Six years ago, DAVE THOMAS and his partner decided to become foster parents – but as a gay couple, they faced and uphill struggle. Here, he recalls the obstacles they overcame to provide a family for children in need
WE FIRST thought about fostering six years ago. Patrick and I wanted children, but gay couples in Ireland aren’t allowed to adopt, which seemed unfair. So we discussed fostering, which is allowed.
It would be another two years before we would apply. In that time, we wondered whether we would be able to cope with the challenging behaviour of a damaged child. How would it affect our private lives? Would people talk about us in a negative way?
To foster in Ireland, you apply either to the HSE or a private fostering company. We chose the private company, which had a comprehensive list of support services. A social worker visited and explained that the intensive assessment could take months.
If you had any skeletons in your closet, she warned, they would emerge. We had no concerns on that score, and waited excitedly for the letter of acceptance from the company. When it arrived, it was a rejection.
A representative explained that, while we were “excellent candidates to foster”, the company was rejecting us because I had not told my parents I was gay. They accepted that my elderly parents already knew, but they still wanted me to tell them.
Unless that happened, our application would go no further. We asked the company whether they had insisted that heterosexual couples tell their parents they were straight. They hadn’t.
We wrote suggesting they were discriminating against us. When the company director visited, we told him we would pursue legal action. A week later, our application was processed.
To read more go to
Thursday 31 March 2011
Sunday 27 March 2011
Gay and lesbian couples in France don't have equal family rights
Gay couples in France are resorting to drastic measures to have children, according to campaigners.
Couples were resorting to costly and legally precarious methods, said Philippe Rollandin, spokesman for APGL, the largest association representing homosexual parents in France.
Campaigners are also unhappy that the children of homosexual couples have less protection than the offspring of heterosexual pairs if one parent dies or the couple separates.
"Homosexual couples are becoming more dismayed and angry about this clear discrimination in France, particularly as we are seeing the situation changing so clearly in Europe," he said.
Unlike in the UK, where gay parents have equal rights over their child, in France only one – the biological or adoptive parent – has automatic parental rights, said Caroline Mecary, a specialist gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights lawyer.
This means the non-biological parent cannot make emergency health decisions, travel alone with the children or pass on their inheritance. Crucially, if the officially recognised parent dies, the child is, in legal terms, an orphan in the eyes of the state.
"One half of the couple has no legitimacy in the eyes of the law, which is bad for the parents but even worse for the children," she said. "They are left in a legal no-man's land."
Rollandin said a ban on gay couples adopting had resulted in a generation of "Thalys babies", named after the high-speed train line between France and Belgium, where women can legally obtain artificial insemination. The APGL estimates that about 70% of lesbian couples with children used artificial insemination, which can cost between €1,000 (£880) to €3,000 (£2,600) in Belgium and up to €€6,000 in Spain.
Male couples were increasingly resorting to paying surrogate mothers to have children, said Rollandin. About half use this method, costing up to €120,000. Lesbian and gay couples are also using matchmaking websites to meet other couples or donors in order to have children.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ezAAXv
Couples were resorting to costly and legally precarious methods, said Philippe Rollandin, spokesman for APGL, the largest association representing homosexual parents in France.
Campaigners are also unhappy that the children of homosexual couples have less protection than the offspring of heterosexual pairs if one parent dies or the couple separates.
"Homosexual couples are becoming more dismayed and angry about this clear discrimination in France, particularly as we are seeing the situation changing so clearly in Europe," he said.
Unlike in the UK, where gay parents have equal rights over their child, in France only one – the biological or adoptive parent – has automatic parental rights, said Caroline Mecary, a specialist gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights lawyer.
This means the non-biological parent cannot make emergency health decisions, travel alone with the children or pass on their inheritance. Crucially, if the officially recognised parent dies, the child is, in legal terms, an orphan in the eyes of the state.
"One half of the couple has no legitimacy in the eyes of the law, which is bad for the parents but even worse for the children," she said. "They are left in a legal no-man's land."
Rollandin said a ban on gay couples adopting had resulted in a generation of "Thalys babies", named after the high-speed train line between France and Belgium, where women can legally obtain artificial insemination. The APGL estimates that about 70% of lesbian couples with children used artificial insemination, which can cost between €1,000 (£880) to €3,000 (£2,600) in Belgium and up to €€6,000 in Spain.
Male couples were increasingly resorting to paying surrogate mothers to have children, said Rollandin. About half use this method, costing up to €120,000. Lesbian and gay couples are also using matchmaking websites to meet other couples or donors in order to have children.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ezAAXv
Thursday 24 March 2011
Genetic attraction between parents and children who have never met
An article in Yahoo today describes a woman who tracked down her long-lost father in the US who is now pregnant with his child. This highlights the concern of genetic attraction between parent and child who have never previously met, because of adoption or sperm and egg donation.
Garry Ryan, 46, was tracked down by his daughter Penny Lawrence, 28, last year. He had left Ms Lawrence's mother when she was pregnant, so father and daughter had never met.
Following the death of her mother and the grandparents who raised her, Ms Lawrence, from Los Angeles, became obsessed with finding her father, and tracked him down to Houston, Texas.
