Archive for the ‘Infertility’ Category
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Ever wonder what causes or contributes to a woman or man’s infertility? Our 3-part series takes a brief look at 25 factors that can result in infertility for males and females.
- 8. Dietary and Weight Issues – Obesity and malnutrition are serious contributors to infertility. Any adult above or below normal BMI levels may find him- or herself unable to have a child without assistance from a reproductive health specialist.
- 9. Endometriosis – Not only is endometriosis a painful condition experienced by hundreds of thousands of women, but it’s also one of the leading causes of infertility. Ironically, many women with endometriosis do not realize they have the condition (despite the pain/discomfort associated with it) until they experience fertility problems.
- 10. Genetic Conditions – Carrying an extra X or Y chromosome can lead to infertility in both men and women.
- 11. “Hostile” Cervical Mucus – A woman’s cervical mucus may actually be considered “hostile” to the sperm of her partner. Essentially, this means the mucus does not allow fertility to take place because it sees the sperm as an invader. There are numerous treatments to handle this type of situation.
- 12. Low Sperm Count and/or Motility – If a male’s sperm count is too low OR if his sperm do not have the power to get to the egg, infertility will likely result.
- 13. Medical Conditions – Some medical conditions such as diabetes and Crohn’s disease are contributing factors to infertility in both males and females.
- 14. Medications – Some medications may inhibit fertility in those taking them; therefore, it’s critical to always understand possible side effects when trying to have a child.
- 15. Ovulation Disorders – Ovulation is critical to fertility. If a woman’s body is not ovulating on a regular basis, there will either be a) no egg for the sperm to fertilize or b) an egg available for fertilization only some of the time. Fortunately, there are prescription medications like Clomid that can help women ovulate.
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Tags: Causes Of Infertility, Crohn S Disease, Dr. Munabi, Endometriosis, female infertility, Fertility Problems, Fertilization, Genetic Conditions, Health Specialist, Hostile Cervical Mucus, Infertility, Low Sperm Count, Male Infertility, Male Sperm, Males And Females, Malnutrition, Ovulation Disorders, Pain Discomfort, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Science Institute, Rsi, Sperm Motility, Y Chromosome
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Monday, March 21st, 2011
Ever wonder what causes or contributes to a woman or man’s infertility? Our 3-part series takes a brief look at 25 factors that can result in infertility for males and females.
- Adhesions – Adhesions inside a female’s body may be the result of surgery or may occur naturally. When adhesions are present, the body cannot function at full capacity. In the case of infertility, adhesions may prohibit the sperm from fertilizing the egg, create issues in the fallopian tubes or hinder fertilization in other ways.
- Age – After 35, a woman is much more likely to struggle with fertility issues. In fact, some women lose their fertility levels in their early 30s. And most women in their early 40s will find it very difficult to conceive naturally without medical intervention.
- Behavioral Factors – For both men and women, behavioral factors such as smoking cigarettes, cigars and marijuana; drinking excessive amounts of alcohol; and taking prescription or illegal drugs can contribute to infertility.
- Blocked Fallopian Tubes – If a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked, a necessary part of conception cannot occur.
- Cancer – There are many types of cancer in both males and females that can contribute to infertility, including colon cancer, testicular cancer, uterine cancer, stomach cancer and cervical cancer, among others. Even if the cancer is successfully defeated, fertility may be compromised or destroyed.
- Congenital Abnormalities – Some individuals are born with congenital abnormalities which limit or prohibit fertility. Often, these people do not realize they have these issues until they try to have a child.
- Damage to the Male Genitals – The male genitalia includes many parts and if any are significantly injured, infertility can result. The good news is that some injuries can be reversed and only temporarily affect fertility.
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Tags: Behavioral Factors, Cancer Testicular, Cervical Cancer, Colon Cancer, Congenital Abnormalities, Fallopian Tubes, female infertility, Fertility Issues, Fertility Levels, Fertility Treatment, Illegal Drugs, Male Genitalia, Male Genitals, Males And Females, medical intervention, Smoking Cigarettes, Stomach Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Types Of Cancer, Uterine Cancer
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Monday, March 14th, 2011
Despite the fact that excellent fertility information is available online and in research papers, plenty of people are still buying into fertility myths and misconceptions.
That’s why we’ve decided to provide a little fertility information of our own in order to help you understand the topic area better.
Myth #1: Just Relax and You’ll Get Pregnant
One piece of fertility information that drives reproductive health specialists crazy is the notion that relaxation alone will guarantee pregnancy. In fact, this “home remedy advice” is touted left and right.
It would be great if this were true… but it’s simply not. The majority of cases of infertility have their roots in medical problems/issues. So while it IS a terrific idea to adopt a relaxed attitude when possible, it’s also necessary to contact a fertility specialist if you and your partner are struggling to conceive naturally.
Myth #2: Fertility Treatments are Always Going to Cost a Bundle
Until you know what kind of fertility treatment is right for you, there’s honestly no way to know exactly how much you’ll pay.
