Fertility Treatment News and Research

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Fertility boost for testicular cancer patients

The vast majority of men who try to have a family, following treatment for testicular cancer, are able to father children - according to a report published today in the British Journal of Cancer.

21 Jul 2005

Fertility drugs may be ineffective for women who lack a gene called the estrogen receptor beta

"What we found is that the beta estrogen receptor plays a role in moving the egg outside the ovary so it can be fertilized," said Kenneth Korach, Ph.D., Laboratory Chief at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) where the research was conducted. "We never knew before what function this receptor played in reproduction."

20 Jul 2005

Infertility may be becoming more of a man's problem than a woman's problem

Until now, approximately 40% of infertility cases have been linked to medical problems in men and 40% to medical problems in women, with the remaining 20% due to joint problems.

27 Jun 2005

Triplet pregnancies cost more than eight times as much as singleton pregnancies

Research in France has revealed that triplet pregnancies cost more than eight times as much as singleton pregnancies, and twin pregnancies cost more than three times as much, the 21st annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard.

27 Jun 2005

Early embryos with abnormal chromosomes are capable of returning to normal when grown in culture in the laboratory

While such embryos are not capable of developing into normal foetuses if implanted in a woman's womb, the discovery has important implications for stem cell production, especially in countries where the creation of embryos for stem cell research is discouraged or even banned.

20 Jun 2005

Reproductive tourism is on the increase in Europe

Reproductive tourism is on the increase in Europe, but rather than condemning it, we should regard it as a "safety valve" that helps us to avoid moral conflict, according to a European ethics expert.

20 Jun 2005

British team grow sperm and eggs from stem cells

British scientists have made a major breakthrough with the discovery that both sperm and eggs can be grown from stem cells.

20 Jun 2005

IVF treatment less effective in women living with a smoker

According to Canadian study passive smoking is apparently as damaging to a woman’s chances of having successful fertility treatment as being a smoker.

26 May 2005

British court gives the go ahead for IVF babies to be created to save sick siblings

Britain's highest appeal court has rejected a challenge from an anti-abortion group and has backed a 2003 Court of Appeal ruling that some couples undergoing the fertility treatment could have their embryos screened to find tissue matches for seriously ill children. The procedure will help save desperately ill children but some fear it could lead to the creation of babies for spare parts

1 May 2005

Guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells

The National Academies today recommended guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells, and urged all institutions conducting such research to establish oversight committees to ensure that the new guidelines will be followed.

26 Apr 2005

Mothers' poor health revealed in new study

Sleep deprived new mothers are doing it tough, but getting help from early parenting centres improves their mental health, according to a new report.

7 Apr 2005

Women who smoke cut 10 years off their fertile life

More than a third of British women in their 20s smoke, and the rate, despite aggressive campaigns against smoking, has only decreased slightly in the past five years. One in seven couples experience problems conceiving, and, in cases involving female infertility, no specific cause can be found in 20 per cent of cases.

7 Apr 2005

Public concerns show need for independent fertility regulation as great as ever

The public concerns and future developments which underpin the need for ongoing independent regulation of fertility treatment and research were spelt out in a keynote speech by Angela McNab, Chief Executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, at the HFEA’s annual conference this week (15 March).

16 Mar 2005

94% of fertility patients never receive treatment

A review of global fertility care, completed for World Infertility Month (June), has revealed that 94% of the 90 million patients around the world with fertility problems never receive any kind of care for their condition.

29 Jun 2004

Current legislation on preimplantation genetic diagnosis in Germany does not reflect the views of the general public

At present PGD is forbidden in Germany, but in one of the first large study of attitudes to PGD amongst the general population and infertile couples in Germany, the researchers found that the majority of Germans think the technique should be permitted.

28 Jun 2004

Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority welcomes recommendations of Toft report

The report was commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer in response to a series of four adverse incidents that occurred in the Medical Reproduction Units at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust, West Yorkshire, before July 2002.

23 Jun 2004

High levels of environmental pollution may increase the rates of twin births

High levels of environmental pollution may increase the rates of twin births, suggests research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

25 May 2004

Chlamydia may cause infertility in men as well as long-term health problems for women

Swedish study suggests Chlamydia the most common sexually transmitted infection might cause infertility in men as well as long-term health problems for women.

29 Apr 2004

FDA Approves Pre-Filled Pre-Mixed Fertility Medication

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced approval of Follistim®-AQ TM cartridge (follitropin beta injection) in the United States. Follistim-AQ cartridge is the first follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment available in a pre-filled, pre-mixed solution, eliminating the need for patients to mix one or more vials of medication.

24 Mar 2004