Lack of sleep affects male fertility by lowering sperm count

We know that sleep issues can take a toll on a man's sex life, but now a new study shows another sex-related reason to get enough Zzzs. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, shows an association between sleep disturbances and decreased sperm count. Specifically, Danish researchers found that the men in the study who reported the most sleep disturbances had a 29 percent lower concentration of sperm in their semen, as well as a higher likelihood of having "fewer morphologically normal spermatozoa," compared with men who had lower scores on a sleep disturbance questionnaire. The findings are based on semen and blood samples, as well as sleep disturbance questionnaire results, from 953 young men from Denmark who were being recruited for the military from 2008 to 2011. "This study adds another suspect to the list of factors possibly influencing male fecundity potential, which also includes (being) overweight, exposure to tobacco smoke, exposure to pollutants," Dr. Remy Slama, who is a fertility expert at France's Joseph Fourier University, told The Telegraph. And poor sleep doesn't just affect men's fertility -- HuffPost blogger Dr. Michael Breus notes that sleep can also have an impact on women's fertility by affecting levels of ovulation-regulating hormones. Article: 29th April 2013 www.huffingtonpost.com

Oxford Pride - Saturday 8th June 2013

11th Annual OXFORD PRIDE takes place on Saturday 8th of June 2013 from 12pm to 8pm, at Oxpens Field, next to the Ice Rink Oxpens Road, Oxford, OX1 1RX . The Event features Live non stop Entertainment on two stages , great food, a Licensed Bar, Climbing Wall, VIP Area, Inflatable Amusements and much more for the whole family to enjoy. The event is glass free so help support Pride and buy cheap drinks from Pride Bar. Join us at the Parade which starts at 12noon from Ship Street though the centre of Oxford to the Oxpens Recreation Ground. In keeping with our theme this year “not their yet” we are celebrating the progress the LGBT community has made towards equality while admitting there’s still a way to go; We are supporting the work of LGBT charities: Peter Tatchell Foundation, Albert Kennedy Trust and Oxford Friend This year we are offering you the chance to go VIP, there is limited availability of 200 wristbands for sale at £15 each online or £17 each on the day (subject to availability). More Further details visit: www.oxford-pride.org.uk Article: 27th April 2013 Read more about gay parenting at www.prideangel.com

Women risk surrogacy exploitation due to lack of legislation

Consultant obstetricians who reviewed current practice in UK hospitals said the lack of rules put mothers and children at risk. Celia Burrell, consultant obstetrician at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust said: “We are calling for additional legislation and guidelines to prevent women and babies being exploited, provide safeguards for children and guide professionals. The review published in the The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist said that staff should consult hospital lawyers and risk management teams before taking a decision to discharge a baby separately from the mother who gave birth to the child. Researchers said they expected the number to increase, following laws introduced in 2010 which give same sex and unmarried couples the same legal rights as married hetrosexual couples to apply for parental orders, after a child is born. Dr Burrell said current laws were “precarious”, because legislation varies so much around the world. Last month, a new precedent was set in the Republic of Ireland when the genetic mother was put on the child’s birth certificate. In 2011, a surrogate mother in the UK won the legal right to keep her child after learning that the would-be parents were violent. In March, a surrogate mother in the United States fled across the country to give birth and save her child after the parents to be wanted to have the child aborted because disabilities had been found. Researchers said there are currently no UK guidelines providing advice for surrogates, would-be parents or healthcare professionals, nor is data collected to establish how common the practice is. Researchers said the lack of guidance left healthcare professionals struggling with many ethical and legal dilemmas. Since Britain’s first official surrogate birth, in 1985, laws have limited payments to cover only what is described as “reasonable expenses”, such as loss of income. Estimates suggest that, since then about 800 children have been born in this country of such arrangements, with “expenses” payments averaging about £15,000. Exact figures are unknown, because many arrangements proceed without any medical or legal input. In 2011, a British judge allowed a couple to keep their child, despite the fact that they made higher payments to a couple in the United States, where there is no ceiling on amounts. In making the ruling, he went further, saying that the welfare of the child was the paramount consideration, and future cases would be rejected only in the “clearest case of the abuse of public policy”. Article: 19th April 2013 www.telegraph.co.uk Read more about surrogacy at www.prideangel.com

