A television production company has contacted Pride Angel. They are keen to talk to anyone considering any method of assisted conception for the first time.
They are currently researching the subject for a new documentary and would like to speak to anyone who is willing to discuss their situation, their hopes and their fears.
If you are interested and would like further information, contact Influential Media via email at info@influential.tv. or alternatively contact Erika at info@prideangel.com
Go to http://bit.ly/f2hA5r
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
Low sperm counts making it harder for couples to conceive
Low sperm counts and reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, reveals a new European Science Foundation (ESF) report launching at a meeting in Paris.
More than 10% of couples worldwide are infertile, contributing to the growing demand for assisted reproduction techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for which Robert G. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in Medicine last month.
Sperm counts have dropped significantly in the last 50 years in developed countries. Today, at least one in five 18-25 year old men in Europe have semen quality in subfertile range. Testosterone levels are also declining. This is mirrored by increasing testicular cancer in most industrialised countries and more developmental abnormalities such as undescended testes. All of these factors are linked to reduced fertility and may have common origins during foetal development.
“The important impact of men’s reproductive health on a couple’s fertility is often overlooked,” said Professor Niels Skakkebæk from the University of Copenhagen, who co-authored the report. “Women postponing motherhood have reduced fertility, and we now see that poor sperm may be making it even harder to conceive. While poor sperm may be part of the reason more couples are using IVF it may also be making those therapies less successful.”
Skakkebæk continues: “We need a common strategy in Europe to target research so we can address the poor state of men’s reproductive health. That this decrease in male reproductive health has occurred in just a few decades suggests it’s caused by environmental and lifestyle factors rather than genetics. So it is preventable if we correctly identify the causes.”
In men some lifestyle factors such as obesity and smoking can affect sperm counts, but the effects are small. In contrast, if women smoke heavily in pregnancy, a much larger fall in sperm count is likely in their sons when they grow up. Testosterone levels naturally drop as men age, which may predispose men to cardiovascular and metabolic health problems that pose large financial and healthcare issues for national governments. Low sperm counts and low testosterone levels are both associated with increased risk of early death for men.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dUnZKH
More than 10% of couples worldwide are infertile, contributing to the growing demand for assisted reproduction techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for which Robert G. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in Medicine last month.
Sperm counts have dropped significantly in the last 50 years in developed countries. Today, at least one in five 18-25 year old men in Europe have semen quality in subfertile range. Testosterone levels are also declining. This is mirrored by increasing testicular cancer in most industrialised countries and more developmental abnormalities such as undescended testes. All of these factors are linked to reduced fertility and may have common origins during foetal development.
“The important impact of men’s reproductive health on a couple’s fertility is often overlooked,” said Professor Niels Skakkebæk from the University of Copenhagen, who co-authored the report. “Women postponing motherhood have reduced fertility, and we now see that poor sperm may be making it even harder to conceive. While poor sperm may be part of the reason more couples are using IVF it may also be making those therapies less successful.”
Skakkebæk continues: “We need a common strategy in Europe to target research so we can address the poor state of men’s reproductive health. That this decrease in male reproductive health has occurred in just a few decades suggests it’s caused by environmental and lifestyle factors rather than genetics. So it is preventable if we correctly identify the causes.”
In men some lifestyle factors such as obesity and smoking can affect sperm counts, but the effects are small. In contrast, if women smoke heavily in pregnancy, a much larger fall in sperm count is likely in their sons when they grow up. Testosterone levels naturally drop as men age, which may predispose men to cardiovascular and metabolic health problems that pose large financial and healthcare issues for national governments. Low sperm counts and low testosterone levels are both associated with increased risk of early death for men.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dUnZKH
Saturday 27 November 2010
IVF loan adverts spark fury in New Zealand
Kiwis who've struggled to conceive are up in arms over ASB's new ad offering loans for IVF treatment. But why do would-be parents have to pay in the first place? Adam Dudding reports.
WHEN HE first saw the slickly sentimental new ad from ASB bank offering loans for fertility treatment, Roger Gray was ironing his work shirts. He was so shocked he almost dropped the iron.
"I thought it was disgusting," says the Auckland father-of-three, two of whose children were born with the help of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). "To me, it was exploitative of people who are in a desperate situation."
Gray and his wife went through their fertility treatment in Australia, where couples receive government subsidies that slash the cost of IVF to around $2000 per "cycle" for an unlimited number of cycles. In New Zealand would-be parents are fully funded for just one or two attempts, the waiting lists can be long, and eligibility depends on a stringent set of criteria. And outside the public system, they face spending $10,000-$12,000 of their own money per attempt. Private health insurers don't cover IVF (except, curiously, through one scheme offered only to employees of NZ Police).
"The government system here of restricting the number of opportunities to publicly fund IVF is not good," said Gray. "And then ASB is taking advantage of this to make money out of desperate people. I think it showed the worst side of banking."
Gray was just one of several parents with an insider's knowledge of fertility treatment who told the Sunday Star-Times they were uneasy, or even angry, about the 60-second IVF ad, in which a photogenically mopey couple struggling to conceive sell their vintage car to fund IVF, and then when that fails borrow ASB money for another cycle which culminates in triplets. The ad, which ASB says is based on the "real life" experiences of customers, is part of a major rebranding of the bank that seems set on portraying ASB not so much as a large Australian bank that lends and borrows money in exchange for interest, but as a quasi-benevolent organisation focused on "creating futures", and perhaps creating the odd set of triplets.