Do some individuals and couples end up paying more than others? Of course. But every situation is highly unique; yours may be one that requires a small investment in a drug like Clomid or a higher investment in a procedure such as IVF or IUI. But to assume that you “can’t afford” fertility treatments until you know the facts isn’t a smart way to approach your reproductive health.
In an upcoming post we’ll tackle fertility information myths three through five… see you then!
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Tags: Clomid, Couples, Fertility Issues, Fertility Myths, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Home Remedy, Infertility, IUI, IVF, Medical Problems, Misconceptions, Myth 2, Myths, Notion, One Piece, Relaxation, Relaxed Attitude, Reproductive Health Specialists, Reproductive Science Institute, Research Papers, Rsi, Terrific Idea
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Monday, February 28th, 2011
In the past decade or so, the realization has come about that bones are more than simply a structure to hold our organs, muscles and skin. There are in fact correlations to the internal make-up of bones and energy metabolism as well as reproduction. It is well-known that there is a connection between menopause and osteoporosis in women. Thus, it came a surprise to Gerald Karsenty and his colleagues at Columbia University in New York City that their study with mice showed a relationship between bone cells and sperm production in male mice, yet no effect (at this time) on any female reproductive aspects.
To break the study down, osteocalcin is a hormone contained in osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are bone cells that partake in building new bone cells. In this study, the researchers took osteoblasts and combined them with cell cultures from either testes or ovaries of mice. The results showed a great increase in testosterone in the testis cells but no reaction or change in hormones in the ovary cells due to the introduction of the osteoblasts. Given these results, the researchers went on to inject osteoblasts into the blood stream of male mice, which resulted in increased production of testosterone in the blood stream. To further specify their testing, the researchers took a batch of male mice and removed their gene for osteocalcin. The mice without osteocalcin had smaller testes, lower sperm counts and smaller litter sizes when bred than normal male mice.
Though this study has only been performed on mice at this time, Karsenty has strong feelings that the hormone osteocalcin may play a factor in fertilty in men and believes that it could possibly be used in the future in treatments for male infertilty.
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Tags: Blood Stream, Bone Cells, Cell Cultures, Columbia University, Correlations, Dr. Munabi, Energy Metabolism, Fertility, Fertilty, Hormones, Infertilty, Litter Sizes, Low Sperm Count, Male Factor, Male Fertility, Male Infertility, Male Mice, Menopause And Osteoporosis, Osteocalcin, Ovaries, Ovary, Reproductive Aspects, Rsi, Sperm Counts, Testes, Testosterone
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Friday, February 25th, 2011
It is understandable that individuals who fought cancer and are in remission want to go on and lead their normal lives. For those in the childbearing years, this could very likely include starting a family at some point. Unfortunately, though, the odds are high for female infertility in individuals who have undergone chemotherapy. Why do we only mention women, you may ask. Because women are born with their ovaries containing all the eggs they will ever have in their lives, where as men’s sperm is continually replenished throughout their reproductive lives. Thus, chemotherapy is much more likely to spread to and effect a woman’s ovaries than to have a long-lasting effect on a man’s sperm.
Luckily, there are so many options for a woman who wants to have children these days. If you have not yet undergone chemotherapy, but know that you will, talk to your doctor about the state of your health and whether a procedure of removing some of your eggs to have them frozen for future use would be something you could withstand prior to your chemotherapy treatments. If not, or if you have already undergone chemotherapy and now find that you are facing infertility, there are still plenty of options for you! You could look into egg donation and IVF or perhaps surrogacy. A study is also currently in the works in Melbourne, Australia, testing the effectiveness of goserelin in protecting the ovaries of the women to whom it has been administered prior to their chemotherapy treatments. Please feel free to contact us at RSI for a consultation or if you have any questions.
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Tags: Cancer, Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy Treatments, Childbearing Years, Consultation, Egg Donation, Eggs, female infertility, Goserelin, health, Infertility, IVF, Lead, Melbourne Australia, Odds, Ovaries, Reproductive Science, Rsi, sperm, surrogacy
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Friday, January 28th, 2011
Secondary infertility is a topic about which we at RSI are often asked. So we thought we’d put together a handy FAQ guide to help you understand this area of reproductive science.
1. What is secondary infertility?
Secondary infertility occurs when a woman or couple has been able to have one (or more) child naturally but finds herself/themselves unable to conceive again. Thus, they experience fertility issues a “second” time around.
2. Who is at risk for secondary infertility?
Secondary infertility can happen at any time, although the older the woman, the stronger the chances are that she will experience it. For instance, women over 35 who have had regular, unprotected sex for 6-12 months and have not gotten pregnant are usually considered to have problems with fertility.
3. Are there any psychological side effects to secondary infertility?
Secondary infertility can be extremely frustrating for couples; thus, it can take a toll on the marriage or relationship. Though all fertility issues can be troubling, parents of children who wish to have more can become particularly angry, disheartened or depressed when going through secondary infertility.
4. What are the causes of secondary infertility?
There are no specific causes to secondary infertility; truly, there can be a whole host of issues at stake. That’s why it’s important for the couple to go to a place like RSI to discover what’s really going on.
