North Wales Pride - October 2012

The first ever North Wales Pride will take place between the 5th and 7th October this year. The event is organised by Cymru Pride Wales, a small group of volunteers who aspire to make a difference for the LGBT community by bringing events of this kind to the area. North Wales Pride 2012 will be hosted at Hendre Hall, Bangor, flanked by the picturesque Snowdonia National Park and the stunning North Wales coastline. The event aims to celebrate diversity and break down the barriers of discrimination by reaching out to as many members of the community as possible. Organisers say that the event has attracted UK wide interest and it is hoped that North Wales Pride 2012 will be the first of many to come. Organisers have confirmed that Samantha Brookes, 2011 X Factor finalist, is one of their headlining acts. Local girl Sami, from Rhyl, shot to fame on the popular Saturday night entertainment show despite the controversial decision by judge Louis Walsh to send her home in favour of Goldie the lap dancer. Another confirmed act is the resident DJ of Garlands in Liverpool, Dave Booth. The main event is also playing host to a number of local performers, artists and activities for all ages including Yoga, Salsa and Zumba taster sessions. North Wales Pride has a limited number of trade stands available for organisations and businesses who wish to attend the event. If you have spare time on your hands and would like to volunteer at North Wales Pride, please email: northwalespride@hotmail.co.uk Check out the website, www.northwalespride.com for tickets and further information. There are a limited number of early bird weekend tickets priced at only £15! You can also keep up to date with latest information on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/cymrupridewales/ Article: Pride Angel 31st July 2012

IVF doctor is to offer fertility treatment at a luxury spa

Britain’s most controversial IVF doctor is to offer fertility treatment at a luxury spa. Mohamed Taranissi has teamed up with Champneys to provide patients with part of their IVF care in a stately home health farm. For the first time, patients will be able to undergo blood tests and scans at a spa rather than travel to a fertility clinic, with the option of going from IVF checks to pampering sessions in a bid to boost their chance of becoming pregnant. Professor Taranissi said the aim of the venture was to provide care closer to home. He said patients did not have to book into the spa itself but could simply pop in for their fertility tests and then leave. However, Champneys is offering IVF couples a discount on a spa break built around the medical tests. ‘It is not always practical for patients to spend ten days in London having blood tests and scans. I believe this will eventually become the norm,’ says Prof Taranissi, who has become a contentious figure in the fertility world after using unproven techniques. He was the subject of a criminal investigation and has had frequent rows with the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority. But he is also the most successful IVF doctor in the country. Among under-35s, his clinic has a success rate double the national average, making him one of Britain’s richest doctors, reportedly earning £25 million in a year. Prof Taranissi said he hopes his latest venture will be rolled out across the country, allowing patients to have two weeks’ worth of monitoring, blood tests and scans near their own homes in satellite clinics or a spa hotel. Under the new venture with Champneys in Tring, Hertfordshire, patients will have only the first and last of their appointments at Prof Taranissi’s Central London clinic, the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre, with blood tests and scans carried out at the health spa. Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of Infertility Network UK, says: ‘IVF is a delicate and complex science. We would urge patients to look carefully at the success rates for individual clinics before embarking on treatment.’ The IVF spa package will be available from September. Article: 29th July 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Americans having fewer children - is the economy to blame?

Does the poor economy has couples thinking twice before having children? Parenthood is expensive and young couples aren't sure they can handle the financial burden in today's environment. It’s not a surprise, then, that the U.S. birthrate has dropped to its lowest point since 1987. But, while the statistics may make an economic case compelling, some experts warn that the cause of the drop is more complicated than just dollars-and-cents. Birth statistics show that a significant drop took place in step with the recent economic decline. Before the downturn, the average number of births per woman in the U.S. peaked at 2.12, according to USA Today. This year the birthrate is heading for 1.87. based on research by Demographic Intelligence, a company that creates birth forecasts quarterly. A rate of 2.0 is considered "replacement level fertility." The United States saw 4.3 million births in 2007 and this number has dropped each year since then and is now about 3.96 million. That’s a decline of "a little less than 10 percent between 2007 and 2011," Steven Martin, a senior research associate at New York University, told the Daily News. But it’s not just about the money. Although the recession surely played a role in the birthrate decline, Mark Mather, demographer with the Population Reference Bureau, told the Daily News that there are other broader societal factors to consider. "We know that fertility rates declined in other periods of turmoil," Mather said, pointing to the Great Depression and high-inflation rates of the 1970s as economically-distressed historical precedents. But he also noted that the years leading up to the Great Depression saw an increase in contraception use, as did the 1970s. Martin mentioned a recent National Center for Health Statistics study that showed that approximately 37 percent of U.S. births are unintended or mistimed. "This could have the effect," he said, "of counteracting or buffering the fertility rate declines." These issues complicate a single-cause explanation of a birthrate drop, say these experts. Family planning, immigration - and accidental pregnancies - all combine to vary in different, multiple directions that impact the rates - although the economy is certainly playing its part. Article: 26th July www.nydailynews.com