By Thursday afternoon, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) had received seven complaints about the ad, which first screened last Sunday, on the grounds that it was socially irresponsible, exploited a vulnerable audience or encouraged an unrealistic expectation of a successful outcome to fertility treatment.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/hRVs4A
WHEN HE first saw the slickly sentimental new ad from ASB bank offering loans for fertility treatment, Roger Gray was ironing his work shirts. He was so shocked he almost dropped the iron.
"I thought it was disgusting," says the Auckland father-of-three, two of whose children were born with the help of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). "To me, it was exploitative of people who are in a desperate situation."
Gray and his wife went through their fertility treatment in Australia, where couples receive government subsidies that slash the cost of IVF to around $2000 per "cycle" for an unlimited number of cycles. In New Zealand would-be parents are fully funded for just one or two attempts, the waiting lists can be long, and eligibility depends on a stringent set of criteria. And outside the public system, they face spending $10,000-$12,000 of their own money per attempt. Private health insurers don't cover IVF (except, curiously, through one scheme offered only to employees of NZ Police).
"The government system here of restricting the number of opportunities to publicly fund IVF is not good," said Gray. "And then ASB is taking advantage of this to make money out of desperate people. I think it showed the worst side of banking."
Gray was just one of several parents with an insider's knowledge of fertility treatment who told the Sunday Star-Times they were uneasy, or even angry, about the 60-second IVF ad, in which a photogenically mopey couple struggling to conceive sell their vintage car to fund IVF, and then when that fails borrow ASB money for another cycle which culminates in triplets. The ad, which ASB says is based on the "real life" experiences of customers, is part of a major rebranding of the bank that seems set on portraying ASB not so much as a large Australian bank that lends and borrows money in exchange for interest, but as a quasi-benevolent organisation focused on "creating futures", and perhaps creating the odd set of triplets.
By Thursday afternoon, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) had received seven complaints about the ad, which first screened last Sunday, on the grounds that it was socially irresponsible, exploited a vulnerable audience or encouraged an unrealistic expectation of a successful outcome to fertility treatment.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/hRVs4A
Thursday 25 November 2010
Treating testes early may prevent male infertility
Infertility is probably the last thing on teenage boys' minds. However, a new study out of Brazil suggests that early treatment of a common testicular condition could preserve future fatherhood potential for some adolescents.
A varicocele is a widening of the veins in the scrotum, which house the testicles. While frequently harmless, varicoceles can cause pain, testicular shrinkage and, over time, can potentially lead to lower sperm counts and quality.
The condition, which is similar to varicose veins, is estimated to affect 15 percent of men over 15. But it is found in more than a third of men being assessed for primary infertility -- an inability to biologically father a child -- and 80 percent of secondary infertility cases -- men who were once able to father a child but are not able to do so anymore.
Although varicoceles may not be the sole cause of infertility in all those cases, the close association with infertility and apparent worsening of the effect over time suggest early surgical correction of the flawed veins could have important benefits later on, the authors note.
"Because varicocele is a progressive disease, we want to know how soon we can intervene, especially because it does not cause infertility in all men," researcher Paula Toni Del Giudice of Sao Paulo Federal University, in Brazil, told Reuters Health in an e-mail. "Surgical intervention is not for everyone."
Del Giudice and her colleagues studied 21 boys between the ages of 15 and 19. They collected two semen samples before surgical correction of the varicoceles and another two samples at least three months after the varicocelectomy.
The team reports in the journal Fertility and Sterility that two important indicators of the sperm's functional health -- the integrity of the sperm cells' DNA and the activity of internal energy generators called mitochondria -- significantly improved after the surgery.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/griU2u
A varicocele is a widening of the veins in the scrotum, which house the testicles. While frequently harmless, varicoceles can cause pain, testicular shrinkage and, over time, can potentially lead to lower sperm counts and quality.
The condition, which is similar to varicose veins, is estimated to affect 15 percent of men over 15. But it is found in more than a third of men being assessed for primary infertility -- an inability to biologically father a child -- and 80 percent of secondary infertility cases -- men who were once able to father a child but are not able to do so anymore.
Although varicoceles may not be the sole cause of infertility in all those cases, the close association with infertility and apparent worsening of the effect over time suggest early surgical correction of the flawed veins could have important benefits later on, the authors note.
"Because varicocele is a progressive disease, we want to know how soon we can intervene, especially because it does not cause infertility in all men," researcher Paula Toni Del Giudice of Sao Paulo Federal University, in Brazil, told Reuters Health in an e-mail. "Surgical intervention is not for everyone."
Del Giudice and her colleagues studied 21 boys between the ages of 15 and 19. They collected two semen samples before surgical correction of the varicoceles and another two samples at least three months after the varicocelectomy.
The team reports in the journal Fertility and Sterility that two important indicators of the sperm's functional health -- the integrity of the sperm cells' DNA and the activity of internal energy generators called mitochondria -- significantly improved after the surgery.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/griU2u
Tuesday 23 November 2010
When to give up on IVF treatment?
More than five dozen shots a month, lots of heartbreak, and a devastating miscarriage. That's what E! News host Giuliana Rancic, 36, has endured so far in her quest to become a mother.
Rancic told UsMagazine.com that her IVF fertility treatments include 63 injections per month.
Is there some point at which a couple should be told that enough's enough, and the IVF treatments called off?