Ontario sperm donor and lesbian couple in dispute, settle out of court

A sperm donor and lesbian couple from Ontario Canada who have been fighting over custody of their two year old son, have suddenly settled their case, after months of litigation and shortly before a scheduled trial. The man had signed an agreement that he would have nothing to do with his genetic offspring. But he had second thoughts after the baby was born, felt the biological mother had reneged on her part of their deal and asked the courts to recognize him as the father, providing liberal access. The suit, whose parties cannot be named under the terms of a publication ban, has now been effectively withdrawn. ‘It is always better for litigants to come to a resolution on their own’ “This is certainly the right outcome for this loving, bonded and stable family,” Michelle Flowerday, the couple’s lawyer, said in an emailed statement. “It is always better for litigants to come to a resolution on their own, as opposed to having one imposed upon them by the court.” The fact that the courts will not rule on the dispute, however, leaves a gap in the law in Ontario and other provinces, she said. There is a growing national movement to make clear that donating sperm does not equate to being a parent, but only B.C., Alberta and Quebec have enshrined the idea in their legislation, said Ms. Flowerday. The donor and his lawyer could not be reached for comment. Growing numbers of children are being born in Canada as a result of in-vitro fertilization and other forms of “assisted” reproduction. When donations are obtained anonymously from sperm banks, and in the few provinces with laws that directly address the issue, parenthood is generally uncontested. Where couples and single people make arrangements with sperm donors they know, however, the rights of the various parties remain largely unresolved. The northern Ontario dispute boasted the most clear-cut set of facts of any to reach the courts, making it an ideal legal testing ground. A trial was scheduled for this summer. The donor was a high-school acquaintance of the biological mother, and initially agreed to bear a child for him, as well, if he agreed to provide his sperm. The actual agreement he signed, though, did not mention that part of their arrangement. He went to court after the boy was born, saying that he had felt pressured by the mother and that she now appeared unwilling to have a baby for him. But then, at a meeting last week, the parties agreed to a declaration that the two women are the child’s parents and the donor is not his father, according to an order issued by Justice Gregory Ellies of the Ontario Superior Court. ‘I don’t think anybody wants to be a test case’ The document also includes a restraining order preventing him from having contact with the child or the two women. In exchange, though, he and his parents have the right to one meeting of at least an hour in a public place, with an agreed-upon third party observing. The donor and his parents “may not initiate physical contact” with the boy, and cannot take photographs or video. As well, the man and his parents are barred from identifying themselves as the child’s father or grandparents, said the order. “I don’t think anybody wants to be a test case,” noted Fiona Kelly, a University of British Columbia law professor who studies the field, about the settlement. The lack of a ruling, however, means continued ambiguity in the majority of provinces that lack laws like one recently enacted in B.C., she said. That legislation says being a sperm donor does not in itself make someone a father. Article: 13th April 2013 www.news.nationalpost.com Read more about using a known sperm donor in the UK at www.prideangel.com

HFEA to give guidance to fertility clinics about surrogacy

New guidance may help clarify surrogacy: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has voted to update the guidance it gives to UK fertility clinics on surrogacy. The new Code of Practice will: - clarify what UK clinics should say to surrogacy patients, and - update clinic procedures and forms for surrogacy. The HFEA voted to make these changes (following advice from NatalieGambleAssociates and its own lawyers) at its meeting on 20 March 2013 and will now undergo a period of consultation on the practicalities, before the new Code of Practice is introduced on 1 October 2013. This includes a workshop for clinics and professionals practising in surrogacy, to be held at the HFEA on 30 April 2013. NatalieGambleAssociates congratulate the HFEA on a very sensible decision, which will mean clearer guidance for parents and clinics dealing with increasing numbers of surrogacy cases. In particular, it will be made clear that where a surrogate is unmarried, one of the intended parents (whether gay or straight, and whether or not a biological parent) can be named on the child’s initial birth certificate together with the surrogate. This approach will make the HFEA’s guidance entirely consistent with longstanding practice at register offices and in the family courts. You can find out more about the HFEA meeting on 20 March here, and more about surrogacy law. Article: April 2013 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