Lesbian couple cut contact after sperm donor refused them more children

A lesbian couple who had their two children by the same sperm donor has spoken about their heartbreak as the father of their son and daughter destroyed their dream of a large family. Kirsty Cox and Anna Jones gave birth days apart after their gay friend donated sperm to the couple but after breaking the agreement to continue to donate the trio have fallen out. Nick Lacey, 24, is the biological father to both Alfie and Scarlett-Marie, eight months, but despite promising to stay in the children’s lives and continue to donate sperm so Kirsty and Anna could conceive again, he is no longer on in contact with the pair. The hairdresser was not present at the ‘twins’ christening last week and Anna, 27, said: ‘We’re heartbroken because we wanted more kids with him. But there’s nothing we can do. At the moment we’re not even on speaking terms with Nick.’ Anna and Kirsty, 23, who married in a civil ceremony in 2010 has previously spoken about their baby joy after they thought they would never be able to have children together. The NHS would only fund IVF for one of them and conceiving naturally was out of the question for both, so when Anna’s sister Lorraine told her hairdresser Nick about the couple’s desire for children. After a series of meetings, they all agreed that Nick would be the one to donate. 'When we found Nick everything fell into place,' Anna said when the family appeared on Daybreak earlier this year. 'If we hadn’t have found him I don’t think any of this would have happened to be honest.’ Three weeks after they started the process of artificial insemination Kirsty became pregnant and a couple of weeks later Anna became pregnant too. On November 5 last year, Kirsty gave birth to Scarlett-Marie, who was two weeks overdue. Five days later, Anna gave birth to Alfie. In February Nick said: 'Although I don’t see myself as their dad, I adore the babies and I intend to be part of their lives forever. ' I never imagined I’d have a child, and I never knew I’d have so much love for them.' Last week the christening of Alfie and Scarlett-Marie were christened at St Peter’s Church, Gloucester in front of 100 friends and family members – but not Nick. However Nick refutes the couple’s claims saying they were the ones who cut him out of their children’s lives. ‘I only heard about the christening on Facebook,’ he told The Sunday Mirror. According to Nick the trio fell out after Anna and Kirsty wanted more sperm only six months after the babies were born and when he said it was too soon, they stopped all contact. He said: ‘The babies are my flesh and blood and I want a relationship with them.’ Article: 23rd July 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Women using fake tan may have increased risk of infertility

Women who use fake tan may be placing themselves at an increased risk of infertility and other health problems, it has been claimed. A “cocktail” of chemicals in bestselling lotions may pose a risk to a person’s health such as fertility problems, birth defects and even cancer, experts said. Dangerous ingredients can also include hormone-disrupting compounds – which can harm babies – as well as carcinogens including formaldehyde and nitrosamines. The increased use of fake-tan products can also have skin irritants and chemicals linked to allergies, diabetes, obesity and fertility problems. Officials warned that its potentially dangerous effects were thought to be more worrying than for other cosmetics because it is applied over the whole body regularly. The active ingredient in fake tanning products is dihydroxyacetone, which reacts with the amino acids on the skin to turn it brown. When it is sprayed on to the body, it is often inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream. Scientists say it could damage DNA and cause tumours. “It would be prudent to take a precautionary approach to many of these chemicals until their effects are more fully understood,” said Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency. “They may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes and obesity and falling fertility. It’s the cocktail effect.” Elizabeth Salter-Green, of UK charity the Chem Trust, warned: “Many of the chemicals in fake tan are toxic to reproduction and can harm a foetus.” Fake tan sales are worth an estimated £100 million a year and are the fastest-growing area for cosmetic sales. A third of women and one in ten men admit to using the products. Cosmetics manufacturers insisted all ingredients were safe. Dr Chris Flower, director general of the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, told The Sun: “There are stringent EU laws covering the manufacture of cosmetic products.” Article: 23rd July 2012 www.telegraph.co.uk