"There's no set formula," says Dr. Helen Kim, director of in vitro fertilization at the University of Chicago. "It's very individual, but success does seem to taper off, and if a woman hasn't gotten pregnant after her third cycle, she's certainly less likely to get pregnant with IVF."
In the Rancics' case, which the couple has chronicled on their reality show, "Giuliana & Bill," the miscarriage came after they had been trying to conceive for a year.
Rancic had been eight weeks pregnant when she miscarried back in September.
"Both of us were in shock," Bill, 39, told People magazine. "Failure wasn't an option!"
Giuliana revealed that she was devastated and discouraged by the news. "It's not like some kinds of medicine where there is a definite end point," says Dr. Mark Sauer, professor and chief of reproductive endocrinology at Columbia University, where he also directs the IVF program. "There's an assumption that there is always something you can do for a patient, another treatment. It's hard for doctors to say they just don't know why someone is not getting pregnant."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dKsFG1
Rancic told UsMagazine.com that her IVF fertility treatments include 63 injections per month.
Is there some point at which a couple should be told that enough's enough, and the IVF treatments called off?
"There's no set formula," says Dr. Helen Kim, director of in vitro fertilization at the University of Chicago. "It's very individual, but success does seem to taper off, and if a woman hasn't gotten pregnant after her third cycle, she's certainly less likely to get pregnant with IVF."
In the Rancics' case, which the couple has chronicled on their reality show, "Giuliana & Bill," the miscarriage came after they had been trying to conceive for a year.
Rancic had been eight weeks pregnant when she miscarried back in September.
"Both of us were in shock," Bill, 39, told People magazine. "Failure wasn't an option!"
Giuliana revealed that she was devastated and discouraged by the news. "It's not like some kinds of medicine where there is a definite end point," says Dr. Mark Sauer, professor and chief of reproductive endocrinology at Columbia University, where he also directs the IVF program. "There's an assumption that there is always something you can do for a patient, another treatment. It's hard for doctors to say they just don't know why someone is not getting pregnant."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dKsFG1
Sunday 21 November 2010
Sister to become surrogate for her gay brother
The London Women's Clinic (LWC) has reportedly received an application for fertility treatment by two gay men wanting to raise a child who wish to use one of the couple's sister as a surrogate.
Up to 30 percent of LWC's clients are lesbian couples, representing an increase of about ten percent from ten years ago, but the applications to the clinic made this week are the first to be received from a male same-sex couple. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Dr Kamal Ahuja, scientific director at LWC confirmed that the clinic's ethics committee was considering the application alongside another received from a gay couple who have also applied for treatment using a surrogate.
The LWC was one of the first clinics to admit lesbian's for donor insemination and has carried out studies demonstrating that the wellbeing of children is not compromised by the absence of a 'father figure'.
Dr Ahuja said: 'The definition of a traditional family is progressively fading. Though we had concerns some years ago, the evidence now is that we need not worry in terms of same-sex parenting'. He added: 'Families of the future may combine up to five parents. Regardless of culture, the evidence is that children adapt well and it's the quality of the nurturing environment which is important'.
The surrogacy application made to LWC is not unique in the UK. Last year it was reported that Lorna Bradley had acted as a surrogate for her brother and his partner but until recently gay couples have been said to be more likely to travel to the United States to enter into surrogacy arrangements where there is less regulation. If the application is accepted by LWC and the attempted surrogacy is successful, the couple will be among the first gay men in the UK who will both be entitled to be a named parent on the child's birth certificate since changes were made to the law in April 2010.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/aZdCOm
Up to 30 percent of LWC's clients are lesbian couples, representing an increase of about ten percent from ten years ago, but the applications to the clinic made this week are the first to be received from a male same-sex couple. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Dr Kamal Ahuja, scientific director at LWC confirmed that the clinic's ethics committee was considering the application alongside another received from a gay couple who have also applied for treatment using a surrogate.
The LWC was one of the first clinics to admit lesbian's for donor insemination and has carried out studies demonstrating that the wellbeing of children is not compromised by the absence of a 'father figure'.
Dr Ahuja said: 'The definition of a traditional family is progressively fading. Though we had concerns some years ago, the evidence now is that we need not worry in terms of same-sex parenting'. He added: 'Families of the future may combine up to five parents. Regardless of culture, the evidence is that children adapt well and it's the quality of the nurturing environment which is important'.
The surrogacy application made to LWC is not unique in the UK. Last year it was reported that Lorna Bradley had acted as a surrogate for her brother and his partner but until recently gay couples have been said to be more likely to travel to the United States to enter into surrogacy arrangements where there is less regulation. If the application is accepted by LWC and the attempted surrogacy is successful, the couple will be among the first gay men in the UK who will both be entitled to be a named parent on the child's birth certificate since changes were made to the law in April 2010.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/aZdCOm
Friday 19 November 2010
Children in need appeal 2010
Children in need's mission is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK. Their vision is a society where each and every child and young person is supported to realise their potential.
In 2009, The BBC Children in Need Appeal raised over £39 million which will be used to support projects across the UK and for every penny you gave the charity, a penny will go towards projects helping disadvantaged children in the UK. Children in need are able to make this promise because the charity uses its investment income and Gift Aid to cover all running costs. Every year, thanks to public donations and the amazing efforts of fundraisers, schools, businesses and their corporate partners, they are able to provide support to thousands of youngsters aged 18 and under.
Children in need provide this support in the form of grants to organisations working with children who may have experienced mental, physical or sensory disabilities; behavioural or psychological disorders; are living in poverty or situations of deprivation; or suffering through distress, abuse or neglect.