HFEA to give guidance to fertility clinics about surrogacy

New guidance may help clarify surrogacy: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has voted to update the guidance it gives to UK fertility clinics on surrogacy. The new Code of Practice will: - clarify what UK clinics should say to surrogacy patients, and - update clinic procedures and forms for surrogacy. The HFEA voted to make these changes (following advice from NatalieGambleAssociates and its own lawyers) at its meeting on 20 March 2013 and will now undergo a period of consultation on the practicalities, before the new Code of Practice is introduced on 1 October 2013. This includes a workshop for clinics and professionals practising in surrogacy, to be held at the HFEA on 30 April 2013. NatalieGambleAssociates congratulate the HFEA on a very sensible decision, which will mean clearer guidance for parents and clinics dealing with increasing numbers of surrogacy cases. In particular, it will be made clear that where a surrogate is unmarried, one of the intended parents (whether gay or straight, and whether or not a biological parent) can be named on the child’s initial birth certificate together with the surrogate. This approach will make the HFEA’s guidance entirely consistent with longstanding practice at register offices and in the family courts. You can find out more about the HFEA meeting on 20 March here, and more about surrogacy law. Article: April 2013 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

HFEA to give guidance to fertility clinics about surrogacy

New guidance may help clarify surrogacy: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has voted to update the guidance it gives to UK fertility clinics on surrogacy. The new Code of Practice will: - clarify what UK clinics should say to surrogacy patients, and - update clinic procedures and forms for surrogacy. The HFEA voted to make these changes (following advice from NatalieGambleAssociates and its own lawyers) at its meeting on 20 March 2013 and will now undergo a period of consultation on the practicalities, before the new Code of Practice is introduced on 1 October 2013. This includes a workshop for clinics and professionals practising in surrogacy, to be held at the HFEA on 30 April 2013. NatalieGambleAssociates congratulate the HFEA on a very sensible decision, which will mean clearer guidance for parents and clinics dealing with increasing numbers of surrogacy cases. In particular, it will be made clear that where a surrogate is unmarried, one of the intended parents (whether gay or straight, and whether or not a biological parent) can be named on the child’s initial birth certificate together with the surrogate. This approach will make the HFEA’s guidance entirely consistent with longstanding practice at register offices and in the family courts. You can find out more about the HFEA meeting on 20 March here, and more about surrogacy law. Article: April 2013 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

HFEA to give guidance to fertility clinics about surrogacy

New guidance may help clarify surrogacy: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has voted to update the guidance it gives to UK fertility clinics on surrogacy. The new Code of Practice will: - clarify what UK clinics should say to surrogacy patients, and - update clinic procedures and forms for surrogacy. The HFEA voted to make these changes (following advice from NatalieGambleAssociates and its own lawyers) at its meeting on 20 March 2013 and will now undergo a period of consultation on the practicalities, before the new Code of Practice is introduced on 1 October 2013. This includes a workshop for clinics and professionals practising in surrogacy, to be held at the HFEA on 30 April 2013. NatalieGambleAssociates congratulate the HFEA on a very sensible decision, which will mean clearer guidance for parents and clinics dealing with increasing numbers of surrogacy cases. In particular, it will be made clear that where a surrogate is unmarried, one of the intended parents (whether gay or straight, and whether or not a biological parent) can be named on the child’s initial birth certificate together with the surrogate. This approach will make the HFEA’s guidance entirely consistent with longstanding practice at register offices and in the family courts. You can find out more about the HFEA meeting on 20 March here, and more about surrogacy law. Article: April 2013 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