Should schools be teaching children about infertility?

Shouldn't schools be teaching pupils about infertility, when five children in every class are likely to experience it? For a group of teenagers, Lauren, Fazana, Flora and Mackenzie are remarkably knowledgeable about fertility. Sitting in the library at St Marylebone school in central London, they're explaining what they've learned. These year 10 girls know how common infertility is, how female fertility declines with age and they understand that IVF doesn't always work. The discussion ranges from egg donation and surrogacy through to the dilemmas they know they may face later in life trying to balance careers with the desire for a family; "There's never a time that's exactly the right time to have a baby," they explain. It's something every girl at St Marylebone will cover in their religious studies lessons, where the curriculum covers religious attitudes to family, relationships and family planning, as well as the ethics of fertility treatments. But in some other schools this highly topical issue barely gets a mention. IVF may be covered as a technological advance in science, but infertility isn't part of the sex education curriculum, where the focus is on preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. This may seem sensible when dealing with young people, but the reality is that pupils are far more likely to have a fertility problem in the future than they are to get pregnant while they're still at school. The teenage pregnancy rates for England and Wales are the lowest they've been since the 1960s, but infertility rates are rising; one in six of the population will experience problems getting pregnant – that's about five pupils in each class of 30. Prof Michael Reiss, of the Institute of Education, who founded the journal Sex Education, says infertility isn't covered because it hasn't been seen as a priority. "It's not wilful, but these things are determined by the previous generation's issues. The situation was always portrayed as if everyone wanted to be a parent at 15 or 16, and as if the major job was to stop them doing so or being infected with an STI and that has dominated the discourse. It's just that people don't think about infertility." Jane Knight is a fertility nurse specialist who has been invited in to schools to talk to teenagers about fertility awareness, but her lessons are usually one-off sessions, squeezed in wherever a school feels they may fit. "There is no cohesion when it comes to fertility education in schools, nothing joined up," she says. "I try to give teenagers information in a way that is relevant to them and I talk about protecting fertility. They have learned about IVF, but it's so far removed from where they are at that it's almost irrelevant." Of course, it isn't easy to get teenagers to think years ahead, but there is clearly room for improvement when it comes to fertility awareness. When the sexual health charity FPA investigated young people's knowledge about sex and reproduction, they found widespread confusion, as Rebecca Findlay, of FPA, explains. "Our research revealed many very basic misunderstandings about fertility. It showed that sex and relationships education is letting young people down, and that they are aware of that – just 4% rated the sex education they'd received as excellent." When it comes to fertility, it isn't just young people who are confused. Despite what can seem like a constant stream of media messages about the impact of age and lifestyle on fertility, many people still don't really appreciate that a woman's fertility begins to decline rapidly at 35, or that obesity, eating disorders, smoking and drugs can all affect your chances of having a family. A recent study of undergraduates in the US found that most thought female fertility declined far later than it does and that they overestimated both the chances of getting pregnant after unprotected intercourse and the likelihood of success after fertility treatment. Attempting to redress this balance is something they are taking seriously in Scotland, where plans for a Fertility Education Project are under way, with funding for two part-time workers who will help to raise awareness of infertility among students and the wider community. For those elsewhere in the UK, knowledge about infertility looks set to remain patchy. This has led fertility specialists to call for a change to the school curriculum, as Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer at Sheffield University and chair of the British Fertility Society, explains. "I don't think we do sex education well enough in schools. We don't give people the skills they need for fertility planning. I understand that from the point of view of teenage pregnancy it is essential to focus on contraception, but that is only one side of the coin. We could do so much more for young people – most are very naive when it comes to fertility. I would package it as fertility advice rather than infertility advice, but I do think it should be part of the sex education curriculum." It is in fertility clinics that our failure to get the message across is really felt by those who discover that their chances of getting pregnant are not as good as they had hoped. Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of the charity Infertility Network UK, sees at first hand the distress this can cause. "It is vital that we get information out there so that people make informed choices at the right time in their lives and avoid the heartache infertility can cause," she says. "Of course, not all fertility problems are caused by lifestyle choices, but we do hear from those who would have done things differently if they had known more about how lifestyle choices would affect their chances of having a family." There are sensitivities surrounding the idea of teaching young people that getting pregnant isn't always easy, perhaps due to anxieties that this could water down messages about teenage pregnancy prevention, but Sarah Swan, assistant head at St Marylebone, believes it is important to give their girls the full picture. "You've got to give young people the facts and educate them about the realities to help them make the right decisions. You can't decide not to give them information because you are worried that it might lead to problems." Far from leading to problems, Reiss suggests that giving young people all the facts could bring benefits. "Teaching about infertility in schools wouldn't increase teenage pregnancy rates. In fact, if it was part of a coherent, high-quality sex education programme, I would expect it to lower teenage pregnancy rates." With ever-increasing numbers seeking medical help to conceive, and warnings that infertility rates may rise yet higher, it seems that ensuring our teenagers are properly educated about fertility might not only help to prevent future problems, but could be beneficial in the present. Article: 16th July 2012 www.guardian.co.uk