The size and scale of the BBC Children in Need Appeal means that they are able to give grants to hundreds of different organisations, some of which are very small and don't have the resources to fundraise for themselves.
The charity operates all year round, not just the months leading up to Appeal night, and their staff around the UK process thousands of applications for funding. Every year the funding requests exceed the amount of money raised so 'Children in need' carefully assess all applications to ensure that grants are targeted on areas of real need. Voluntary committee members, based in each region, draw on their expertise and local knowledge to advise our board of Trustees which projects should receive grants, and funds are allocated geographically to ensure that all corners of the UK get a share of the money raised.
Donations can be made by credit card, at your local post office, by post, bank, building society or simply using PayPal
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bux9Gl
In 2009, The BBC Children in Need Appeal raised over £39 million which will be used to support projects across the UK and for every penny you gave the charity, a penny will go towards projects helping disadvantaged children in the UK. Children in need are able to make this promise because the charity uses its investment income and Gift Aid to cover all running costs. Every year, thanks to public donations and the amazing efforts of fundraisers, schools, businesses and their corporate partners, they are able to provide support to thousands of youngsters aged 18 and under.
Children in need provide this support in the form of grants to organisations working with children who may have experienced mental, physical or sensory disabilities; behavioural or psychological disorders; are living in poverty or situations of deprivation; or suffering through distress, abuse or neglect.
The size and scale of the BBC Children in Need Appeal means that they are able to give grants to hundreds of different organisations, some of which are very small and don't have the resources to fundraise for themselves.
The charity operates all year round, not just the months leading up to Appeal night, and their staff around the UK process thousands of applications for funding. Every year the funding requests exceed the amount of money raised so 'Children in need' carefully assess all applications to ensure that grants are targeted on areas of real need. Voluntary committee members, based in each region, draw on their expertise and local knowledge to advise our board of Trustees which projects should receive grants, and funds are allocated geographically to ensure that all corners of the UK get a share of the money raised.
Donations can be made by credit card, at your local post office, by post, bank, building society or simply using PayPal
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bux9Gl
Thursday 18 November 2010
IVF hormones and stress linked to postnatal depression
Between 20 and 30 percent of women who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures suffer from significant symptoms of depression. Many practitioners believe that the hormone therapy involved in IVF procedures is primarily responsible for this. But new research from Tel Aviv University shows that, while this is true, other factors are even more influential.
According to Dr. Miki Bloch of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, stress, pre-existing depression, and anxiety are more likely than hormone therapy to impact a woman's depression levels when undergoing IVF. Combined, these factors may also affect IVF success rates - so diagnosis and treatment of this depression is very important.
Recently reported in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, Dr. Bloch's research clarifies the involvement of different hormonal states as triggers for depression during IVF, both for long- and short-term protocols.
The long and short stories
In the long-term IVF protocol, explains Dr. Bloch, women receive injections which block ovulation, resulting in a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone levels. This state continues for a two-week period before the patient is injected with hormones to stimulate ovulation, at which point the eggs are harvested and fertilized before being replanted into the womb. The short-term IVF protocol, on the other hand, does not include the initial two-week period of induction of a low hormonal state.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dCM7Y6
According to Dr. Miki Bloch of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, stress, pre-existing depression, and anxiety are more likely than hormone therapy to impact a woman's depression levels when undergoing IVF. Combined, these factors may also affect IVF success rates - so diagnosis and treatment of this depression is very important.
Recently reported in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, Dr. Bloch's research clarifies the involvement of different hormonal states as triggers for depression during IVF, both for long- and short-term protocols.
The long and short stories
In the long-term IVF protocol, explains Dr. Bloch, women receive injections which block ovulation, resulting in a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone levels. This state continues for a two-week period before the patient is injected with hormones to stimulate ovulation, at which point the eggs are harvested and fertilized before being replanted into the womb. The short-term IVF protocol, on the other hand, does not include the initial two-week period of induction of a low hormonal state.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dCM7Y6
Monday 15 November 2010
Gay sperm donors in high demand
Many more women are turning to sperm donor websites to find donors or co-parents, fuelled by the shortage of donors within the UK, along with many NHS authorities cutting back on IVF treatment. Pride Angel reports on the increasing demand by both lesbian couples and single women for ‘gay sperm donors’.
Their study looked at the number of recipients looking for gay men from their database of over 4500 members. Of the 4500 members 64% are women looking for ‘sperm donors’, with only 16% registered as ‘sperm donors’. This shows a huge shortage in the number of willing donors, compared to the demand. They found that of those recipients who requested ‘looking for’ in their profile, 51% are looking for a ‘gay single man’, with 31% looking for a ‘gay couple’. In contrast, of the registered sperm donors only 23% record themselves as ‘gay’ within their profiles. 53% of sperm donors request ‘looking for’ a single woman, with 33% ‘looking for’ a lesbian couple to donate to.
Why are lesbian and single women looking for gay donors rather than heterosexual men? There may be many reasons for this preference. Erika co-founder of Pride Angel says ‘Many women are wishing to find genuine gay men, either single or in a couple, who are willing to co-parent or donate sperm with some form of on-going contact’ ‘This may be because they feel that gay men may be more sensitive or caring, or easier to co-parent with’. ‘We would really like to see far more gay men coming forward to donate sperm.’