Upon meeting, they felt an instant physical attraction, which resulted in a sexual relationship. Ms Lawrence is now pregnant with her father's child.
The couple claim that their attraction is the result of something called Genetic Sexual Attraction, a term coined in the 1980s to describe overwhelming feelings between blood relatives who first meet as adults.
Speaking with The Irish Sun newspaper, Ms Lancaster said: "We are not committing incest, but are victims of GSA. We’ve never experienced a father-daughter relationship, so we’re just like any other strangers who meet in adulthood." The couple said that if the three month scan of their baby shows it does not have birth defects, they plan to keep the child and raise it together.
The couple are aware that their relationship is illegal, and are afraid the law will be used to separate them. In the US, a sexual relationship between close blood relatives is illegal, although the specifics of incest laws vary between states. A close blood relative usually includes father, mother, brother and sister, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew but may also extend to first cousins, step parents and step brothers and sisters.
Several theories surround the phenomenon of GSA, including the notion that humans are frequently attracted to faces similar to their own. It also embraces the theory that if two people who are genetically related do not meet until adulthood, the normal sexual aversion that develops between siblings during childhood is somehow switched off.
To read more go to
Garry Ryan, 46, was tracked down by his daughter Penny Lawrence, 28, last year. He had left Ms Lawrence's mother when she was pregnant, so father and daughter had never met.
Following the death of her mother and the grandparents who raised her, Ms Lawrence, from Los Angeles, became obsessed with finding her father, and tracked him down to Houston, Texas.
Upon meeting, they felt an instant physical attraction, which resulted in a sexual relationship. Ms Lawrence is now pregnant with her father's child.
The couple claim that their attraction is the result of something called Genetic Sexual Attraction, a term coined in the 1980s to describe overwhelming feelings between blood relatives who first meet as adults.
Speaking with The Irish Sun newspaper, Ms Lancaster said: "We are not committing incest, but are victims of GSA. We’ve never experienced a father-daughter relationship, so we’re just like any other strangers who meet in adulthood." The couple said that if the three month scan of their baby shows it does not have birth defects, they plan to keep the child and raise it together.
The couple are aware that their relationship is illegal, and are afraid the law will be used to separate them. In the US, a sexual relationship between close blood relatives is illegal, although the specifics of incest laws vary between states. A close blood relative usually includes father, mother, brother and sister, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew but may also extend to first cousins, step parents and step brothers and sisters.
Several theories surround the phenomenon of GSA, including the notion that humans are frequently attracted to faces similar to their own. It also embraces the theory that if two people who are genetically related do not meet until adulthood, the normal sexual aversion that develops between siblings during childhood is somehow switched off.
To read more go to
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Mothers who drink in early pregnancy are more likely to have unruly children
“Mothers who drink in early pregnancy are ‘more likely to have unruly children’,” reported the Daily Mail. The newspaper says that a study has found a three-fold risk of antisocial behaviour among 16 year olds whose mothers drank as little as one alcoholic drink per day during early pregnancy.
The US study assessed the possible association between drinking during the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of a psychiatric condition known as ‘conduct disorder’ in adolescents up to 16 years of age. The disorder can lead to a persistent, marked pattern of repetitive antisocial behaviour that is beyond simply being unruly.
Although the study found an association between conduct disorder and maternal pregnancy, it should be remembered that it is a relatively uncommon condition, and that only 67 adolescents (about 12% of the study population) had experienced it. Therefore further research is needed to reliably assess the influence of prenatal alcohol exposure on the risk of developing the condition.
Current advice is that women trying to conceive and pregnant women, particularly those in the first three months of pregnancy, should refrain from consuming alcohol altogether.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from The University of Pittsburgh. It was funded by grants from the US National Institute of Alcohol and Alcoholism and the US National Institute of Drug Abuse.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Academy Child Adolescent Psychiatry.
This research was covered by the Daily Mail, which reported that alcohol consumption during pregnancy was associated with “unruly behaviour”. It should be emphasised that Conduct Disorder is a specific psychiatric condition diagnosed by a persistent, marked pattern of repetitive antisocial behaviour. It is not clear from this study how alcohol consumption during pregnancy affects minor or short-term symptoms of unruly behaviour.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/es1tKD
The US study assessed the possible association between drinking during the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of a psychiatric condition known as ‘conduct disorder’ in adolescents up to 16 years of age. The disorder can lead to a persistent, marked pattern of repetitive antisocial behaviour that is beyond simply being unruly.
Although the study found an association between conduct disorder and maternal pregnancy, it should be remembered that it is a relatively uncommon condition, and that only 67 adolescents (about 12% of the study population) had experienced it. Therefore further research is needed to reliably assess the influence of prenatal alcohol exposure on the risk of developing the condition.
Current advice is that women trying to conceive and pregnant women, particularly those in the first three months of pregnancy, should refrain from consuming alcohol altogether.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from The University of Pittsburgh. It was funded by grants from the US National Institute of Alcohol and Alcoholism and the US National Institute of Drug Abuse.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Academy Child Adolescent Psychiatry.