Elton John and David Furnish want a brother or sister for baby Zachary

Since his son’s birth 18 months ago, Sir Elton John has been the epitome of the proud father. But the flamboyant star, now enjoying life as the parent of a toddler, has admitted it will be ‘heartbreaking’ for Zachary to grow up without a mother. The singer, 65, and his civil partner David Furnish, were delighted when Zachary arrived on Christmas Day 2010. Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John – to give him his full name – was born via surrogate in California and was conceived using a donor egg. Sir Elton and Mr Furnish, 49, have made it no secret that they want to have another child, and may start trying to father a sibling for Zachary this summer. However, in an interview, Sir Elton confessed: ‘It’s going to be heartbreaking for him to grow up and realise he hasn’t got a mummy. But he’s so happy. I’ve never seen a more contented child. ‘And you have never seen two more contented people as David and I.’ Talking about boosting their family, the singer said: ‘I’d love to have more children. ‘I want Zachary to have a brother or a sister to go to school with him, and so that he can have someone to play with.’ Speaking earlier this year, Mr Furnish, a former advertising executive turned filmmaker, said: ‘I would like Zachary to have a sibling.’ Mr Furnish was by Sir Elton’s side as they showed off Zachary at their annual Oscars party in February, when the little boy wore his own monogrammed Yves Saint Laurent jacket and was surrounded by stars. Mr Furnish admitted: ‘I think he would be better with a sibling than on his own. It’s something we talk about all the time. But in terms of when, where and how, nothing’s decided yet. ‘I think we are going to wait till this summer. Our life is always like a treadmill, with Elton constantly working and touring. ‘But when we go away to our house in France, that’s when we sit back and go OK, how is this working, how are you feeling?’ The logistics had clearly been discussed, as Mr Furnish added: ‘We could go back to the same egg donor, so biologically there would certainly be a connection between brother and brother or brother and sister.’ And he confirmed that he and Sir Elton would probably again both donate sperm to fertilise the egg, ‘so we don’t know which one of us is the father’. But the couple may have to seek another surrogate, Mr Furnish said. The unnamed woman who gave birth to Zachary ‘has been a surrogate before but has a life of her own and her own family,’ he added. ‘It’s a big commitment to make – nine months of their life that doesn’t just affect them but their children, their husband, their partner. ‘If we found a surrogate who is half as beautiful as our first, we would be very lucky.’ Meanwhile, Sir Elton admitted during his interview with Matt Lauer on the NBC Today show that he ‘wasted’ much of his life on drugs. The singer also admitted that he felt like the ‘luckiest man in the world’ to survive his drug addiction at a time when people were dying of AIDS. He said: ‘I wasted such a big part of my life, when this epidemic was beginning to happen in the early 1980s. ‘I was a drug addict and self-absorbed. I was having people die right, left, and centre around me, friends. And yet I didn’t stop. I was consumed by cocaine, booze and who knows what else.’ He added: ‘When you take a drug and you take a drink and you mix those two together, you think you’re invincible. I came out of this HIV-negative. I was the luckiest man in the world.’ The interview also discussed when Sir Elton came out as gay, and he recalled a period when ‘people burned my records and radio stations didn’t play me’. Article: 15th July 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk Pride Angel endorses using known egg donors in order for the donor-conceived to be able to know of their 'mother' from an early age. Often this relationship is often purely an understanding of their origins, but can make a big difference to the well-being of the children. To find out more about known egg donors click here.