Men who wear kilts are more fertile and have better sperm

In addition to this, there has been a remarkable decline in fertility rates across the industrialised world. Although the reasons for this are many and complex, it is thought that a reduction in sperm quality has played a role. It is not fully understood why sperm quality is deteriorating but changes in lifestyle and increased pollution have been suggested as possible factors. But, the new research, published in the Scottish Medical Journal, could provide men with a solution to their poor quality sperm. It said that since the 80s scientists have linked tight-fitting underwear to impaired male fertility. This was proven in 1990 when experts were able to show that tight pants increased the temperature deep inside the testicles. They also found that the tightness had more of an effect than the style of the underwear. Experts say that tight-fitting pants are partly responsible for declining fertility On average, wearing tight undergarments increased the temperature of the air surrounding the testicles by 3.5 degrees celcius. For these reasons air exchange around the testicles should be promoted. Dr Erwin Kompanje, who wrote the review, said: ‘Kilt wearing likely produces an ideal physiological scrotal environment , which in turn helps maintain normal scrotal temperature, which is known to be beneficial for robust spermotaogenesis (sperm production) and good sperm quality’. He added that a recent study found that there are even more serious effects of not airing a man's groin. Not only did it slow production, but it caused the testicles to produce substandard sperm which could not swim to fertilise the egg and produce normal embryos. The study said: It seems plausible that men should wear skirts and avoid trousers, at least during the period during which they plan to conceive children.’ The Scottish kilt is a male garment that resembles a knee-length skirt. Depictions of men wearing the kilt date back to the 17th century. Nowadays it tends only to be worn for special occasions. However, the study said that there are moves to reintroduce the kilt as a casual form of clothing, even outside of Scotland. The study added that wearing a kilt provides strong psychological benefits too as ‘it will get you noticed no matter where you are’. It said: 'Research has shown that wearing a kilt gives a man a strong sense of masculinity and freedom. Many women are attracted to men in kilts.' It added: ‘It also gives a man a sensuous awareness of his body’. However despite the research pointing to Scottish men being more fertile than most, statistical data has in fact shown that sperm quality is declining in Scotland. Recent data has also shown that Scotland falls many European countries with the rest of the United Kingdom, Belgium and Scandinavia outperforming them. According to Eurostat, who complied the data, Iceland is the most fertile county in Europe while Slovakia is the least. Article: 18th April 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

Men and women who donated are encouraged to reveal their identity

Men and women who donated their sperm or egg cells anonymously should consider revealing their identity to their biological children, a study into the ethics of donor conception has recommended. All children born as a result of donor conception after 2005, when the law on anonymity was changed, already have the right to know the name of their biological mother or father when they reach the age of 18. And a panel of experts has concluded that donor-conceived children born prior to 2005 should also be allowed to know who their donor parents are. A report by the independent Nuffield Council on Bioethics says that donors should be told that they can re-register their details with the Donor Conceived Register. There should be no compunction on donors to come forward but it is in the spirit of more openness, with parents encouraged to tell their children if they were the result of donor conception, said Rhona Knight, who chaired the Nuffield inquiry. “In recent years there has been a culture shift. Advice from professionals has gone from the extreme of never telling, to always telling,” Dr Knight said. It is usually better for children to be told by their parents about their donor conception and if parents do decide to tell them then earlier is better.” Article: 17th April 2013 www.independent.co.uk Read more about known sperm and egg donation at www.prideangel.com