This research was covered by the Daily Mail, which reported that alcohol consumption during pregnancy was associated with “unruly behaviour”. It should be emphasised that Conduct Disorder is a specific psychiatric condition diagnosed by a persistent, marked pattern of repetitive antisocial behaviour. It is not clear from this study how alcohol consumption during pregnancy affects minor or short-term symptoms of unruly behaviour.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/es1tKD
Monday 21 March 2011
Single mother age 58 who gave birth to IVF twins asks 'What have I done?'
Three weeks have passed since Carole Hobson brought her IVF twins home from hospital and it’s clear her once ordered life as a mature, single career woman has been completely turned on its head.
A sky-high pile of freshly-washed babygros, bedding and towels sits on the dining table and the ironing board stands permanently in the living room. With the volume of washing, there is obviously little point in putting it away.
She tries to snatch a quick toasted cheese sandwich while son Matthew and daughter Freida sleep upstairs, but manages only a mouthful before the babies start crying in unison.
‘As you can hear, they both have a lusty set of lungs,’ she smiles, padding upstairs to lift Freida gently from her cot while replacing Matthew’s dummy.
Carole is averaging just two or three hours of sleep a night and admits to feeling completely exhausted at times with the relentless routine of feeding, burping, changing, washing and sterilising bottles. After all, she does not have a partner to share the strain.
And at 58, she is embarking on first-time motherhood at an age when most women are looking forward to retirement, grandchildren, holidays and a spot of gentle gardening.
‘I have about two hours a day to myself, to do everything that needs to be done,’ says Carole wearily, as her two dogs Milly and Lucy bark from a room downstairs in the vain hope of walkies. I don’t even have time to read a book any more, let alone eat a proper meal. Some days I feel almost mad with exhaustion.’
Carole’s only been out of the house once so far; to Bluewater shopping centre in Kent this week where a quick trip to the hairdressers was far from a relaxing treat and had to be abruptly curtailed. ‘Matthew chose that moment to do an explosive nappy,’ laughs Carole.
‘I was sitting in the salon chair saying: “You are going to have to hurry up!” It was all rather stressful.
But is she happy? Carole, a 58-year-old former barrister and trained social worker, spent £20,000 and underwent five rounds of IVF treatment — using donor eggs and sperm — to realise her dream of becoming a mother.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/e2Q4h8
A sky-high pile of freshly-washed babygros, bedding and towels sits on the dining table and the ironing board stands permanently in the living room. With the volume of washing, there is obviously little point in putting it away.
She tries to snatch a quick toasted cheese sandwich while son Matthew and daughter Freida sleep upstairs, but manages only a mouthful before the babies start crying in unison.
‘As you can hear, they both have a lusty set of lungs,’ she smiles, padding upstairs to lift Freida gently from her cot while replacing Matthew’s dummy.
Carole is averaging just two or three hours of sleep a night and admits to feeling completely exhausted at times with the relentless routine of feeding, burping, changing, washing and sterilising bottles. After all, she does not have a partner to share the strain.
And at 58, she is embarking on first-time motherhood at an age when most women are looking forward to retirement, grandchildren, holidays and a spot of gentle gardening.
‘I have about two hours a day to myself, to do everything that needs to be done,’ says Carole wearily, as her two dogs Milly and Lucy bark from a room downstairs in the vain hope of walkies. I don’t even have time to read a book any more, let alone eat a proper meal. Some days I feel almost mad with exhaustion.’
Carole’s only been out of the house once so far; to Bluewater shopping centre in Kent this week where a quick trip to the hairdressers was far from a relaxing treat and had to be abruptly curtailed. ‘Matthew chose that moment to do an explosive nappy,’ laughs Carole.
‘I was sitting in the salon chair saying: “You are going to have to hurry up!” It was all rather stressful.
But is she happy? Carole, a 58-year-old former barrister and trained social worker, spent £20,000 and underwent five rounds of IVF treatment — using donor eggs and sperm — to realise her dream of becoming a mother.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/e2Q4h8
Saturday 19 March 2011
Today is Goddess of Fertility Day
The spring equinox in Western culture marks the first day of the change of the seasons. Many people will start to do their spring cleaning around this time, and the Christian holiday of Easter is celebrated some time between March and April. For many cultures, religions, and spiritual paths, however, it marks what could be called the Goddess of Fertility Day.
Ostara, as the day is often called, was named after the Norse Goddess of Fertility. The celebration of fertility, life, and rebirth is most often celebrated during the vernal equinox, sometime between March 19 and March 22. It is a festival often celebrated with a plentiful feast, cleaning, decorating, and exploration.
Eggs and rabbits are most often associated with the day, as a sign of fruitful production and fertility. Decorating them with warm colors is a means to celebrate the renewal of the harvest and welcome in the change in the weather.
Many cultures and religions celebrate a similar holiday each spring. This is believed to have been a way for the different religions to gain new followers and converts.
List of Fertility Goddesses:
Ala (Nigerian) Mother Goddess responsible for fertility of both animals and man.
Ajysyt (Siberian) Mother Goddess. Her name means "birth giver". She visited every mother and provided a soul for the newborns.
