Reproductive Medicine
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...Antioxidant supplements make no difference in infertile men
Despite many study results suggesting that antioxidants have a positive effect on abnormal sperm parameters associated with male infertility, a large US clinical trial of 174 couples has found that an antioxidant formulation taken daily by the male...Sugar-sweetened beverage intake linked to lower fecundity
A US study has found that the intake of one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day – by either partner – associated with a decreased chance of getting pregnant. The amount of added sugar in the US diet has increased dramatically over the...
New device selects the faster and healthier sperm cells
January 24th, 2018 A new device developed by a team of researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Stanford University uses an 'obstacle course' to sort and select faster and healthier sperm cells for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The device was...Ibuprofen could increase risk of fertility issues in men
Men who take high doses of ibuprofen for months at a time may be at greater risk of fertility issues and also other health problems, such as muscle wastage, erectile dysfunction and fatigue. Research on healthy young men who took the common...Cancer survivors 38% less likely to become pregnant - landmark study
Cancer survivors were 38% less likely to achieve a pregnancy than women in the general population, found a large University of Edinburgh study. For the first time, a large population study has quantified the chance of pregnancy after treatment...Positive association between IVF and early cognitive development
A data analysisof UK children born through IVF or ICSI, testing the same groups of children every few years up to the age of 11, found a positive association between artificial conception and cognitive development. The study also shows that...
100-year-old technique has 'significant benefits' for fertility
May 24th, 2017 Rates of pregnancy and live births were higher among women who underwent fallopian tube flushing with oil contrast than with water contrast. Almost 40% of infertile women in the oil group and 29% of infertile women in the water group achieved...