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Ultra-fast freezing of ovarian tissue from women who have lost their fertility as a result of cancer treatment can lead to it being used in transplants with the same success rate as fresh tissue, a researcher told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

High levels of cycling training damage sperm – what can be done to protect triathletes from infertility? The high-intensity training undertaken by triathletes has a significant impact on the quality of their sperm.

For the first time, researchers have been able to identify genetic predictors of the potential success or failure of IVF treatment in blood. Dr. Cathy Allen, from the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday 1 July) that her research would help understand why IVF works for some patients but not for others.

Ms Vanneste and her team studied each cell from 23 three or four day-old IVF embryos from young (less than 35 years old), fertile couples who had asked for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is carried out where one or both parents have a known genetic abnormality, in this case an X-linked disorder or the microdeletions (loss of a tiny piece of a chromosome) that can cause such disorders as the cancer predisposition syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1.

Twin deliveries after assisted reproductive technology (ART) have fallen below 20% for the first time in Europe according to the tenth report summarising data on ART in Europe, which was presented at the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam today (Wednesday).

Survivors of childhood cancer run particular risks when pregnant and should be closely monitored, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Wednesday 1 July). Dr. Sharon Lie Fong, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, said that, although such women may have conceived spontaneously and considered themselves to be perfectly healthy, their deliveries should always take place in a hospital.

The right to have a baby is something most of us take for granted , and we often lose sight of the fact that 1 in 10 married couples will not be able to have the child they want. Infertility is a very common problem , and if you stop to think about it, you will realize that you know at least one person who is infertile amongst your own group of friends or relatives. However, it remains one of those taboo topics which no one wants to talk about, even though it interferes with one of the most fundamental and highly valued human activities - building a family.

How can one go about empowering patients with information in developing countries which have limited resources ? A free public health library can provide information directly to patients, and encourage them to make their own decisions, in partnership with their doctor. It can also serve as a resource center for doctors, who can use it to develop their own patient educational materials.

IVF and related assisted reproductive technologies (ART) offer great hope to infertile couples the world over. Because these techniques are so expensive, however, they are out of the reach of the vast majority of couples, and especially those in the developing world. This is because IVF programmes are too technology-intensive at present - anything which is complicated is bound to be expensive.

If you need treatment for fibroids, there are a number of options available to you. Your choices should be guided by the medical problems the fibroids are causing, your desire to have children, and your feelings and thoughts about surgery or other options. I think it is important for you to know all the options available.

Throughout history, menstruation has been associated with myth and superstition. Menstrual blood was felt to cure leprosy, warts, birthmarks, gout, worms and epilepsy. It has been used to ward off demons and evil spirits. Menstruating women have been separated from their tribes in order to prevent a bad influence on the crops or the hunt. As recently as 1930, the cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding was felt to be an undue exposure to cold or wet just prior to the beginning of the period.

Pelvic pain Menopause PMS Infertility Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Prolactin Polycystic Ovaries Pelvic SurgeryEndometriosis Fibroids Reversal of Tubal Ligation Ectopic Pregnancy Multiple Gestation Endometrial Polyps Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

The purpose of this proposal is to outline suggested clinical pathways for the management of infertility and common reproductive endocrinology problems. The goal is to create an approach that provides the greatest success while using limited resources in the most cost-effective fashion.

A fact that makes reproductive medicine unique is a specific and quantifiable end point- a healthy baby. Each infertile couple and each and every assisted reproduction technology (ART) program are vitally interested in success rates. The stakes are high. Truly, success breeds success.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by enlarged ovaries, multiple peripherally arranged cysts and increased stromal density(1). Polycystic ovary syndrome is responsible for approximately 25-30% of infertility in women, which is mainly anovulatory(2). Ovulation can be induced with antiesterogens in many women but a proportion fail to respond and even in those who ovulate, the pregnancy rate is often low and the miscarriage rate is high.

Pregnancy loss is a frustrating and challenging problem for couples and clinicians alike. Although medical textbooks specifically target the recommended "work-up" towards those patients labeled as "recurrent" or "habitual aborters", it is important, in this author's opinion, to consider certain specific aspects of evaluation after any miscarriage.

This question is in reference to a 36 year old woman that needs to know if there is any other way to concieve once the tubes have been clipped and burned?

In women with severe clomiphene-resistant PCOS, we proposed thatthe insulin-lowering agent troglitazone (Rezulin®) could have a positive impact on the ovarian microenvironment by supporting normal follicular growth, ovulation, and successful pregnancy.

Researchers have been investigating the role of various genes which may play an important role in PCOS. One of these candidate genes appears to be in the area and possibly in the insulin receptor gene of chromosome 19.

One of the most publicized papers of the 1999 American Society of Reproductive Medicine/ Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society was the research presented by Dr. Oktay, Dr. Karkujaya, Dr. Gosden and Dr. Schwartz from Cornell University in New York and and from the University of Leeds in the UK. They successfully auto-transplanted frozen-banked ovarian tissue and demonstrated the resumption of ovarian function.

Ectopic pregnancy, or preembryo implantation outside the endometrial cavity (i.e., fallopian tube, cervix, abdominal or pelvic cavity), is a potentially fatal condition with an incidence of 1:150 diagnosed pregnancies.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche (primary amenorrhea) or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years (secondary amenorrhea).

Stein and Leventhal were the first to recognize an association between the presence of polycystic ovaries and signs of hirsutism, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea and obesity. Subsequently, it was reported that after successful wedge resection of the ovaries in women diagnosed with Stein-Leventhal syndrome, menstrual cycles became regular and these patients were able to conceive.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is characterized by anovulation (irregular or absent menstrual periods) and hyperandrogenism (elevated serum testosterone and androstenedione). Patients with this syndrome may complain of abnormal bleeding, infertility, obesity, excess hair growth, hair loss and acne.

Ovarian cysts are the cause of a great deal of anxiety and concern for many women, and much of the time they are not truly a problem. The first thing a patient needs to understand is "what is a cyst"??

The uterus can lie in different positions in the pelvis, and it may vary from one woman to another. Most commonly, the uterus lies horizontally over the bladder, as do the ovaries. As the uterus enlarges with pregnancy, or perhaps with a large fibroid, it will cause increasing pressure on the bladder, and this results in increasing urinary frequency, pressure symptoms, and perhaps lower abdominal protrusion.

Hysteroscopy uses a hysteroscope, which is a thin telescope that is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. Modern hysteroscopes are so thin that they can fit through the cervix with minimal or no dilation. Although hysteroscopy dates back to 1869, gynecologists were slow to adopt hysteroscopy.

I have been involved in learning about and helping to develop alternatives to hysterectomy for many years. I have been instrumental in refining the use of the laser in an office setting to treat pre-malignant diseases of the cervix. I have treated thousands of women with the laser, many of whom would have otherwise had a more invasive treatment or hysterectomy.

A very common question of perimenopausal women is whether or not they are still able to get pregnant, and this inquiry may originate from one of two concerns. Some women in the perimenopausal range may still want to conceive, either to start a family or to add to an existing one, and are seeking information to help with that decision.

The majority of women in the perimenopausal period have completed their childbearing and resolutely do not want to conceive at this age. This gives rise to the question as to what contraceptive method they should use to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. At this stage in their lives, an unintended pregnancy would be devastating, and it is something they are usually very eager to avoid.