Mothercare voucher competition winner | Two mums personal journey

When I met Caitlin in January 2010 I couldn’t help but fall for her. She was originally from Scotland and her charm and the way she made me feel so special and the only girl in the world was immense! She already had 2 sons, Brett and Ashton whom she had via a clinic by artificial insemination. This cost her a fortune but she wanted to be a mother so much. We became inseparable and moved in together in March 2010. The boys became like my own, they didn’t get on with Caitlin’s ex and their father was an anonymous donor. They called me mum from months into us all living together. In August 2011 we had our civil ceremony with our closest family and friends...I felt the happiest girl alive! Thinking back I had an extreme urge to have a baby of my own from around October 2011. The feeling was so strong and I told Caitlin that it was time to look at the options available to us. We found the Pride Angel site in December 2011 and spent hours trawling the sperm donors on the site and looking at information about how to do 'home insemination'. Caitlin had always found the insemination at the clinic too 'clinical' so we decided to try ourselves. We found an ideal sperm donor and after a few messages back and forth decided that we really wanted him to help us. I felt uncertain about meeting our potential donor but Caitlin arranged to meet him to find out more. He was a kind, caring and genuine man. His sister had problems conceiving and therefore he wanted to help those people who can’t have children themselves. He told us to let him know as soon as we knew when I was ovulating and we could arrange to meet him for the sperm donation. I bought the deluxe home insemination kit, we did a few tests runs before the big day. I used ovulation sticks to monitor my most fertile days and it was whilst we were away at a family resort (on our last day there luckily!) that we got the smiley face and I was ovulating! We contacted our donor straight away and arranged to collect the sample. That evening we used the speculum, syringe and syringe extenders. We bought a special lubricant which helped the sperm live longer and move quicker. It was so tense at first, we couldn’t quite believe how far we had come since we first met. We managed to relax in the comfort of our own home, surrounded by candles and a few cheeky drinks :) After the insemination I lay with my bottom in the air against the wall for 20 minutes. I climaxed twice, legs still up the wall. (this is advised as gentle contractions in your uterus can help the sperm along into the cervix) The 2 week wait was horrendous. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions... sad, angry, excited, worried... On the day of my due period Caitlin was worried about me, we were both so stressed and just needed to know the outcome. So... we did a test. There was one dark line across the test instantly and we needed a vertical line for a positive. Caitlin wouldn’t let me see it until the full 3 minutes was up! As we uncovered the test after 3 minutes Caitlin had a massive grin across her face. She had snuck a peek just before. There was a line making a cross = positive. We could not believe it. After one attempt we were pregnant!! I screamed my head off and Brett and Ashton rushed in, we told them and tears streamed down their faces. I could barely breathe and couldn’t believe it. The day after we did further tests just to make sure...all positive. I am now 4 weeks pregnant and couldn’t be happier. We are already buying baby stuff and making plans for our new arrival! We would always recommend the Pride Angel insemination kits. We believe the syringe extenders were vital in getting the sperm in exactly the right place. Thank you Pride Angel!! We will keep you updated on the progress of our baby bean. Winning article: by Rachel and Caitlin 15th July 2012