Aka (Turkish) Ancient Mother Goddess.
Alemonia (Roman) Goddess responsible for feeding of the feotus in the womb. Also known as Alemona.
Aphrodite (Greek) Represented fertility.
Arianrhod (Welsh) Associated with fertility.
Aveta: (Gaulish) Goddess of fertility, childbirth and midwives, also linked to fresh water.
Bast (Egyptian) Bast the cat headed Goddess was associated with both fertility and childbirth.
Bendis (Greek) One of several Greek fertility Goddesses.
Bona Dea (Roman) Goddess of fertility, healing, virginity, and women
Brigit (Irish) was the Goddess of home, hearth, feminine aspects, healing, and fertility.
Ceres (Roman) Goddess of crops and agriculture.
Corn Mother (Native American) Responsible for the fertility of the land and people.
Cybele (Roman) Cybele was the goddess of fertility based on Anatolian Goddess Kybele.
Demeter (Greek) The Goddess of grain and bringer of fertility to the earth.
Frigg (Nordic) Frigg was the Odin wife she protected a man's marriage and made him fertile. Her name was invoked to bring children into a conjugal union.
Freya (Nordic) Often confused with Frigg, Freyja was the Norse goddess of sexual activity.
Gaia (Greek) Ancient Greek mother goddess who gave birth to the land and the Titans.
Gefjon(Teutonic) She was one of Frigg's handmaidens and associated with fertility of both man and the land.
Haumea (Hawaiian) Haumea was perpetually reborn, allowing her to continually mate with her offspring.
Juno (Roman) Often called upon by infertile women.
Macha (Irish) Fertility goddess who primarily concerned with male virility.
Mastor-Ava (Russian) Earth Goddess.
Nile Goddess - One of the prehistoric fertility Goddesses worshipped in the Nile Delta. She had the head of a bird.
Rainbow Snake (Aborigine) She represented the fertile rains, and sea she flows through her people's lives bringing children. Rhea (Greek) Replaced her mother Gaia as the earth and fertility goddess. She gave birth to the first Olympians
Tlalteutli (Aztec) Goddess of Creation. The Universe was made of Her body.
Urd (Teutonic) Norse Earth Goddess.
Venus (Roman) Roman equivalent to Aphrodite. She represented one of the main fertility Goddesses.
Read more information about fertility and getting pregnant at www.prideangel.com
More at http://bit.ly/dRaHXD
Ostara, as the day is often called, was named after the Norse Goddess of Fertility. The celebration of fertility, life, and rebirth is most often celebrated during the vernal equinox, sometime between March 19 and March 22. It is a festival often celebrated with a plentiful feast, cleaning, decorating, and exploration.
Eggs and rabbits are most often associated with the day, as a sign of fruitful production and fertility. Decorating them with warm colors is a means to celebrate the renewal of the harvest and welcome in the change in the weather.
Many cultures and religions celebrate a similar holiday each spring. This is believed to have been a way for the different religions to gain new followers and converts.
List of Fertility Goddesses:
Ala (Nigerian) Mother Goddess responsible for fertility of both animals and man.
Ajysyt (Siberian) Mother Goddess. Her name means "birth giver". She visited every mother and provided a soul for the newborns.
Aka (Turkish) Ancient Mother Goddess.
Alemonia (Roman) Goddess responsible for feeding of the feotus in the womb. Also known as Alemona.
Aphrodite (Greek) Represented fertility.
Arianrhod (Welsh) Associated with fertility.
Aveta: (Gaulish) Goddess of fertility, childbirth and midwives, also linked to fresh water.
Bast (Egyptian) Bast the cat headed Goddess was associated with both fertility and childbirth.
Bendis (Greek) One of several Greek fertility Goddesses.
Bona Dea (Roman) Goddess of fertility, healing, virginity, and women
Brigit (Irish) was the Goddess of home, hearth, feminine aspects, healing, and fertility.
Ceres (Roman) Goddess of crops and agriculture.
Corn Mother (Native American) Responsible for the fertility of the land and people.
Cybele (Roman) Cybele was the goddess of fertility based on Anatolian Goddess Kybele.
Demeter (Greek) The Goddess of grain and bringer of fertility to the earth.
Frigg (Nordic) Frigg was the Odin wife she protected a man's marriage and made him fertile. Her name was invoked to bring children into a conjugal union.
Freya (Nordic) Often confused with Frigg, Freyja was the Norse goddess of sexual activity.
Gaia (Greek) Ancient Greek mother goddess who gave birth to the land and the Titans.
Gefjon(Teutonic) She was one of Frigg's handmaidens and associated with fertility of both man and the land.
Haumea (Hawaiian) Haumea was perpetually reborn, allowing her to continually mate with her offspring.
Juno (Roman) Often called upon by infertile women.
Macha (Irish) Fertility goddess who primarily concerned with male virility.
Mastor-Ava (Russian) Earth Goddess.
Nile Goddess - One of the prehistoric fertility Goddesses worshipped in the Nile Delta. She had the head of a bird.
