Who are the women sitting in the waiting room with faraway eyes and brochures about egg freezing in their hands?It’s easiest to categorize them into two strikingly different groups. One group is made up of women who face illnesses that impact fertility, including endometriosis and cancer. On the advice of their doctors and supported by families and sometimes a husband, they’re making this choice to ensure that one day, following surgery or chemo, they still have the chance to mother their own biological children. The other group includes women who hurriedly speak about jobs with late hours and business trips and little time to meet guys. Even though it seems impossible within their current, busy lives, these women hold on to the hope that some far off day in the future they will have the option to have their own children should they wish to do so.
Tag: fertility
The Quest for a Family
For those who want children and can’t have them on their own, time is the enemy. But so is cancer. And money. And war. For those who fear an imperfect genetic history, it seems they must forge the steeliest of nerves in order to be successful. So many things can go wrong in the quest for a family, despite the high-tech world of fertility treatments and genetic counseling that hold promise for those who have been disappointed by old-fashioned measures.
A Look Inside the Czech Republic’s Booming Fertility Holiday Industry
In 2008, a friend sent me a link to a Czech company called IVF Holiday. Clicking the link, I saw images of quaint European towns. These were accompanied by pictures of smiling white babies – and promises of affordable and safe rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF). I soon realized I’d stumbled into a new type of tourism: fertility holidays.
Nine Signs You Might Be Infertile
Even if you’re not thinking about having children or becoming pregnant any time soon, it’s not a bad idea to learn how to spot the signs that you might be infertile or have fertility issues. Fertility problems are much more common — in both men and women — than you might think: the CDC reports that 6.7 million American women are either unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term. Additionally, the CDC reports that 7.5 percent of all sexually experienced men under the age of 45 in the U.S. have seen a medical professional regarding fertility issues — meaning that 3.3 to 4.7 million American men have sought help with fertility in their lifetimes.
Undergoing Fertility Treatment? Watch Your Plastics
For women trying fertility treatments, research indicates that exposure to one ubiquitous chemical, bisphenol-A, might greatly impair their chances of having a baby. But federal agencies remain steadfast in the safety of the chemical, known as “BPA” and found in some canned foods and beverages, paper receipts and dental sealants.
Infertility and Metabolic Diseases Are All Related, Reveals Study
Men with fertility problems are at increased risk of developing metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis – that makes bones brittle — or diabetes, warns a new study.
Female Sterilization: Why Are So Many Women Getting Their Tubes Tied, And Why Aren’t Men Doing The Same?
Many women across the globe struggle with fertility: Some try to become pregnant but can’t, others are persistently unsuccessful at in vitro fertilization, and many experience the heartbreak of miscarriage. While these women strive for motherhood, others inhabit the opposite end of the fertility spectrum, hoping to avoid pregnancy at any cost — even if it means permanently closing the door to birthing children. Becoming sterile, though stigmatized throughout history, is no longer viewed as the loss of a woman’s femininity, purpose, or worth in most places. Rather, it’s a conscious choice many women make to gain absolute control over their reproductive systems.
Sperm Banks Draft Zika Virus Policy
Some sperm banks and fertility societies are taking steps to keep the Zika virus out of their supplies of donor sperm to avoid infecting women trying to get pregnant.
Debate About Fertility Treatment Ethics as South African Company Flies Women to Australia to Donate Eggs
A South African company has sparked renewed debate about the ethics of some fertility treatments. The company recruits young women to donate their eggs and is heavily promoting itself in Australia.
Hair Dye that Could Harm Women’s Fertility Banned
A hair dye that can harm a woman’s fertility and endanger her unborn child has been banned in Britain.