5. How many people have had secondary infertility?
Though there aren’t any exact ways to measure the couples who experience secondary infertility (as some do not reach out for assistance and are therefore untracked), it is estimated that at least one million couples in the United States are currently going through the condition.
If you would like to know more about secondary infertility for yourself, please schedule an appointment for a consultation with RSI.
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Tags: 12 Months, Appointment, Consultation, Couples, Disheartened, Fertility Issues, How Many People, Infertility, Marriage, One Million, Parents, Philadelphia Infertility, Psychological Side, Relationship Issues, Reproductive Science, Reproductive Science Institute, Risk, Rsi, Second Time, Secondary Infertility, Stake, United States, Unprotected Sex
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Thursday, August 12th, 2010
For many couples, hearing the word “infertility” brings forth assumptions of serious problems that cannot be easily remedied. However, for many people, infertility is only a temporary state and can be reversed, especially if the problem is one of irregular ovulation.
Many women do not realize that they are ovulating at inconsistent intervals. Regardless of the reasons for their problems, the end result is an inability to become pregnant due to sperm being unable to essentially “connect” with an egg.
Reproductive health science specialists will be able to determine if a woman is ovulating regularly; if not, she can try a number of different ways to get her body to a regular rhythm through a variety of means, including diet, exercise and medication.
Remember that infertility is only a symptom. Until the problem comes to the forefront, it’s just a diagnosis and shouldn’t cause immediate bells of alarm or worry.
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Tags: Assumptions, Bells, Causes Of Infertility, Couples, Diagnosis, Diet Exercise, Different Ways, Egg, End Result, Forefront, Health Science, Infertility, Intervals, Irregular Ovulation, Medication, Miracles, Reproductive Health, Rhythm, Science Specialists, Temporary State
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Friday, July 23rd, 2010
If you’ve experienced or are experiencing infertility, you probably have a deep understanding of how difficult it can be to deal with issues related to your personal privacy.
To help you plan for success in this area, try some of these suggestions:
→ If you don’t want lots of people to know about your infertility problems, only tell one or two trusted friends or family members. Don’t feel you have to announce it. This is your personal situation and there’s no need to feel guilty about that.
→ When someone asks why you don’t have children “yet”, you are under no obligation to tell him or her that you are having fertility issues. You can simply smile. If they get pushy, you’re well within your rights to tell them it’s not something you wish to discuss.
→ If you are going to a fertility specialist, you can always tell your co-workers, friends or family members that you are headed “to the doctor”. That way, they won’t know any more than you want them to know.
Remember that you’re in charge of your privacy when it comes to your infertility. You owe no one an explanation unless you wish to disclose what you’re experiencing.
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Tags: Co Workers, Family Members, Fertility Issues, fertility specialist, Infertility, Infertility Problems, Miracles, Obligation, Personal Privacy, Personal Situation
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Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
More and more individuals who are dealing with infertility are looking into their work histories to determine an environmental cause for their problems… and some are discovering that past jobs may have contributed to their issues involving conception.
Namely, workers who were (or are) exposed to chemicals like toxins and pesticides over long periods of time may find that they can become infertile as a result of the exposure. (This seems to be especially true for males.)
Although there is little you can do after-the-fact, it’s a good reason to be very careful about the working environments you accept, especially if you have the choice to go elsewhere. Certain chemicals cause irreversible harm to sperm and other reproductive body systems.
And if you wish to go the legal route to receive compensation for infertility that has been potentially caused by toxic working conditions, know that there are lawyers who specialize in this kind of lawsuit. However, be aware that you may end up fighting your current or past employer for years, which could end up causing emotional problems, marital stress and financial issues.
Tags: Chemicals, Current, Emotional Problems, Environmental Cause, Good Reason, Infertility, Irreversible Harm, Job Source, Jobs, Lawyers, Long Periods Of Time, Marital Stress, Miracles, Pesticides, sperm, Toxins, Work Histories, Working Conditions, Working Environments
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Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Could the very air you breathe day-in, day-out be contributing to your level of fertility? Some researchers are convinced that pollution can cause infertility, especially for females, and they’re doing studies to prove it.
According to The Daily Telegraph, a 7-year study of U.S. women who underwent IVF were tracked. Each person’s zip code was evaluated for the daily levels of pollution, as determined by the nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the air.
The conclusion? For every extra (over and beyond the norm) unit of nitrogen dioxide the women took in during the 7 years, their fertility rates were cut by up to 24%.
So does this mean that women who want to conceive a child through fertility treatments have to move to a more suburban or rural area? The study’s findings would lean in that direction; however, it’s not a realistic solution for most people. Besides, there are many other potential reasons for infertility, and although the pollution connection is strong, it is still only hypothetical.
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Tags: Conclusion, Daily Telegraph, Extra, Females, fertility rates, Fertility Treatments, Infertility, Miracles, Nitrogen Dioxide, Norm, Pollution, Realistic Solution, Rural Area, Zipcode
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