September 2011 Blog Archive
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Maria Menounos Will Freeze Her Eggs
Celebrities and fertility treatments tends to be big news these days. In an interview with Dr. Drew Pinsky that will air Thursday on his Lifechangers television show, Maria Menounos revealed that she plans to freeze her eggs.
"I'm 33, and I decided that I know I have a couple of years of work I want to get to, and then do it," she said according to People magazine online. "I figured this is kind of an insurance policy."
Celebrities who undergo fertility treatment is nothing new, and their stories can act as an inspiration to many couples or individuals who are considering similar treatments.
A lot of couples and individuals who are considering fertility treatments such as egg freezing may have reservations about it. When we hear stories about celebrities who are considering the same types of treatment, it tends to relax us about it a little bit.
Egg freezing involves the extraction of the woman's eggs, which are dehydrated and frozen. They are then stored safely so they may be used for certain fertility procedures at a future date. Many women who would like to have children in the future?or who would like to keep the option open?but who are still pursuing a career or education, or who have not yet found a partner may consider egg freezing.
Menounos has been dating boyfriend Keven Undergaro for over a decade. She has worked for Today, Access Hollywood and Extra.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
How Stem Cells Can Help Infertile Men
When we typically think about infertility, oftentimes we consider it mainly a women’s issue; however, in roughly 25 percent of infertile couples, it is the man who is infertile, so men should definitely also get tested.
Luckily, stem cell research shows promise for helping men struggling with infertility. In a recent study, scientists at Japan’s Kyoto University have for the first time successfully created sperm from embryonic stem cells in mice, which were then used to produce healthy offspring. Using stem cells from mice, they were able to produce genetic precursors to sperm, which were used to fertilize mouse eggs in a lab dish. These fertilized eggs were implanted into female mice, developed normally as embryos and ultimately were born as healthy pups. Further, these pups fathered their own healthy offspring. This experiment leads researchers to be cautiously optimistic that the experiment could one day lead to an alternative treatment for infertility in men.
Stem cell research is just one of the many possible breakthroughs being explored in modern medicine today. Couples experiencing infertility issues should seek guidance from an experienced specialist to learn about the newest treatments and options available to begin their journey into parenthood. Click here to find a specialist in your local area.
