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UrduMale infertility is on the rise, with significant declines in sperm quantity and quality occurring across the human population worldwide in the past two decades. The reason for this is poorly understood, but scientists suspect spermatogenesis – the process by which sperm develops – is a crucial piece in this puzzle.
Tag: Infertility
Google trends, the COVID-19 vaccine and infertility misinformation
Google searches related to infertility and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines increased by 34,900% after a pair of physicians submitted a petition questioning the safety and efficacy data of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.
Lifestyle program improves fertility for women with obesity, infertility
A lifestyle intervention targeting women with obesity and infertility is more effective in increasing the pregnancy rate compared with fertility treatments, according to a study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.
How many tests after vasectomy? Guideline update leads to change in practice
A change in evidence-based guidelines for vasectomy may have led to a reduction in the number of follow-up tests to confirm the procedure was successful, reports a study in Urology Practice®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
UAB establishes uterus transplant program
UAB’s uterus transplant program is the first in the Southeast and fourth in the United States.
Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy Receives Prestigious New Investigator Award from American Society for Reproductive Medicine
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) announced that Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associate professor and director of reproductive urology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is the Society’s 2020 Ira And Ester Rosenwaks New Investigator Award recipient.
New Survey Reveals How to Build Stronger Fertility Patient-Provider Relationships
A new survey from pregnantish, co-sponsored by EMD Serono and CooperSurgical, uncovers the key reasons why patients leave their fertility clinics and reveals the importance of doctor-patient relationship-building as a key factor to patient retention.
Genetic mutations may be linked to infertility, early menopause
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a specific gene’s previously unknown role in fertility. When the gene is missing in fruit flies, roundworms, zebrafish and mice, the animals are infertile or lose their fertility unusually early but appear otherwise healthy. Analyzing genetic data in people, the researchers found an association between mutations in this gene and early menopause.
Rutgers Study Finds Abnormal Puberty Onset Related to Long-Term Health Outcomes, Including Infertility
Puberty is a critical stage in child development and can be a trying time for both children and parents. For some adolescents, however, a delay or early onset of puberty can have long-term negative effects, including future infertility. A study by principle investigate Sally Radovick, MD, explores these implications.
As Evidence of “Hormone Disruptor” Chemical Threats Grows, Experts Call for Stricter Regulation
A growing number of chemicals in pesticides, flame retardants, and certain plastics have been linked to widespread health problems including infertility, diabetes, and impaired brain development, a set of reviews of hundreds of studies concludes.
Human Sperm Stem Cells Grown in Lab, an Early Step Toward Infertility Treatment
By inhibiting the molecule AKT, UC San Diego researchers favor the culture of human spermatogonial stem cells in the lab, a first step toward lab-produced sperm as a treatment for male infertility.
UC San Diego Health (@UCSDHealth) Reproductive Expert Talks about COVID-19 and Fertility
During the novel coronavirus pandemic, many couples have concerns about reproductive consequences related to COVID-19. Experts say when it comes to the impact of infections similar to coronavirus — such as influenza — on female and male fertility, the evidence…
Pregnancy Complications in Assisted Reproduction Linked to a Specific Process
An experimental study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania links a specific procedure – embryo culture – that is part of the assisted reproduction process (ART) to placental abnormalities, risk for preeclampsia, and abnormal fetal growth. The team, led by Marisa Bartolemei, PhD, a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, published their findings today in Development.
Split Ends: New studies show how DNA crossovers can drive healthy, abnormal sperm, egg cell division
Human genetic diversity wouldn’t be possible without DNA crossovers in egg and sperm cells. Two Harvard Medical School studies provide new insights into how crossovers go right–and wrong, leading to infertility, miscarriages and birth defects.
Study suggests marijuana may impair female fertility
Female eggs exposed to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, have an impaired ability to produce viable embryos, and are significantly less likely to result in a viable pregnancy, according to an animal study accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. The abstract will be published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Fracking chemical may interfere with male sex hormone receptor
A chemical used in hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, has the potential to interfere with reproductive hormones in men, according to research accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, and publication in a special supplemental section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Coronavirus’ Binding Action May Also Cause Kidney Damage and Infertility; Researchers Consider Potential Treatment Paths
Article title: COVID-19 infection and mortality – A physiologist’s perspective enlightening clinical features and plausible interventional strategies Authors: Zaid A. Abassi, Karl Skorecki, Samuel Noam Heyman, Safa Kinaneh, Zaher Armaly From the authors: “Cleavage of the S-glycoprotein by furin and its…
PLOS ONE: Online Program More Than Doubled Pregnancy Rate for Women With Infertility
A PLOS ONE study showed that an online version of Harvard’s Mind/Body Program for Fertility achieved results similar to the in-person counseling program, more than doubling pregnancy rates for women with infertility. Because many women can’t access in-person therapy, the online program fills a gap.
How Sperm Unpack Dad’s Genome so it Can Merge with Mom’s
UC San Diego researchers discover the enzyme SPRK1’s role in reorganizing the paternal genome during the first moments of fertilization — a finding that might help explain infertility cases of unknown cause.
BREAK POINT
At a glance:
Experiments in worms reveal the molecular damage caused by DEHP, a chemical commonly used to make plastics flexible
DEHP interferes with proper cell division during egg formation, leads to excessive DNA breakage, alters chromosome appearance
Abnormalities help explain known link between DEHP and human birth defects, male infertility
If replicated in further research, the insights can help inform regulatory changes, consumer choice
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Zinc, Folic Acid Supplements Fail to Enhance Male Fertility
Zinc and folic acid, a pair of dietary supplements long touted as an effective treatment for male infertility, failed to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts, and sperm potency in a new study conducted at University of Utah Health and other medical centers in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health. According to the researchers, the finding presents the most definitive evidence to date that so-called fertility supplements do not live up expectations.
Direct-to-Consumer Fertility Tests Confuse and Mislead Consumers, Penn Study Shows
Direct-to-consumer hormone-based “fertility testing” for women is viewed by consumers as both an alternative, empowering tool for family planning, and a confusing and misleading one, according to the results of a new study from Penn Medicine. Findings from the small, first-of-its-kind ethnographic study reinforce the need for consumer education around the purpose and accuracy of the tests, which have seen increasing interest in recent years due to the low cost and widespread availability. The study was published in the journal of Social Science and Medicine.
Study tests potential solution to male infertility
Researchers from the University of Georgia, Emory University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh have received a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to test a novel method of producing viable sperm cells from skin cells.