Pride Angel also looked at data received from a questionnaire undertaken by people attending the Manchester Pride’s Lifestyle Expo in August 2010. The questionnaire was completed by 150 people and requested individual views on ‘the level of contact’ they felt the donor should have with any child conceived from known donor conception. The results were very interesting and showed that the vast majority of people did wish for their child to have some form of ongoing contact with their donor, only 26% of women and 20% of men thought that any donation should be anonymous. 27% of women wanted some kind of active involvement from their donor, be it regular or occasional contact. In contrast 51% of men wished to have regular or occasional contact with their donor child. A significant number of women 31%, wanted for their child to be able to contact their donor if needed while growing up
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bwxrEH
Their study looked at the number of recipients looking for gay men from their database of over 4500 members. Of the 4500 members 64% are women looking for ‘sperm donors’, with only 16% registered as ‘sperm donors’. This shows a huge shortage in the number of willing donors, compared to the demand. They found that of those recipients who requested ‘looking for’ in their profile, 51% are looking for a ‘gay single man’, with 31% looking for a ‘gay couple’. In contrast, of the registered sperm donors only 23% record themselves as ‘gay’ within their profiles. 53% of sperm donors request ‘looking for’ a single woman, with 33% ‘looking for’ a lesbian couple to donate to.
Why are lesbian and single women looking for gay donors rather than heterosexual men? There may be many reasons for this preference. Erika co-founder of Pride Angel says ‘Many women are wishing to find genuine gay men, either single or in a couple, who are willing to co-parent or donate sperm with some form of on-going contact’ ‘This may be because they feel that gay men may be more sensitive or caring, or easier to co-parent with’. ‘We would really like to see far more gay men coming forward to donate sperm.’
Pride Angel also looked at data received from a questionnaire undertaken by people attending the Manchester Pride’s Lifestyle Expo in August 2010. The questionnaire was completed by 150 people and requested individual views on ‘the level of contact’ they felt the donor should have with any child conceived from known donor conception. The results were very interesting and showed that the vast majority of people did wish for their child to have some form of ongoing contact with their donor, only 26% of women and 20% of men thought that any donation should be anonymous. 27% of women wanted some kind of active involvement from their donor, be it regular or occasional contact. In contrast 51% of men wished to have regular or occasional contact with their donor child. A significant number of women 31%, wanted for their child to be able to contact their donor if needed while growing up
To read more go to http://bit.ly/bwxrEH
Saturday 13 November 2010
Lesbian mums in dispute: fertility law, child maintenance and what makes a parent
A lesbian couple who had conceived a child together through donor insemination at a UK clinic recently ended up in the High Court after their relationship broke down. Their dispute involved a ten-year-old child, and the issue was whether the non-birth mother (who the court had already given legal decision-making status as a parent) should be ordered to make financial provision for her child.
The story itself of course isn't that unusual - parents separate and divorce all the time and many end up in court arguing over contact or finances. What makes this case interesting is the family was created through fertility treatment and the partner pursued for maintenance was not the biological mother.
The court had to ask whether the lesbian non-birth mother was legally a 'parent' and - specifically - whether her full hands-on parenting involvement in her child's life was enough to make her financially responsible, even though she was not the biological mother.
The answer seems pretty straightforward from a moral perspective. The non-birth mother had been fully involved in her child's care and upbringing, had regular contact with her child, and had successfully (and not long before) applied to court for joint residence and parental responsibility. The law recognised her as a parent for the purposes of decision making and there was no legal father since the child was conceived with anonymous donor sperm.
The child would have only one parent (the birth mother) and considerably less financial security if the non-birth mother was not financially responsible. As the birth mother's lawyers argued in court, it would be 'grotesque' for the court to decide the non-birth mother should not have to maintain a child she had helped bring into the world and was actively parenting.
The law is not always fair. The rules on financial responsibility say explicitly only a legal 'parent' can be ordered to pay. These rules are more black and white than those on matters of contact and parental decision-making, where the family courts often have discretion to act in the best interests of a child.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dBcOte
The story itself of course isn't that unusual - parents separate and divorce all the time and many end up in court arguing over contact or finances. What makes this case interesting is the family was created through fertility treatment and the partner pursued for maintenance was not the biological mother.
The court had to ask whether the lesbian non-birth mother was legally a 'parent' and - specifically - whether her full hands-on parenting involvement in her child's life was enough to make her financially responsible, even though she was not the biological mother.
The answer seems pretty straightforward from a moral perspective. The non-birth mother had been fully involved in her child's care and upbringing, had regular contact with her child, and had successfully (and not long before) applied to court for joint residence and parental responsibility. The law recognised her as a parent for the purposes of decision making and there was no legal father since the child was conceived with anonymous donor sperm.
The child would have only one parent (the birth mother) and considerably less financial security if the non-birth mother was not financially responsible. As the birth mother's lawyers argued in court, it would be 'grotesque' for the court to decide the non-birth mother should not have to maintain a child she had helped bring into the world and was actively parenting.
The law is not always fair. The rules on financial responsibility say explicitly only a legal 'parent' can be ordered to pay. These rules are more black and white than those on matters of contact and parental decision-making, where the family courts often have discretion to act in the best interests of a child.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dBcOte
Gay sperm donor fights lesbian mother over access to children
The woman in her 40s, and her civil partner, took the case to the Court of Appeal to try to overturn an earlier ruling that the children should spend almost half the year living with their father.
The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accusing the father of trying to “marginalise” her partner and “overpower” them both with his forceful personality.
