January 2009 Blog Archive
Friday, January 30, 2009
Home Basics May Be Linked to Infertility
Bloomberg News today released a study done by fertility experts discussing the hazards and harms inside a persons home. Chemicals found in your home, which most woman use daily are meant to be linked to fertility issues: skin cream, floss, and non-stick pans hinder successful fertility instances.
Bloomberg's Chantall Britt reported, "The compounds, known as perfluorinated chemicals or PFCs, may interfere with hormones that are involved in reproduction, Fei wrote in the study. The father's sperm quality may also be affected by the chemicals and contribute to the problem, he said. "Animal studies have shown that these chemicals may have a variety of toxic effects on the liver, immune system and developmental and reproductive organs," Fei said."
The reason researchers looked at household products was because more and more reports were released about infertile couples seeking out natural pregnancies.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Marijuana Use May be Linked to Male Infertility
Science Daily is reporting that extended exposure to marijuana may cause infertility in men. Prolonged exposure causes sperm damage. It was long considered an urban myth about marijuana use and sperm count and health - however such research shows that there may actually be a viable link between the two.
Science Daily suggested, "...because sperm of chronic marijuana users, as well as sperm in Faah-mutant males are exposed to enhanced cannabinoid/endocannbinoid signaling, clinically beneficial effects of anandamide must be weighed against potentially harmful effects on fertility."
The research is still in it's early stages, however doctors and researchers believe the notion of years of exposure to marijuana may negatively affect male fertility.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
IVF Success Rates
In recent months infertility treatments, more specifically In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has been the talk of the town in Australia and in many news sources around the nation. Due in part to the recent lax laws surrounding IVF treatment, egg donation and surrogacy. Today news.com.au has said that fertility experts may soon be able to provide infertile couples with more specific numbers in their chances for successful pregnancy after IVF. "Up until now, doctors have only been able to estimate pregnancies per IVF cycle, not the patient's chance of having a baby. What it shows is the vast majority of women who go on with IVF (up to six cycles) will end up having a baby.''
Infertility affects millions of people in Australia, figures that resemble that of the United States. So now with more data provided to infertile couples, chances of successful IVF births may increase because couples will wait out at least 6 cycles before having the baby. Positive headway has been made in researching fertility treatments over the past decade, and with less stringent laws more and more people in Australia, and maybe even worldwide, may be able to overcome their infertility issues.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Environment Polluting Men's Health
Science Daily and the UK Telegraph are reporting that researchers may have found a link between water pollution and male fertility issues. The study suggests that a testosterone found in rivers in the UK may be strengthening the connection between infertility and men.
The research evidence says, "Anti-androgens, that are found in a number of medicines including cancer treatments and pesticides used in agriculture, were found in 30 rivers across England.The group of chemicals can block the male hormone and therefore reduce male fertility."
The study administered by the Brunel University took note of over 1000 rivers in the UK. Researchers say this proves that fertility issues which plague many couples worldwide come from a variety of external and environmental factors. The next part of the study will focus on where the anti-androgens are coming from and how they are getting into the rivers.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
IVF and Genetic Screening
A recent breakthrough in the fertility industry has recently made headlines and controversy. A British couple, fully capable of naturally conceiving, opted for IVF and genetic screening to bypass three generations of hereditary breast cancer.
The happy and eager mother said to the Times, "To be able to look at our daughter and to know that she doesn't have the gene is a massive sigh of relief for us. We have eliminated that risk and that is priceless."
The happy couple underwent months of invasive IVF therapy in order to produce a healthy cancer-free baby. They produced 11 embryos and 5 which were found to be clean of the breast-cancer gene. Similarly, the other healthy embryos have been frozen for later use. The couple is also thrilled to be considered pioneers of genetic screening during IVF. Although the couple is thrilled about this breakthrough, many people are questioning the ethics involved in embryo screening.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Fertility Donor Screening
Fertility clinics are beginning to stiffen their laws for donors. Fertility screening will now be done to check potential donors for mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). The new laws will be taking place in the United Kingdom, as sperm, egg and embryo donors are quite common adn important to infertility treatments.
"Anyone who has undergone invasive neurosurgery or received human pituitary-derived growth hormone should also not be accepted as a donor. Those who have had a tissue transplant from the human eye or nervous system will also be rejected to cut down down the risk of passing on CJD."
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Fertility Testing
Randox has developed a rapid
fertility testing procedure called fertility biochip array which will allow for diagnosing disorders associated with fertility and the reproductive system. The biochip procedure will test 6 fertility hormones from each patient. This may not only allow doctors to catch cancers earlier, but will help them diagnose and treat the specific fertility ailment at hand. Allowing for better time to treat and details on what the problem specifically is.
"Simultaneous analysis of six fertility hormones provides a comprehensive patient fertility profile, removing the need for expensive additional analyte testing. Randox has developed the fully automated Evidence and the semi-automated Evidence Investigator systems for analysis of biochip arrays generating up to 378 fertility tests results per hour.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Courtney Cox Reveals IVF Plans
Former
Friends star Courtney Cox and her husband David Arquette have told the Metro of their plans to use
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to conceive their second child. Coco Cox, their daughter, may be expecting a little brother or sister sometime in 2009. The couple previously struggled to conceive successfully and naturally which is why the celeb duo opted for IVF four years ago.
Cox said,
"I'd like to have another child and I'll probably do IVF again, even though it's hard. Maybe if it doesn't work I'll adopt."
In recent years many infertile celebrity couples have openly discussed their plight and how they sought out treatments. Many have promulgated the positive results and success of fertility treatments like IVF, egg donation and surrogacy.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Birth Control Pill under Scrutiny
A report administered by the Vatican has put blame on the birth control pill. For nearly 2 decades now women have been taking the birth control pill to ward off unwanted pregnancies. However the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano claims that the pill is polluting the environment and thus negatively affecting
male fertility. The report has gained significant media attention over the past few days for it's controversial tone and remarks.
Pedro jose Maria Simon Castellvi the President of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Association was quoted saying,
"The contraceptive pill is responsible for "releasing tons of hormones into nature" through female urine, polluting the environment and causing unknown damage to the world around us."
A number of pharmaceutical companies came out blasting the comments, and promulgating the longstanding safety of the birth control pill. ">male fertility. The report has gained significant media attention over the past few days for it's controversial tone and remarks.