Children of gay families can help win the fight for gay marriage

Braiden Neubecker was sitting on the bed and her dad was shaving at the sink as the president made his historic remarks about gay marriage during his second inaugural address. President Barack Obama talked about "our gay brothers and sisters," and declared "if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well." In the kitchen after the address with her dads, David and Lee Neubecker, Braiden, who is 10, had a question. "Aren't you guys married?" she asked, confused. Her dads, in fact, were married -- in a service in California, but the marriage was nullified in 2004 after the state's Supreme Court declared all marriages performed from February to March that year invalid. "I don't think she realized before that gays and lesbians couldn't marry," David Neubecker recalled in a recent phone interview with his daughter and The Huffington Post. "I got upset," she agreed, singing into the phone, "everybody should be treated equally." Plus, she continued to her father, "it's safer to be married because when you guys aren't married it's easier to break up and split apart." Braiden is now one of a number of children, many of them raised by gay or lesbian parents, who have stepped into the spotlight to directly address the courts and public as part of a debate in which they have long been central figures, but have rarely taken part. A week after Obama's address the Neubeckers started talking again about the speech and the laws that prevented Braiden's dads, who live in a suburb of Chicago, from getting married. Braiden had so much to say that David encouraged her to get out her journal and write it down. A couple of drafts later, a letter written by Braiden was included in an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in time for the court's two landmark cases on gay marriage in March. The amicus brief was from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), meant to show how the families of same-sex parents are affected when they are not allowed to marry. For decades, those opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage have argued that they might somehow harm the children same-sex couples raise or adopt. In court in March, Justice Antonin Scalia, arguably the court member most staunchly opposed to gay rights, offered "one concrete thing" about legalizing same-sex marriage that could harm society. "If you redefine marriage to include same-sex couples … you must permit adoption by same-sex couples," he said in the hearing to determine whether Proposition 8, California's law banning same-sex marriage, was constitutional. "And there's considerable disagreement among … sociologists as to what the consequences of raising a child in a … single-sex family, whether that is harmful to the child or not." But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg pointed out that California gay couples already can legally adopt children. Sociologists, child welfare experts and pediatricians have argued that those raised by same-sex couples do just as well as their counterparts raised in heterosexual households. "Its very surprising in many ways how uniform he results of the research have been," said Charlotte J. Patterson, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, who has been researching child development in same-sex households for more than 20 years. "What we've found is that what's important is not the sexual orientation of the parents but rather the resources the parents can offer the kids and the quality of relationships with their children, and of course that's true for gay and straight parents." Read more... Article: 13th April 2013 www.huffingtonpost.com

Choosing your sperm donor as a lesbian couple

For some couples the decision is easy, and the choice of a donor obvious, for others knowing your own standpoint on this or agreeing with your partner is harder. For some couples basic characteristics such as height, hair and eye colour are essential. For some couples meeting the donor in person is a very important step in being able to decide for the right donor or even co-parent. For some couples the wish for involvement from the donor is critical and the level of wanted involvement also varies greatly among couples. Common for all British lesbian couples though, is that the donor cannot be completely anonymous, as law prohibits this. The law from April 2005 was enforced, because it was believed that every child has a right to know its genetic background. How this influences couples' choices of a donor, is what greatly interests me. Looking for couples to interview My name is Siff Groth and my own thoughts on starting a family with my partner, has made me passionate about working with this subject in an academic way. I am a Danish student of Social Anthropology, and am currently in Brighton to do a five month long fieldwork, ending by the end of June. I meet with lesbian parents and parents-to-be and listen to their stories and hereby learn about how couples start their family and decide on the right donor for them. If you and your partner are in the process of choosing a donor or have already had your child, if you are located in the Sussex area, UK, and would like to share with me your experiences, it will be very much appreciated and I will look forward to listen your story! Feel free to contact me at frk.groth@gmail.com, also for any questions regarding the study. Article: 13th April 2013 by Sith, Student of Anthropology Find your sperm donor at www.prideangel.com