Rainbow Snake (Aborigine) She represented the fertile rains, and sea she flows through her people's lives bringing children. Rhea (Greek) Replaced her mother Gaia as the earth and fertility goddess. She gave birth to the first Olympians
Tlalteutli (Aztec) Goddess of Creation. The Universe was made of Her body.
Urd (Teutonic) Norse Earth Goddess.
Venus (Roman) Roman equivalent to Aphrodite. She represented one of the main fertility Goddesses.
Read more information about fertility and getting pregnant at www.prideangel.com
More at http://bit.ly/dRaHXD
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Woman happy to tell her child - she does not know who her father is
Jessica McCallin has already chosen a name for her unborn daughter. She will be called Freya, after the Norse goddess of fertility. ‘Freya is one of my favourite girls’ names,’ she says. ‘I didn’t know the meaning but, when I found out, I knew straight away that would be her name. It’s perfect.’
It’s somewhat fitting, too. Because Freya’s father is a 6ft Dane in his 20s, with greeny-blue eyes and blond hair. But beyond those few physical characteristics, neither Jessica nor Freya will know any more.
This is because last June, Jessica, 36, flew to Copenhagen and was artificially inseminated with the sperm of an anonymous Danish donor — and more and more British women are doing exactly the same thing.
Last year, about 500 to 1,000 British women were treated in Denmark, resulting in between 100 to 200 pregnancies. ‘It was an incredibly easy process,’ recalls Jessica, who is single. ‘After a few months of monitoring my cycle, I booked a flight to coincide with the time I ovulated.
‘I’d found out about the Danish sperm bank through a friend. It occupied a few rooms in a tasteful period building in the centre of Copenhagen.
‘The nurse put me at ease. I didn’t feel a thing as she carried out the procedure, and it was over within minutes. Then, half an hour later, I was back strolling round the streets of Copenhagen. I felt very comfortable about what I had just done.’ So why did Jessica go to Denmark rather than use a British sperm donor?
The head of the world’s biggest sperm bank, one of 15 private clinics in Denmark, says the number of women travelling to the country for treatment has soared.
Cryos International, based in Aarhus, was set up in 1987, has 427 donors on its books and supplies sperm to 65 countries. Half of all women who have treatment in Denmark have come from abroad.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/fXhaj5
It’s somewhat fitting, too. Because Freya’s father is a 6ft Dane in his 20s, with greeny-blue eyes and blond hair. But beyond those few physical characteristics, neither Jessica nor Freya will know any more.
This is because last June, Jessica, 36, flew to Copenhagen and was artificially inseminated with the sperm of an anonymous Danish donor — and more and more British women are doing exactly the same thing.
Last year, about 500 to 1,000 British women were treated in Denmark, resulting in between 100 to 200 pregnancies. ‘It was an incredibly easy process,’ recalls Jessica, who is single. ‘After a few months of monitoring my cycle, I booked a flight to coincide with the time I ovulated.
‘I’d found out about the Danish sperm bank through a friend. It occupied a few rooms in a tasteful period building in the centre of Copenhagen.
‘The nurse put me at ease. I didn’t feel a thing as she carried out the procedure, and it was over within minutes. Then, half an hour later, I was back strolling round the streets of Copenhagen. I felt very comfortable about what I had just done.’ So why did Jessica go to Denmark rather than use a British sperm donor?
The head of the world’s biggest sperm bank, one of 15 private clinics in Denmark, says the number of women travelling to the country for treatment has soared.
Cryos International, based in Aarhus, was set up in 1987, has 427 donors on its books and supplies sperm to 65 countries. Half of all women who have treatment in Denmark have come from abroad.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/fXhaj5
Monday 14 March 2011
Women would move house in order to get IVF treatment
Two thirds of women would consider moving house to access IVF on the NHS, according to research.
Many have suffered fertility problems or know someone who has, while others have experienced depression and financial issues as a result of infertility, it found. While Scottish care trusts fund three fertility cycles, English PCTs decide on case-by-case bases about supporting treatments, leaving many patients struggling to access the IVF they need to conceive.
Clare Lewis-Jones, from the Infertility Network support network, said that for many couples ‘NHS is simply not an option purely because of their postcode.
‘This is a totally cruel, unjustifiable and unacceptable situation which simply must end, and end quickly before it is too late for those affected and they face a life without children which for many is too awful to contemplate,’ she added. A survey by She magazine of 1,000 readers found some 80 per cent knew of at least one couple who had had problems conceiving, while one in four had visited their GP to discuss fertility concerns.
A fifth had experienced financial difficulties through needing treatment, or knew someone who had, while more than one in three had suffered depression as a result of problems conceiving.
A similar number said infertility had caused a strain on their relationship with their partner, or they had witnessed friends experiencing issues while trying to conceive.
In 2004, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) said the NHS should fund three free cycles of IVF for women aged 23 to 39. A Department of Health survey from 2009 showed 30 per cent of health trusts offered three cycles, 23 per cent two cycles and 47 per cent one cycle.
Battle for treatment: Many couples struggle to gain access to IVF on the basis of which PCT caters for their area However, since then there have been widespread reports of trusts slashing funding for IVF, with more cuts expected this year.
