Facebook
Physicians generally draw a line: Public professional pages – focused on medicine, similar to those other businesses offer – are catching on. Some might email with patients. But doctors aren’t ready to share vacation photos and other more intimate details with patients, or even to advise them on medication or treatment options via private chats. They’re hesitant to blur the lines between personal lives and professional work and nervous about the privacy issues that could arise in discussing specific medical concerns on most Internet platforms.
Stinky Gas Invigorates Sperm
Hydrogen sulphide, a gas known for its rotten egg smell, may be able to help men improve the quality of their sperm and thus their fertility, if a National University of Singapore (NUS) study on animals is translatable to humans. Published in the journal Nitric Oxide, the new findings can potentially give rise to new approaches in treating male infertility.
After A Divorce, What Happens To A Couple’s Frozen Embryos?
Soon after their wedding, Dr. Mimi Lee and Stephen Findley decided to create five embryos. Lee had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she worried that treatment would leave her infertile. Now that they’re divorced, Lee wants to use them; Findley, however, does not.
The Conception Dilemma Facing Many Parents Today
A report on the survey recently published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said the children and their families were just as emotionally stable and functional as each other.The IVF pioneer who conducted the research, Professor Gab Kovacs, believes this should reassure parents who have decided not to tell their children by their early and middle years.