Gay couple from Israel start YouTube plea to help create family

A gay couple in Israel have started a campaign, asking for help to start a family after spending their entire savings on several failed surrogacy and adoption attempts, as Israel forbids surrogacy for gay couples. The gay mobile app Grindr has pledged a weeks worth of revenue towards the couple’s campaign, through its charitable arm Grindr for Equality. The couple are now seeking to find a surrogate in the US. As well as donating revenue to Grindr for Equality, the app will also feature an advert which will encourages others to donate money towards the efforts of couple Yuval and Liran. The couple posted the YouTube video asking for help after several failed attempts at surrogacy abroad, and after being declined for adoption through several channels. In the video they say they feel “castrated” by the law in Israel which does not allow surrogacy for gay couples, and tell their story about spending their entire savings, over $120,000 (£78,000) on the attempts. Their campaign asks supporters to post photographs of themselves with the message: “We want them to have a baby too”. Joan Rivers is among those who have already shown support for the campaign. Grindr will donate a week’s worth of revenue made from the sale of its paid version Grindr Xtra, towards the campaign. Joel Simkhai, CEO and founder of Grindr said: “I read about Yuval and Liran’s emotional personal story and was impressed by their creativity in pursuing their dream of fatherhood, and their persistence, recruiting international celebrities such as Joan Rivers, to help raise awareness that in so many parts of the world the joy of parenthood and other aspects of family are still not available to gays who are not equals in the eye of the law. Yuval and Liran are now pursuing surrogacy in America, aided by the LGBT Jewish organisation A Wider Bridge Article: 10th April 2013 www.pinknews.co.uk Read more about gay parenting at www.prideangel.com

Untreated STIs are a cause of infertility and put unborn babies at risk

In recent years, the UK has seen a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The Health Protection Agency (HPA) states that gonorrhoea infections have increased by almost 25% between 2010 - 2011, with syphilis and herpes increasing by 10% and 4.6% respectively. However, many cases of STIs remain undiagnosed and untreated, and can have a devastating effect on general health and fertility. Long-term untreated STIs are one of the main causes of infertility in young and otherwise healthy women. Infections such as Chlamydia can cause irreversible damage to the fallopian tubes, affecting the ability to conceive and increasing the risk of miscarriage. Some STIs increase the risk of premature birth or even stillbirth for expectant mothers; others can infect the baby during childbirth. But it isn’t just women who can be affected: the motility and viability of sperm is significantly reduced in men with STIs such as Chlamydia or trichomoniasis. It is therefore vital to seek STI testing if you plan to start a family, or for those planning to be a donor to help others conceive (sperm donors in particular should be screened for a range of STIs). With recent advances in diagnostic technology, accurate and reliable testing for various conditions can be performed in the privacy of your own home, without visiting a specialist. With this in mind, Randox Laboratories Ltd, a leading UK clinical diagnostics company, have developed Confidante®: a home use STI test which can simultaneously detect 10 of the most common STIs, including Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. (Available both online and in selected pharmacies) When both donors and parents-to-be perform a comprehensive STI test pre-conception, they can be sure that they have the best chance of a healthy, happy pregnancy, without the risk of infection to themselves or the unborn child, and give their baby the best possible start in life. Article: 9th April 2012 www.confidantetest.com

Bobby talks about wanting to become a dad at Building Families Show

TOWIE Celebrity, Bobby Cole Norris who is openly gay, staring in Reality show ‘The only way is Essex’, spoke about his desire to become a dad at yesterday’s Building Families Show, The Hilton, London. Bobby has confessed: "I've been doing a little bit of thinking and pondering and realised that I want to start a family. "I've always wanted to be a dad and I've realised now that it is an option and there is a way around it." Bobby adds: "I'm never going to find a wife, but I can find a surrogate, so I'm just looking for the right egg donor at the moment. "I'm gonna take the right person with me and go and have a good chat at the clinic." Chantelle Houghton from TOWIE recently bit back at Bobby’s comment that he wanted a ‘gaybe’ as he calls it, saying "I'm not against gay men being fathers, but it sounds to me that he wants a new accessory rather than a baby that needs love and attention 24/7." Bobby didn't take too kindly to those comments, and took to Twitter to hit back at mum-of-one Chantelle. He tweeted: "Hugely disappointed with @chantellehought comments in @new_magazine this week #judgemental." Bobby also wrote: "I do not "want a new accessory", there is a major difference between wanting to be a parent and wanting a new bag #ridiculous." The Building Families Show brought together the world’s leading IVF & Surrogacy specialists, including the leading parenting connection website Pride Angel which has over 21,000 members including egg donors, sperm donor and co-parents from around the world. Erika co-founder of Pride Angel, and daughter Emily who is a huge fan of Bobby was delighted to be photographed with the TOWIE star. Article: 7th April 2013 Pride Angel