A survey by Pulse magazine last year found one in five of all primary care trusts (PCTs) had cut funding for IVF in the previous three years and eight PCTs had not funded any IVF treatment for two years.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/h5D1x9
Many have suffered fertility problems or know someone who has, while others have experienced depression and financial issues as a result of infertility, it found. While Scottish care trusts fund three fertility cycles, English PCTs decide on case-by-case bases about supporting treatments, leaving many patients struggling to access the IVF they need to conceive.
Clare Lewis-Jones, from the Infertility Network support network, said that for many couples ‘NHS is simply not an option purely because of their postcode.
‘This is a totally cruel, unjustifiable and unacceptable situation which simply must end, and end quickly before it is too late for those affected and they face a life without children which for many is too awful to contemplate,’ she added. A survey by She magazine of 1,000 readers found some 80 per cent knew of at least one couple who had had problems conceiving, while one in four had visited their GP to discuss fertility concerns.
A fifth had experienced financial difficulties through needing treatment, or knew someone who had, while more than one in three had suffered depression as a result of problems conceiving.
A similar number said infertility had caused a strain on their relationship with their partner, or they had witnessed friends experiencing issues while trying to conceive.
In 2004, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) said the NHS should fund three free cycles of IVF for women aged 23 to 39. A Department of Health survey from 2009 showed 30 per cent of health trusts offered three cycles, 23 per cent two cycles and 47 per cent one cycle.
Battle for treatment: Many couples struggle to gain access to IVF on the basis of which PCT caters for their area However, since then there have been widespread reports of trusts slashing funding for IVF, with more cuts expected this year.
A survey by Pulse magazine last year found one in five of all primary care trusts (PCTs) had cut funding for IVF in the previous three years and eight PCTs had not funded any IVF treatment for two years.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/h5D1x9
Sunday 13 March 2011
New IVF technique to create babies free from disease, using DNA from three parents
The first baby with three biological parents could be conceived next year after the Government announced a major review of Britain’s fertility laws.
The move would allow doctors to use a revolutionary IVF technique that prevents incurable, deadly genetic illnesses being passed down from mothers to their children.
Babies created with the therapy – called three-parent IVF – would inherit 98 per cent of their DNA from their ‘real’ parents. The rest would come from a female donor.
The scientists say the donor genes would not alter the children’s appearance or personality, but would stop them dying from painful diseases of the heart, liver and brain.
But the revelation has horrified embryo campaigners who accused doctors of ‘meddling around with the delicate building blocks of life’. It also raises questions about parental rights and whether the donor parent would have any say in the upbringing of a child.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has asked the fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to investigate the safety of the technique. If MPs back the change, it could be introduced in 12 months.
The new therapy, designed by Professor Doug Turnbull, of Newcastle University, centres on mitochondria – the power packs inside cells that convert food into energy.
Each mitochondrion contains a small amount of DNA. Around 100 babies every year are born with a disease caused by faulty mitochondrial DNA. There is no cure and many die within hours of birth.
Unlike the bulk of the DNA in the human body – which comes from both parents – mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mothers.The new technique replaces faulty mitochondria with healthy transplants from a donor egg cell.
Professor Alison Murdoch, head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Newcastle University, said: ‘We are not ready to do this in patients now but the science is progressing very rapidly and we need to get Parliament to discuss this again. We anticipate that the review could take about a year. There is no guarantee that we will have all the evidence we need to secure a licence in a year but we need to anticipate that we may have.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ghReTQ
The move would allow doctors to use a revolutionary IVF technique that prevents incurable, deadly genetic illnesses being passed down from mothers to their children.
Babies created with the therapy – called three-parent IVF – would inherit 98 per cent of their DNA from their ‘real’ parents. The rest would come from a female donor.
The scientists say the donor genes would not alter the children’s appearance or personality, but would stop them dying from painful diseases of the heart, liver and brain.
But the revelation has horrified embryo campaigners who accused doctors of ‘meddling around with the delicate building blocks of life’. It also raises questions about parental rights and whether the donor parent would have any say in the upbringing of a child.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has asked the fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to investigate the safety of the technique. If MPs back the change, it could be introduced in 12 months.
The new therapy, designed by Professor Doug Turnbull, of Newcastle University, centres on mitochondria – the power packs inside cells that convert food into energy.
Each mitochondrion contains a small amount of DNA. Around 100 babies every year are born with a disease caused by faulty mitochondrial DNA. There is no cure and many die within hours of birth.
Unlike the bulk of the DNA in the human body – which comes from both parents – mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mothers.The new technique replaces faulty mitochondria with healthy transplants from a donor egg cell.
Professor Alison Murdoch, head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Newcastle University, said: ‘We are not ready to do this in patients now but the science is progressing very rapidly and we need to get Parliament to discuss this again. We anticipate that the review could take about a year. There is no guarantee that we will have all the evidence we need to secure a licence in a year but we need to anticipate that we may have.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ghReTQ
Tuesday 8 March 2011
IVF success rates in US are decent, reports the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
IVF treatment continues to be a popular choice for making babies. The treatment, known formally as in vitro fertilization, is successful in producing a live birth in 41.4% of treatment cycles for women under age 35, according to information released Monday by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
Data for 2009, the most recent year analyzed, showed the rate of live births per cycle with fresh embryos did not change much from 2008 when it was 41.3% for women under 35. However, that's still an improvement from 2003 when the rate of live births per cycle was 37.5% in that age group.