L Fest 2012 - Lesbian Music and Art Festival Shropshire 13th -16th July

It’s L Fest this weekend so why not join in the celebration of live music, lesbian authors, workshops, lesbian cinema, comediennes, games, river cruises, speed dating, family entertainment, camping and more held at West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury, in Shropshire. Music Line-up L Project, Jill Jackson, Horse, Heads Hearts, Barcode Zebra, Neon Choir, Christina Novelli, Eeek, Laura Catlow, Kenelis, Elliots Sleeping, Greymatter, Juey, Nicky Mitchell, Geek Girl, Charlotte Oram, JoanOVarc, Stacey Stockwell, Roses & Pirates, Faye Bagley, Elle Robertson, and Lucy Spraggon. Activities As well as music, there's workshops, comedy, cinema, arts and authors, and also sports, inflatables, climbing wall, archery and riverboat cruises are all on offer. Family/Children’s area Proudly sponsored by Pride Angel. The family and children’s area in situated in the same area as the main stage so the kids don’t need to get bored. There will be an inflatable castle, toys and games to keep the little ones entertained. At L Fest they want everyone to be part of the weekend that’s why they have introduced FREE under 16's tickets :-) The family area will be offering FREE workshops for children! These will be music, creative dance, sports and art a great way for them to get involved in workshops like their mums! Please note that they do not offer a childminding service and parents will be responsible for their children’s safety at all times. Tickets £95 for a weekend ticket. All of the activities are included in the ticket price. Children under 16 can attend for free. Just add a child ticket in the drop down menu when purchasing an adult ticket. To buy tickets, click here. Read more about gay and lesbian parenting at www.prideangel.com

Getting pregnant - Speculum, Supplements and Sperm!

Whilst defrosting the fridge-freezer yesterday, two things occurred to me. I firstly wondered whether my motivation to complete this magnanimous act was rooted hormones. To some extent, yes of course it was to do with the fact the freezer no longer really closed properly, due to the developing foetus of ice across the front of the top drawer. Nevertheless, was there a hint of the nesting mother there? My second reflection was that when I next defrosted the freezer, I might have a child. I remember the last time I set to with the scraper, two and a half years ago when we moved house, and that didn’t seem very long ago at all. But in two and a half years from now, my child could be walking and talking, and that’s a bewildering thought. In the meantime insemination is looming. The charts pile up but the patterns are elusive. A 5am visit to the loo throws leads to wild temperature changes. A friend, staying for six weeks happens to be what I believe is known as a ‘menstrual pace-setter’, and draws all three of us into synchronous menstruation; I have one unusually short cycle followed by an unusually long one. And then we do two Atlantic flights, affecting two cycles – how do you count days when you’re 8 hours out due to the time zone? Identifying an insemination date feels a bit like trying to make an accurate accusation in a game of Cluedo before you’ve fully investigated what Miss Scarlet was up to with the candlestick: how about Miss Inseminee, in the bedroom… with the speculum? On the subject of the speculum, one major advantage of all this charting is I did not recoil with horror on receiving an ‘invitation’ to go for a smear test. Whilst I would still generally prefer not to be naked from the waist down and prodded by a stranger (and I am aware that is something I am going to need to get used to in pregnancy), I’ve realised how these nurses have honed their technique: it’s far more painful when, daily, I insert the thing myself – mirror and torch in hand, as if I’m going on some kind of narcissistic pot-holing adventure. After speculum, the next ‘s’ is supplements. Three times a day I gulp down three capsules: Agnus Castus (to balance hormone levels), a pre-pregnancy multi-vitamin (because pre-pregnant is what I hopefully am) and flax seed oil (there was a reason, buried deep within the immense quantity of literature we’ve read on the subject – I no longer have any conceivable notion what it might have been). I feel like a strange combination of a fertile woman and a geriatric as I fumble to release my dose from the 7-day pill organiser box. I’ve no idea what good these things might be doing but there is definitely a placebo effect of taking 5455% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Thiamin, one of the 35 ingredients that are crammed, incredibly into a tiny – well not exactly tiny – but swallowable capsule. I have no idea what Thiamin is or what it might do, but I already feel slightly dependent on it, and its companions in that little pill. And then there’s insemination itself. There’s a vague plan in my head and it’s all very straightforward. Donor arrives, bit of time alone, hands it over, donor leaves, inseminate. Too easy. Can it really be that simple? To put it rather dramatically, which tends to be my way, semen has wildly opposing properties: fertile, it gives life; infected, it takes it. And I’m going to put the stuff inside me. Probably repeatedly and frustratedly, over the next year or so. Which, I have to admit, makes me feel just a little apprehensive. But sperm and speculum issues aside, what I have realised is, that I’m ready for this. Prepared would be the wrong word. You can defrost the fridge-freezer, paint the nursery and read a parenting manual, but from watching friends who’ve done the baby thing, I don’t think you can ever really be prepared for the biggest change most people will ever experience in their lives. But you can be ready, and after thirty-four years in this world, I think for the first time, ready to get pregnant is what I am. Article: by Lindsey, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom 11th July 2012