But the father, a wealthy man in a long-term relationship, now in his 50s, claims it is his right to see his children and they should divide their time between him and their mother.
The case began in 1999 when the man placed an advert in Gay Times in the hope of finding a lesbian couple to have his children. Looking for a similar female couple who wants to have kids. I require little involvement. I have a lot to offer.”
After a long-term lesbian couple answered the advert, he twice donated sperm and a boy and girl, now aged nine and seven, were born.
Earlier this year a county court judge awarded "shared residency" orders to the mother and father and directed that the children should spend almost half the year with him.
June Venters QC, representing the mother and her partner, said the children were “aware of the difficulties between mummy and daddy” and were at risk of being emotionally harmed by the dispute.
She accepted that the youngsters had a meaningful relationship with their father and said it was in no way suggested that he should lose all contact rights.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/atdgHW
The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accusing the father of trying to “marginalise” her partner and “overpower” them both with his forceful personality.
But the father, a wealthy man in a long-term relationship, now in his 50s, claims it is his right to see his children and they should divide their time between him and their mother.
The case began in 1999 when the man placed an advert in Gay Times in the hope of finding a lesbian couple to have his children. Looking for a similar female couple who wants to have kids. I require little involvement. I have a lot to offer.”
After a long-term lesbian couple answered the advert, he twice donated sperm and a boy and girl, now aged nine and seven, were born.
Earlier this year a county court judge awarded "shared residency" orders to the mother and father and directed that the children should spend almost half the year with him.
June Venters QC, representing the mother and her partner, said the children were “aware of the difficulties between mummy and daddy” and were at risk of being emotionally harmed by the dispute.
She accepted that the youngsters had a meaningful relationship with their father and said it was in no way suggested that he should lose all contact rights.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/atdgHW
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Men who use laptop computers on their knees may harm their 'sperm'
Millions of men are putting their reproductive health at risk by balancing their laptops on their knees, experts have warned.
Researchers from the State University of New York asked 29 young men to work on computers placed on their laps. They then measured the change in temperature in their genital area. Study leader, Professor Yelim Sheynkin, said: 'Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range.
'Within 10 or 15 minutes their scrotal temperature is already above what we consider safe, but they don't feel it.' Around one in seven couples in the UK have trouble conceiving and male infertility plays a part in around half of these cases.
Under normal circumstances, the position of the testicles outside the body keeps them a few degrees cooler than the inside of the body, which is necessary for sperm production.
No studies have yet researched how laptops affect male fertility, but earlier research has showed that warming the scrotum even more than one degree Celsius is enough to damage sperm.
The latest study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found the mens' testicle temperature had risen by up to 2.5 C after holding a laptop on their knees for an hour.
Professor Sheynkin said: 'I wouldn't say that if someone starts to use laptops they will become infertile.' However, he warned that frequent use might contribute to reproductive problems because 'the scrotum doesn't have time to cool down.'
The team found when the men sat with their legs spread wide with a large lap pad under the computer they could keep their testicles cooler. But it still took less than 30 minutes before they began overheating.
'No matter what you do, even with the legs spread wide apart, the temperature is still going to be higher than what we call safe,' Professor Sheynkin said.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/a6G765
Researchers from the State University of New York asked 29 young men to work on computers placed on their laps. They then measured the change in temperature in their genital area. Study leader, Professor Yelim Sheynkin, said: 'Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range.
'Within 10 or 15 minutes their scrotal temperature is already above what we consider safe, but they don't feel it.' Around one in seven couples in the UK have trouble conceiving and male infertility plays a part in around half of these cases.
Under normal circumstances, the position of the testicles outside the body keeps them a few degrees cooler than the inside of the body, which is necessary for sperm production.
No studies have yet researched how laptops affect male fertility, but earlier research has showed that warming the scrotum even more than one degree Celsius is enough to damage sperm.
The latest study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, found the mens' testicle temperature had risen by up to 2.5 C after holding a laptop on their knees for an hour.
Professor Sheynkin said: 'I wouldn't say that if someone starts to use laptops they will become infertile.' However, he warned that frequent use might contribute to reproductive problems because 'the scrotum doesn't have time to cool down.'
The team found when the men sat with their legs spread wide with a large lap pad under the computer they could keep their testicles cooler. But it still took less than 30 minutes before they began overheating.
'No matter what you do, even with the legs spread wide apart, the temperature is still going to be higher than what we call safe,' Professor Sheynkin said.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/a6G765
Sunday 7 November 2010
Fertility forced abroad as NHS cuts back on IVF treatment
Nicosia looks nice. The clinic website shows pictures of boats bobbing on blue-green Cypriot waters. Spain feels more familiar, but the Ukraine is cheaper. Or what about Mexico, where you can choose whether to have a boy or a girl?
The fertility business is global and booming. As the NHS cuts back on free treatment for the childless, lumping IVF with tattoo removal as an act of kindness rather than treatment for a disease, the competitive prices of private clinics overseas compared with their UK rivals will look ever more tempting. This weekend a number of them will be touting for business at the Fertility Show, now in its second year, at London's Olympia.