Success rates fall off quickly for older women, however. In 2009, the percentage of cycles with fresh embryos resulting in live births was 31.7% for women ages 35 to 37, 22.3% for women ages 38 to 40 and 12.6% for women ages 41 to 42.
The more embryos transferred, the higher the risk of multiple births. Several years ago, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology called on doctors and patients to limit embryo transfers to one in healthy, younger women who have a good chance of pregnancy. But if appears as if SART's goal of reducing the number of embryos transferred isn't enthusiastically embraced. Only 7.2% of women under age 35 opted for a single-embryo transfer in 2009, up from 5.2% in 2008. In 2003, the rate was 0.7%.
Overall, the average number of fresh embryos transferred was 2.0 for all age groups in 2009 compared with 2.6 in 2003.
The rate of live births with twins for women under age 35 was 32.9%, a trend that hasn't changed much since 2003. The rate of triplet births in that age group, however, was 1.6% in 2009 compared with 6.4% in 2003.
The leading, single cause of infertility continues to be male factor, which accounts for 17% of cases in which people seek IVF treatment. A diminished number of eggs, which occurs most often in women age 35 and older, accounted for 15% of cases, and in 12% of cases the cause of infertility cannot be explained.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/gftipF
Data for 2009, the most recent year analyzed, showed the rate of live births per cycle with fresh embryos did not change much from 2008 when it was 41.3% for women under 35. However, that's still an improvement from 2003 when the rate of live births per cycle was 37.5% in that age group.
Success rates fall off quickly for older women, however. In 2009, the percentage of cycles with fresh embryos resulting in live births was 31.7% for women ages 35 to 37, 22.3% for women ages 38 to 40 and 12.6% for women ages 41 to 42.
The more embryos transferred, the higher the risk of multiple births. Several years ago, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology called on doctors and patients to limit embryo transfers to one in healthy, younger women who have a good chance of pregnancy. But if appears as if SART's goal of reducing the number of embryos transferred isn't enthusiastically embraced. Only 7.2% of women under age 35 opted for a single-embryo transfer in 2009, up from 5.2% in 2008. In 2003, the rate was 0.7%.
Overall, the average number of fresh embryos transferred was 2.0 for all age groups in 2009 compared with 2.6 in 2003.
The rate of live births with twins for women under age 35 was 32.9%, a trend that hasn't changed much since 2003. The rate of triplet births in that age group, however, was 1.6% in 2009 compared with 6.4% in 2003.
The leading, single cause of infertility continues to be male factor, which accounts for 17% of cases in which people seek IVF treatment. A diminished number of eggs, which occurs most often in women age 35 and older, accounted for 15% of cases, and in 12% of cases the cause of infertility cannot be explained.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/gftipF
Saturday 5 March 2011
Disney may portray 'Gay families' in future films.
Andreas Deja, award-winning veteran animator for Disney, has suggested the company would be open to featuring both openly gay characters and gay families in future projects.
Mr Deja, who is gay and worked on The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast said to News.com.Au:
“Is there ever going to be a family that has two dads or two mums? Time will tell. I think once they [Disney chiefs] find the right kind of story with that kind of concept, they will do it. It has to be the right kind of story and you have to find that first.”
Despite Disney’s conservative reputation, Disney World and Disneyland host annual Gay Day parades and last year the studio appointed Hollywood’s first openly gay studio chief, Rich Ross.
Polish-born Mr Deja also pointed out to the website that various Disney characters come from unconventional family set-ups, referring to Cinderella’s step-family, the orphaned Bambi or Aladdin growing up on the streets.
Though he added: “We are going to stay with family audiences and basically continue to do what Walt Disney tried to do.”
Pixar Studios, a subsidiary of Disney, last year featured LGBT members of their animation teams in a series of “It Gets Better” videos, which seek to offer hope to LGBT teenagers.
Read more about gay and lesbian families at www.prideangel.com
http://bit.ly/eU0G6V
Mr Deja, who is gay and worked on The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast said to News.com.Au:
“Is there ever going to be a family that has two dads or two mums? Time will tell. I think once they [Disney chiefs] find the right kind of story with that kind of concept, they will do it. It has to be the right kind of story and you have to find that first.”
Despite Disney’s conservative reputation, Disney World and Disneyland host annual Gay Day parades and last year the studio appointed Hollywood’s first openly gay studio chief, Rich Ross.
Polish-born Mr Deja also pointed out to the website that various Disney characters come from unconventional family set-ups, referring to Cinderella’s step-family, the orphaned Bambi or Aladdin growing up on the streets.
Though he added: “We are going to stay with family audiences and basically continue to do what Walt Disney tried to do.”
Pixar Studios, a subsidiary of Disney, last year featured LGBT members of their animation teams in a series of “It Gets Better” videos, which seek to offer hope to LGBT teenagers.