Should women be able to have children later in life?

The telegraph has recently reported that women could remain fertile indefinitely, after successful ovarian transplants has lead to births delaying the menopause, doctors have told a conference. A technique to remove pieces of ovary, store it for decades and then replace it with delicate surgery could effectively put a woman's menopause 'on ice', doctors said. The only thing preventing them from having babies into their old age would be their physical ability to carry a pregnancy, they said. The controversial notion would allow career women peace of mind with a fertility insurance policy so they can find a partner, settle down and become financially secure before starting a family. By delaying the menopause they could also avoid the increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease that come with the end of their fertile life but may raise the risk of breast and womb cancer. A conference heard how more than 20 babies have been born worldwide to patients who either had their own ovarian tissue removed before treatment that would have left them infertile, and replaced afterwards, or twins where one donated tissue to the other. Most of the children have been conceived naturally without the need for IVF for drugs. Dr Sherman Silber, an American surgeon, has been involved in transplants for 11 women at St Luke’s Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, US. He said: "A woman born today has a 50 per cent chance of living to 100. That means they are going to be spending half of their lives post-menopause. “But you could have grafts removed as a young woman and then have the first replaced as you approach menopausal age. You could then put a slice back every decade. “Some women might want to go through the menopause, but others might not.” That would mean women would not have to “watch their body clocks”, he said, and would only be physically limited by their ability to carry a baby and give birth. The telegraph undertook a poll to decide ‘Should women be able to have a baby in later life?’ The answers from their readers where as follows: No - the natural body clock exists for a reason and it is not fair on the child. 67.39% (1,833 votes) Yes - there is no reason why mature women would not be excellent mothers. 32.61% (887 votes) Total Votes: 2,720 Article extracts: 9th July 2012 www.telgraph.co.uk

Lesbian to sue government over right to choose her own sperm donor

A woman who wants a baby with her lesbian partner through artificial insemination is suing the government for the right to choose how she will get the sperm. The unidentified woman from California is taking on the Food and Drug Administration, which sets the standards for sperm banks. In a lawsuit, the woman argues she does not want to use a sperm bank as she wants to use the sperm of someone she knows, for free, without having to follow the government's regulations. The FDA sets standards for artificial insemination at sperm banks, such as testing sperm for sexually transmitted diseases. But the woman say the rules are an unconstitutional violation of her rights, as she should be able to start a family with whomever she wishes. 'When you are regulating private decisions between two individuals in a non-commercial context that have to do with something so intimate and personal as whether they want to have a child together, then the FDA regulations should not apply,' her lawyer Amber Abbasi told Fox News Abassi said the woman is in a relationship with another woman and wants a child, but does not want to go to a sperm bank as she wants to know the father. She also wants the child to have a relationship with the father and is concerned about the cost of using a sperm bank. The suit adds she 'does not want to be forced to engage in sexual intercourse with a male partner to conceive a child, even though such a male partner would not be subject to FDA-required screening and testing and other FDA-mandated donor-eligibility requirements'. The FDA rules come from a 1944 law passed by Congress instilling the regulations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The rules were later applied to sperm banks and donors in order to prevent infections. One donor in California is under investigation by the FDA for donating sperm privately, at no cost. Trent Arsenault, 36, has reportedly made 328 semen donations to 46 couples, fathering at least 14 children. His website includes details of his recent tests for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as other health information. 'It is helping people in need,' he told CBS. 'I don't make any money. I don't charge people anything. It's just helping childless couples have children.' Article: 5th July 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Eating avocados can triple chance of IVF success