First lesbian mum in UK Janis Hetherington, has very convensional son

Ask Janis Hetherington what kind of mother she is and she replies, without hesitation, ‘unconventional’. 'I’m not a “mummy” person at all,’ she says. ‘But I’m a brilliant father. I had to be both, so parenthood was quite schizophrenic in lots of ways.’ In 1972, Janis, now 66, made history as the first British lesbian to have a child by artificial insemination using sperm from a donor. Her son Nick, 41, now a happily married screenwriter living in New York, has the unique distinction of being the first child in this country to grow up with same-sex parents — a revolutionary concept at the time of his birth in 1972. Born into a family which consisted of his mother Janis and her partner Judy, who had a young daughter of her own, Nick was nine months old when Judy died of a heart attack, aged 30. He was two when Janis met her current partner, Barbara, who became his second ‘Mum’. Today, same-sex parenting is more or less accepted in Western society, but for Janis and Nick it was a sometimes difficult experience, and it is only now they feel comfortable enough to acknowledge the fault lines in their relationship. Janis says: ‘It felt wonderful to be a pioneer, but I was incredibly lonely because I was the first. People who opposed what I was doing waited for me to fail, so perhaps I was unable to enjoy motherhood in the way I might have liked. ‘Knowing what I know now, though, I would still have gone ahead with it.’ Dressed in a waistcoat and suit, her grey hair scraped back into a bun, Janis could easily pass for a country gent as she stokes the log fire in her 17th-century Oxfordshire house. In the kitchen, however, her feminine side flourishes. A brilliant cook, she shares recipes and doles out home-made chutney. The overall impression is of intellectualism underpinned by a vulnerability borne from a lifetime of being judged — not only by those morally opposed to her choices, but by her own son. Today, Janis and Nick agree they share ‘an amazing bond’ — but it wasn’t always so. As an angry young man, he found her wanting. When Nick first moved to America 20 years ago, he didn’t speak to Janis for two years because their relationship was so strained. It took ten years for them to mend fences. By comparison with his childhood, his adult life looks conventional. He married Soo Kim, 42, a TV producer, in the Caribbean two years ago, and they hope to have a child soon. Read more.... Article: 5th March 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

Canadians uninformed about their fertility may become childless

The majority of Canadian men and women are so uninformed about their own fertility they could wind up childless, according to a new poll from the University of British Columbia. More than 90 per cent of respondents in the National Fertility Awareness survey incorrectly believed or were uncertain whether in vitro fertilization could help a woman have a baby with her own eggs right until she hits menopause. In reality, less than two per cent of IVF procedures are successful for women in their mid-late 40s using their own eggs. This and other common misconceptions are what led UBC counseling psychology professor Judith Daniluk to launch a new website debunking myths and helping adults make educated choices. “The concerning part is more people are ending up childless by default, because when they delay and they get to the point where they start to pursue treatment, treatment can’t compensate for age-related declines,” Daniluk said. “We don’t want you to get blindsided.” Only 51 per cent of women and 66 per cent of men surveyed understood that a woman’s eggs are as old as she is, and just 41 per cent of men and 43 per cent of women realized that a man’s age is also an important factor in a couple’s chances of becoming pregnant. “There’s starting to become some evidence that men who are fathering children into their late 40s and 50s and 60s, that those kids have higher incidents of learning disabilities, autism, potential schizophrenia, some forms of cancer,” Daniluk said. Another major misconception was that overall health and fitness levels are better indicators of fertility than age. Wrong again, Daniluk said. The mistaken beliefs probably have a lot to do with Hollywood, she added, where healthy-looking stars are frequently seen sporting baby bumps well into their 40s. Daniluk said what the public doesn’t realize is that many of them are likely using the eggs of a much younger woman. Whatever the cause, this misinformation appears to be having real-world impacts on families’ choices; according to Statistics Canada, the average age of women giving birth to their first child has risen from 25-29 in 1991 all the way to 30-34 today. Read more... Article: 1st April 2013 www.bc.ctvnews.ca Read more about fertility and finding a sperm or egg donor at www.prideangel.com