Their websites are in English, their blandishments are soothing and the success rates they advertise are eye-popping to those unversed in the complexities of such data. You can get an instant email quote (in sterling) – I was offered IVF using donor eggs (difficult to obtain in the UK) in Kiev for £5,277, in Nicosia for £3,945 (including six days in a hotel and airport transfer) and in Mexico for £4,316 – or £5,091 if I wanted to choose the sex of my child. The UK has some of the best and safest IVF clinics in the world. It is the home of the pioneers – Bob Edwards, responsible for the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, recently won a Nobel prize, putting reproductive medicine firmly in the category of humane treatments that have advanced us as a species. But the government's yearning towards the free market and its dislike of red tape are threatening the quango which keeps standards high and clinics safe. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Act that set it up, is down for abolition. Its various roles are to be picked apart and handed to other bodies.
These are rocky times for the unhappy childless. North Yorkshire and York, Bury, South West Essex and West Kent have already cut back or suspended NHS fertility treatment. IVF, in a cash-strapped health service, is one of the first things to go. Funders know that desperate people will do it anyway. Houses will be re-mortgaged.
"Couples know they can't wait for the recession to be over," says Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of Infertility Network. "There won't be as much NHS IVF, but patients will find the money at least for one cycle. They have had to in the past and they will do it again."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dtrGLy
The fertility business is global and booming. As the NHS cuts back on free treatment for the childless, lumping IVF with tattoo removal as an act of kindness rather than treatment for a disease, the competitive prices of private clinics overseas compared with their UK rivals will look ever more tempting. This weekend a number of them will be touting for business at the Fertility Show, now in its second year, at London's Olympia.
Their websites are in English, their blandishments are soothing and the success rates they advertise are eye-popping to those unversed in the complexities of such data. You can get an instant email quote (in sterling) – I was offered IVF using donor eggs (difficult to obtain in the UK) in Kiev for £5,277, in Nicosia for £3,945 (including six days in a hotel and airport transfer) and in Mexico for £4,316 – or £5,091 if I wanted to choose the sex of my child. The UK has some of the best and safest IVF clinics in the world. It is the home of the pioneers – Bob Edwards, responsible for the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, recently won a Nobel prize, putting reproductive medicine firmly in the category of humane treatments that have advanced us as a species. But the government's yearning towards the free market and its dislike of red tape are threatening the quango which keeps standards high and clinics safe. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Act that set it up, is down for abolition. Its various roles are to be picked apart and handed to other bodies.
These are rocky times for the unhappy childless. North Yorkshire and York, Bury, South West Essex and West Kent have already cut back or suspended NHS fertility treatment. IVF, in a cash-strapped health service, is one of the first things to go. Funders know that desperate people will do it anyway. Houses will be re-mortgaged.
"Couples know they can't wait for the recession to be over," says Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of Infertility Network. "There won't be as much NHS IVF, but patients will find the money at least for one cycle. They have had to in the past and they will do it again."
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dtrGLy
Friday 5 November 2010
Fertility Show London 5th-6th November, Olympia, London.
Considering IVF? Looking for some answers?
Whether you’re just thinking about starting a family or have been trying for ages, find out what you need to know at The Fertility Show.
- 100 exhibitors
- 60 talks from experts
- Medical and complementary alternatives
- Leading UK and overseas clinics
- Fertility assessments and treatments
- Advice for everyone including single women and same sex parents
- A successful and proven event, now in its 2nd year
For those just thinking of having a baby:
- Zita West on how to get pregnant
- Marilyn Glenville on fertility-boosting nutrition
- Dr Zhai on Chinese medicine
- Charles Kingsland on preparing for pregnancy
For people finding it difficult to get pregnant:
- Carole Gilling-Smith on testing your ovarian reserve
- Sue Avery on the main approaches to treatment
- Paul Serhal on the fertility rollercoaster
- Allan Pacey on what men need to know about their fertility
- Raj Rai on recurrent miscarriage
For those considering IVF:
- Kate Brian on how to choose a clinic
- Natalie Gamble on treatment abroad
- Clare Lewis-Jones on what the NHS will pay for
- Anthony Rutherford on avoiding twins
- Mohamed Taranissi on immunology
Britain's leading fertility specialists:
- PCOS, endometriosis, secondary infertility
- Egg freezing, reproductive surgery, alternative medicine, mild IVF
- Specific advice for single women, older women and alternative parenting
- International surrogacy and donors abroad
- Coping strategies and managing relationships through treatment
The Fertility Show is backed by Britain's leading fertility support group, Infertility Network UK. It is a dedicated and discreet environment where you can learn about your fertility, explore your options with experienced and sympathetic professionals and find out how to give yourself the best chance of conceiving.
Looking for a sperm donor, egg donor or co-parent? visit www.prideangel.com
To read more go to http://bit.ly/cek5Wk
Whether you’re just thinking about starting a family or have been trying for ages, find out what you need to know at The Fertility Show.
- 100 exhibitors
- 60 talks from experts
- Medical and complementary alternatives
- Leading UK and overseas clinics
- Fertility assessments and treatments
- Advice for everyone including single women and same sex parents
- A successful and proven event, now in its 2nd year
For those just thinking of having a baby:
- Zita West on how to get pregnant
- Marilyn Glenville on fertility-boosting nutrition
- Dr Zhai on Chinese medicine
- Charles Kingsland on preparing for pregnancy
For people finding it difficult to get pregnant:
- Carole Gilling-Smith on testing your ovarian reserve
- Sue Avery on the main approaches to treatment
- Paul Serhal on the fertility rollercoaster
- Allan Pacey on what men need to know about their fertility
- Raj Rai on recurrent miscarriage
For those considering IVF:
- Kate Brian on how to choose a clinic
- Natalie Gamble on treatment abroad
- Clare Lewis-Jones on what the NHS will pay for
- Anthony Rutherford on avoiding twins
- Mohamed Taranissi on immunology
Britain's leading fertility specialists:
- PCOS, endometriosis, secondary infertility
- Egg freezing, reproductive surgery, alternative medicine, mild IVF
- Specific advice for single women, older women and alternative parenting
- International surrogacy and donors abroad
- Coping strategies and managing relationships through treatment
The Fertility Show is backed by Britain's leading fertility support group, Infertility Network UK. It is a dedicated and discreet environment where you can learn about your fertility, explore your options with experienced and sympathetic professionals and find out how to give yourself the best chance of conceiving.