Read more about gay and lesbian families at www.prideangel.com
http://bit.ly/eU0G6V
Sperm donors in Canada are in high demand
Sperm donors in Canada are not willing to give their sperm away for free, a report states.
Since the Supreme Court of Canada banned the commercial trade in human sperm and eggs in 2004, sperm donations in this country have plummeted, suggests a new report released by Assisted Human Reproduction Canada.
And with rising number of lesbian couples and single women seeking to start families - as well as the 10% or so heterosexual couples who experience infertility - Canadian sperm banks are experiencing a severe supply-and-demand problem that’s only going to get worse, the report concludes.
Yet patient demand for sperm is at 5,500, according to the report.
Currently, Canadians are getting 90% of their sperm from paid donors in the U.S. and Europe. Canada hasn’t banned the import of human sperm and eggs from for-profit sperm banks in other countries.
“The evidence-based standard model analysis suggests that there is a large gap between the numbers of altruistic sperm donors available and the demand for donor insemination,” the report reads.
While allowing sperm banks to dole out cash for sperm would be the most efficient way to close the gap, the report suggests an altruistic sperm-donation system could be workable if Canada launches an awareness campaign to increase donation.
“There were a variety of methods used in other jurisdictions that attempted to increase the number of sperm donors,” the report reads.
The report suggests asking couples seeking donor insemination to spread the word about the need for sperm donations, and asking vasectomy patients if they would consider donating sperm before their procedures.
Another idea the report floated around was mirror gamete donation, where the partner lacking the usable gamete would donate in exchange for the gametes they need. For example, men could donate sperm in exchange for oocytes (egg cells), and women could donate oocytes in exchange for sperm.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/e3xwd7
Since the Supreme Court of Canada banned the commercial trade in human sperm and eggs in 2004, sperm donations in this country have plummeted, suggests a new report released by Assisted Human Reproduction Canada.
And with rising number of lesbian couples and single women seeking to start families - as well as the 10% or so heterosexual couples who experience infertility - Canadian sperm banks are experiencing a severe supply-and-demand problem that’s only going to get worse, the report concludes.
Yet patient demand for sperm is at 5,500, according to the report.
Currently, Canadians are getting 90% of their sperm from paid donors in the U.S. and Europe. Canada hasn’t banned the import of human sperm and eggs from for-profit sperm banks in other countries.
“The evidence-based standard model analysis suggests that there is a large gap between the numbers of altruistic sperm donors available and the demand for donor insemination,” the report reads.
While allowing sperm banks to dole out cash for sperm would be the most efficient way to close the gap, the report suggests an altruistic sperm-donation system could be workable if Canada launches an awareness campaign to increase donation.
“There were a variety of methods used in other jurisdictions that attempted to increase the number of sperm donors,” the report reads.
The report suggests asking couples seeking donor insemination to spread the word about the need for sperm donations, and asking vasectomy patients if they would consider donating sperm before their procedures.
Another idea the report floated around was mirror gamete donation, where the partner lacking the usable gamete would donate in exchange for the gametes they need. For example, men could donate sperm in exchange for oocytes (egg cells), and women could donate oocytes in exchange for sperm.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/e3xwd7
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Court upholds ban on anti-gay foster carers
The High Court has backed a council’s decision to bar a couple from fostering children because they oppose homosexuality.
Pentecostal Christians Eunice and Owen Johns, of Derby, were told by the city council in 2007 that a fostering panel had rejected them because of their views.
They told a social worker that they could not tell a foster child that homosexuality was acceptable.
They applied to the High Court to clarify policies on foster parents who have “traditional” views on sexuality. Today, the court agreed with the council’s decision.
The Johns, who were supported by the Christian Legal Centre, say they do not recognise sex before marriage, or the validity of civil partnerships.
Mrs Johns said in November: “The council said: ‘Do you know, you would have to tell [children] that it’s OK to be homosexual?’
“But I said I couldn’t do that because my Christian beliefs won’t let me. Morally, I couldn’t do that. Spiritually I couldn’t do that.”
Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said: “We’re delighted that the High Court’s landmark decision has favoured 21st century decency above 19th century prejudice. In any fostering case the interests of the 60,000 children in care should override the bias of any prospective parent.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/fQJWN2
Pentecostal Christians Eunice and Owen Johns, of Derby, were told by the city council in 2007 that a fostering panel had rejected them because of their views.
They told a social worker that they could not tell a foster child that homosexuality was acceptable.
They applied to the High Court to clarify policies on foster parents who have “traditional” views on sexuality. Today, the court agreed with the council’s decision.
The Johns, who were supported by the Christian Legal Centre, say they do not recognise sex before marriage, or the validity of civil partnerships.
Mrs Johns said in November: “The council said: ‘Do you know, you would have to tell [children] that it’s OK to be homosexual?’
“But I said I couldn’t do that because my Christian beliefs won’t let me. Morally, I couldn’t do that. Spiritually I couldn’t do that.”
Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said: “We’re delighted that the High Court’s landmark decision has favoured 21st century decency above 19th century prejudice. In any fostering case the interests of the 60,000 children in care should override the bias of any prospective parent.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/fQJWN2
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