Month: November 2012

Fertility Clock Headlines, Fertility Headlines

Advice for Men Struggling With Infertility

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(NewsUSA/SpermCheck.com) – While women are often the first to undergo a battery of tests when conception is slow to happen, almost half of all infertility problems are directly attributed to the male. Low sperm count is the most common culprit, so analyzing sperm count is considered a key first step by infertility specialists. However, a new survey conducted for SpermCheck Fertility, the only FDA-approved at-home sperm count screening test, finds that only 17 percent of men ever get tested.

While a majority of men are not getting tested, according to Pamela Madsen, fertility advocate and founder of The American Fertility Association, they are also doing little to prepare for conception. She says there are several things men can do to help boost fertility naturally. Read full article.

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Women’s Knowledge on Infertility: Interview with Barbara Collura

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In the United States, 7.3 million people are affected by infertility, in which a couple cannot conceive, according to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.

There are two categories of infertility. They are primary infertility and secondary infertility. With primary infertility, pregnancy has not occurred after at least a year of intercourse. With secondary infertility, couples have been able to get pregnant at least once, but have not been able to get pregnant again.

This year at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting (ASRM), the results of the In the Know: Fertility IQ 2012 survey were presented. The survey, which included more than 400 health care providers, found significant difference between what health care providers are reporting and what patients are reporting. Read entire article.

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Jacksonville Doctor Has a New Tool to Identify Endometriosis

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Endometriosis occurs when bits of the uterus lining grow outside the uterus, at most extremes causing infertility, striking more than half a million women today. However according to ActionNewsJax.com, one man, Dr. Samuel Brown of Jacksonville Florida, made it his mission to find new ways to help his patients overcome this disease.

Dr. Brown is the first in the world to use a robot and fluorescent imaging to identify endometriosis and remove it. Read full article.

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Flying Solo: More Women Abandon Search for Prince Charming and Opt to Have IVF Baby

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SINGLE women in their late 30s are increasingly giving up waiting for ”Mr Right” and turning instead to IVF or assisted reproductive technology (ART) to fulfil their dream of having a baby.

IVF clinics in Sydney and Melbourne report the number of women using donor sperm to conceive a child has jumped 10 per cent over the past three years. An IVF Australia fertility specialist, Michael Chapman, said that, while lesbian couples accounted for some of the increase, the real growth was occurring with older, single heterosexual women.

”We’re seeing more and more of these ladies. Women who can’t find Mr Right but still want a child realise this is an option,” Professor Chapman said. ”It’s become almost normal to be a single mum. So when these women get to 38, 39, they go to donor sperm and do assisted reproduction.”

Categorised by the IVF industry as ”socially infertile”, these women rely on their mother, sister or a friend to support them through the IVF process in the absence of a partner. Read full article.

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Men Behind Most Unexplained Infertility Cases – And The New Test To Help Couples

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New research has given fresh hope to couples diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’.

A study of 239 couples with unexplained fertility found high sperm DNA damage in 80 per cent of the couples trying to conceive.

Currently, some 50,000 couples require fertility treatment in the UK every year, but up to one third of these are diagnosed with unexplained or idiopathic infertility, as tests are unable to find a cause for the problem.

The researchers from Queen’s University Belfast said the discovery will lead to better treatment for couples, saving them time, money and heartache.

Professor Sheena Lewis from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences said: “For almost one third of couples, until now, there has been no obvious cause for infertility and these couples are given the diagnosis of ‘unexplained fertility’.

“These couples often invest a lot of time and money in fertility treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) unlikely to be successful. Read full article.

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UN Call Contraception Access a Universal Human Right

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Access to contraception is a universal human right that could dramatically improve the lives of women and children in poor countries, the United Nations announced Wednesday in a new report.

It is the first time the U.N. Population Fund’s annual report explicitly describes family planning as a human right.

“Family planning has a positive multiplier effect on development,” Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the fund, said in a written statement. “Not only does the ability for a couple to choose when and how many children to have help lift nations out of poverty, but it is also one of the most effective means of empowering women. Women who use contraception are generally healthier, better educated, more empowered in their households and communities and more economically productive. Women’s increased labor-force participation boosts nations’ economies.” Read full article.

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US Preterm Birth Rate Shows Five Year Improvement

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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2012 – The U.S. preterm birth rate dropped for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 to 11.7 percent, the lowest in a decade, giving thousands more babies a healthy start in life and saving billions in health and social costs.

Four states – Vermont, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Maine earned an “A” on the March of Dimes 2012 Premature Birth Report Card as their preterm birth rates met the March of Dimes 9.6 percent goal. Although, the US preterm birth rate improved, it again earned a “C” on the Report Card.

“These results demonstrate that many premature births can be prevented with the right policies and bold leadership,” said March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse. “Our national progress in reducing premature births over the past five years shows that when infant health becomes a priority, babies benefit. We must implement proven interventions and accelerate our investment in new research to prevent preterm birth so one day every baby will get a healthy start in life.” Read full article.

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Sperm Length Variation Could Mean Fertility Problems

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Sperm length variation is an indication of problems with fertility, and men who have a broad range of different sperm lengths, especially in the flagellum, have a decreased chance of being able to reproduce and lower numbers of sperm that can swim well , according to a new study conduction by Brown University researchers and published in the journal Human Reproduction.

Jim Mossman, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar at Brown University, commented:

“Our study reveals that men who produce higher concentrations of competent swimming sperm also demonstrate less variation in the size and shape of those sperm. It suggests that in some cases, tests are working more optimally to produce high numbers of consistently manufactured sperm, and vice versa.”

Mossman and his team measured the flagella, middles, and heads of 30 sperm per person from 103 men who were chosen at random out of 500 individuals who had previously been enlisted in another substantial fertility study.

The team also measured other sperm factors that the WHO (World Health Organization) claims are important fertility indicators, such as concentration and motility. Read full article.

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Exposure to Chemicals May Reduce Fertility

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November 14. 2012 – A new study suggests that couples who have high levels of PCBs may take longer to conceive.

Although industrial chemicals called PCBs have been banned for more than three decades, a new study suggests that the pollutants could be making it harder for some people to have a baby today.

Couples with high levels of certain chemicals in their bodies took about 20% longer to conceive compared with those with lower exposures, says the study from the National Institutes of Health.

That type of delay is similar to the effects of other factors known to reduce fertility, such as smoking, obesity and older age, according to the findings, published today in Environmental Health Perspectives. Read full article.