Looking for a sperm donor, egg donor or co-parent? visit www.prideangel.com
To read more go to http://bit.ly/cek5Wk
Wednesday 3 November 2010
IVF could double risk of 'Cerebral Palsy'
IVF could double the risk of cerebral palsy, according to a study of more than 90,000 children.
Several studies have shown that rates of the neurological condition, which can result in speech problems, muscular stiffness and curvature of the spine, are higher in couples who have undergone in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
But this is the first to suggest that the process of IVF itself could increase the risk, rather than it being a consequence of the parents' impaired fertility
Researchers at the University of Aarhus in Denmark found that babies born by IVF were more than twice as likely to have cerebral palsy as those conceived naturally.
The result held up even after adjusting for factors like the age of the mother, if she smoked, and whether the baby was premature or a twin.
Dr Jin Lieang Zhu, an epidemiologist, and his team concluded that IVF was probably the underlying cause by looking at how rates of cerebral palsy changed depending on how long it took the mother to conceive naturally. This is considered a good measure of underlying fertility.
They found no statistically significant difference in rates between those whose mothers took less than two months to conceive, and those who took more than a year.
However, there was a much bigger difference between those who took over a year to conceive and those who only got pregnant thanks to IVF.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/aVAN51
Several studies have shown that rates of the neurological condition, which can result in speech problems, muscular stiffness and curvature of the spine, are higher in couples who have undergone in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
But this is the first to suggest that the process of IVF itself could increase the risk, rather than it being a consequence of the parents' impaired fertility
Researchers at the University of Aarhus in Denmark found that babies born by IVF were more than twice as likely to have cerebral palsy as those conceived naturally.
The result held up even after adjusting for factors like the age of the mother, if she smoked, and whether the baby was premature or a twin.
Dr Jin Lieang Zhu, an epidemiologist, and his team concluded that IVF was probably the underlying cause by looking at how rates of cerebral palsy changed depending on how long it took the mother to conceive naturally. This is considered a good measure of underlying fertility.
They found no statistically significant difference in rates between those whose mothers took less than two months to conceive, and those who took more than a year.
However, there was a much bigger difference between those who took over a year to conceive and those who only got pregnant thanks to IVF.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/aVAN51
Monday 1 November 2010
NHS cuts back costs by suspending IVF treatment in Yorkshire
NHS North Yorkshire and York is to suspend IVF procedures in the final quarter of this financial year as part of measures to reduce costs. The trust said it would honour its current IVF waiting list but, from 1 November 2010, no new patients would be added other than in exceptional clinical circumstances. NHS North Yorkshire and York budgets £1 million for up to 250 IVF patients per year and offers one cycle to patients below its sub-fertility criteria.
Dr David Geddes, Medical Director of NHS North Yorkshire and York, said: 'We fully appreciate that infertility is a highly emotive issue but, due to considerable financial pressure, NHS North Yorkshire and York has taken the difficult decision to not routinely commission assisted conception services for the final quarter of the financial year'.
He added: 'This decision affects IVF and other assisted conception procedures. However, it does not affect couples experiencing fertility problems having access to non-surgical treatments, such as drug treatments that may result in successful conception'.
The funding cut has prompted concern from Susan Seenan from the Infertility Network UK. She told BBC Radio York: 'I don't think we can actually express how angry and let down we feel about this decision to suspend funding for IVF treatments'. She added: 'On behalf of patients in Yorkshire, it's appalling that the trust has taken this decision'.
Chief Executive of NHS North Yorkshire and York, Jayne Brown, said: 'We have a statutory obligation to achieve financial balance and our priority is to achieve significant short-term savings whilst maintaining essential services for patients in North Yorkshire and York'. She added: 'We fully appreciate that the decisions we have taken will be unpalatable'.
To read more go to
Dr David Geddes, Medical Director of NHS North Yorkshire and York, said: 'We fully appreciate that infertility is a highly emotive issue but, due to considerable financial pressure, NHS North Yorkshire and York has taken the difficult decision to not routinely commission assisted conception services for the final quarter of the financial year'.
He added: 'This decision affects IVF and other assisted conception procedures. However, it does not affect couples experiencing fertility problems having access to non-surgical treatments, such as drug treatments that may result in successful conception'.
The funding cut has prompted concern from Susan Seenan from the Infertility Network UK. She told BBC Radio York: 'I don't think we can actually express how angry and let down we feel about this decision to suspend funding for IVF treatments'. She added: 'On behalf of patients in Yorkshire, it's appalling that the trust has taken this decision'.
Chief Executive of NHS North Yorkshire and York, Jayne Brown, said: 'We have a statutory obligation to achieve financial balance and our priority is to achieve significant short-term savings whilst maintaining essential services for patients in North Yorkshire and York'. She added: 'We fully appreciate that the decisions we have taken will be unpalatable'.
To read more go to
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