Reproductive Medicine
Increased risk of certain cancers for children conceived from frozen embryos
When frozen embryos are used during in vitro fertilization (IVF), the resulting children have a slightly higher risk than other kids for certain types of cancer, Channel News Asia reports evidence from Denmark suggests. Analysing health records of...Paternal smoking associated with lower total sperm counts
The adverse effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy is well established and associated with several negative neonatal outcomes (such as low birth weight and preterm birth). It is also evident in some studies that the semen quality of men exposed...Infertility rates double in Switzerland in less than 10 years
Over the last fifty years, a marked decrease in sperm count has been observed in the western world. But what about the situation in Switzerland? Up to now, no study had evaluated the reproductive health of Swiss young men. Researchers from the...
Older fathers increase pregnancy risk — Rutgers research review
May 29th, 2019 Men who delay starting a family have a ticking “biological clock” – just like women – that may affect the health of their partners and children, according to Rutgers researchers. The study reviewed 40 years of research on the effect of...
'Trading on hope’ — Fertility clinics exploit older women
April 24th, 2019 Older women are being exploited by IVF clinics “trading on hope”, the UK’s fertility watchdog has warned. The Daily Telegraph quotes Sally Cheshire, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) as saying those seeking...Second potential male birth control pill passes human safety tests
A new experimental male oral contraceptive has been announced, called 11-beta-methyl-19-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate, or 11-beta-MNTDC. It is a modified testosterone that has the combined actions of a male hormone (androgen) and a progesterone,...
Earlier marijuana smoking linked with higher sperm concentration
February 13th, 2019 Men who have smoked marijuana at some point in their life had significantly higher concentrations of sperm when compared with men who have never smoked marijuana, according to new research led by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The study,...
Unregulated US fertility industry a haven for controversial services
January 9th, 2019 The US fertility industry remains largely unregulated and draws IVF patients from around the world seeking controversial services – not just sex selection, but commercial surrogacy, anonymous sperm donation and screening for physical...
Egg providers changing the way SA thinks about assisted reproduction
November 14th, 2018 There is limited literature addressing assisted reproduction in Africa, yet the continent’s societies are pronatalist, with immense social, economic and religious imperatives to reproduce, writes Amrita Pande, a lecturer in sociology at the...The stigma of male infertility in SA
South Africa, where cultural beliefs can be an obstacle for men seeking health care and for the physicians who provide it, has one of the highest male infertility rates in the world and the condition is associated with deep shame, according to a...Higher levels of stress in women lowers conception odds
A large North American analysis finds that higher levels of stress are associated with lower odds of conception for women, but not for men. In North America, 20% to 25% of women and 18% to 21% of men of reproductive age report daily...Greater CVD risk for children conceived through IVF
Children conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and other forms of assisted reproduction are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases which can have life-long health effects, Swiss researchers have found. The Independent reports...
Hanging loose may boost sperm concentrations by 25%
August 22nd, 2018 Men who most frequently wore boxers had significantly higher sperm concentrations and total counts when compared with men who did not, according to research led by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. The findings of this study, conducted in the...Eating nuts improves human sperm — randomised trial
The inclusion of nuts in a regular diet significantly improves the quality and function of human sperm, according to results of a randomised trial which measured conventional semen parameters and molecular changes over a 14-week study period. The...Trial shows no value to 'endometrial scratch' prior to IVF
An add-on treatment commonly offered to female IVF patients to improve their chance of success has been shown in a large randomised trial to be of no value. "Endometrial scratch," a technique whereby a small scratch or tissue biopsy is made to the...