Eating avocados and dressing salads with olive oil could help women trying to have a baby through IVF, researchers claim. Foods typically eaten as part of the Mediterranean diet may triple the chances of success for women having the fertility treatment. A study found monounsaturated fat – found in olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts and seeds – was better than any other kind of dietary fat for would-be mothers. Those who ate the highest amounts were 3.4 times more likely to have a child after IVF than those who ate the lowest amounts. In contrast, women who ate mostly saturated fat, found in butter and red meat, produced fewer good eggs for use in fertility treatment. US experts behind the study believe monounsaturated fats – which are already known to protect the heart – could improve fertility by lowering inflammation in the body. The study was presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Istanbul. It was carried out at Harvard School of Public Health, funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Study leader Professor Jorge Chavarro said: ‘The best kinds of food to eat are avocados, which have a lot of monounsaturated fat and low levels of other sorts of fat, and olive oil.’ He said the study was small, but the findings merited further investigation. ‘While these results are interesting, this is the first time to our knowledge that dietary fats have been linked to treatment outcome in IVF,’ he said. Prof Chavarro said higher levels of monounsaturated fat were linked to higher live birth rates, which ‘ultimately people are looking for’. The study took place among 147 women having IVF at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. Their intake of different dietary fats was recorded and the outcome of fertility treatment compared between the highest and lowest third of intake in each category. Women eating the highest levels of all types of fat had fewer good eggs available for use in treatment. Prof Chavarro said the link was driven by saturated fat intake, while high levels of polyunsaturated fat consumption produced poorer quality embryos. Higher intakes of monounsaturated fat were linked to a 3.4 times higher live birth rate than those with the lowest intake. For those eating least, monounsaturated fat made up nine per cent of calories in their diet while it comprised a quarter for those eating the most. Prof Chavarro said ‘Different types of fat are known to have different effects on biological processes which may influence the outcome of assisted reproduction - such as underlying levels of inflammation or insulin sensitivity. ‘However, it is not clear at this moment which biological mechanisms underlie the associations we found.’ He said fish remained a source of ‘good’ omega 3 fatty acids, although the study was not able to pin down its contribution. Article: 4th July 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

New Fertility programme, DuoFertility, is now available to American couples to help them get pregnant.

Over two million American couples are having problems getting pregnant.[1] The standard treatment which can help these couples conceive is in-vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF can change lives but can also be very emotionally, physically and financially draining. The DuoFertility programme is a highly effective method to help couples conceive. The programme is totally non-invasive and drug free, yet published studies have shown a pregnancy rate similar to that of a cycle of IVF after just six months of use[2]. It uses a revolutionary sensor to monitor a woman’s body 24 hours a day, indicating the couple’s most fertile days, giving couples the very best chance of getting pregnant. Fertility experts review the data with the couples regularly to provide feedback. Studies have shown that DuoFertility can help 8 out of 10 infertile couples, including half of all those seeking invasive clinical procedures such as IVF2. DuoFertility has helped hundreds of couples get pregnant in Europe. Now that same help is available to American couples for $795. In the US, a single cycle of IVF will cost on average $15,000 to the couple and is rarely covered by health insurance, leaving many American couples struggling to afford fertility treatment. At one-twentieth the cost of a single cycle of IVF, DuoFertility has the potential to help millions of American couples to turn their dreams of a family into reality. To find out if DuoFertility can help you get pregnant, you can use the DuoFertility suitability tool here. You can purchase DuoFertility, which is FDA cleared, from the US on the DuoFertility website or the Pride Angel website. [1] Centers for Disease Control and Preventio (CDC) :http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/fertile.htm [2] Chausiaux et al., “Pregnancy Prognosis in Infertile Couples on the DuoFertility Programme Compared with In Vitro Fertilisation/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection”, European Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2011;6(2):92-4 online PDF: http://bit.ly/IfjFiY Article: 3rd July 2012 www.duofertility.com.us