Freezing young men’s sperm might remove worries about them fathering children in later life, but do we really want the state routinely meddling in conception?
Recent research into the health effects of the plastic-making chemicals phthalates has reignited concerns about low sperm counts. But the evidence is far from conclusive.
Many Australians may not be as lucky with their IVF treatment as joyful new mum Sonia Kruger.
Nine Network/AAP
From “Joyful new mum Sonia Kruger” to the “back-to-front love story” of sperm donor romance, IVF patients across the country are being told their fairy tale ending is just an embryo transfer away.
There’s a sense that people who want to be child-free are somehow draft-dodging the duty of parenthood – we’ve done it and suffered, so why haven’t you?
Hanna Nikkanen/Flickr
Aneuploidy – when a cell has an irregular number of chromosomes – is a major cause of pregnancy loss. Scientists may have uncovered a gene that increases the risk of aneuploidy.
Women diagnosed with PCOS often will have good outcomes with diet and lifestyle changes.
Hey Paul Studios/Flickr
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition that disrupts ovulation and the menstrual cycle. It’s the most common female hormonal condition, affecting roughly one in 12 Australian women. Women…
‘Steam douche’ advocate. More like hot air.
Erprofe
Gwyneth Paltrow stirred up an interesting discussion with her latest recommendation for the spa fan: the Mugworth V-Steam. As she put it: “You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination…
The tsunami devastated the beaches of Aceh in Indonesia, but children now play on them once more.
EPA/Hotli Simanjuntak
How does the death of a child affect parents’ subsequent fertility? On a population scale this has been difficult to answer, but it has fundamental implications for understanding population dynamics across…
Freeze your eggs or free your career?
Woman via g-stockstudio/Shutterstock
The shift towards late motherhood – commonly defined as motherhood after 35 – is often presented as a story of progress and technological liberation from the biological clock. The narrative goes something…
Observers may be quick to declare social trends “good” or “bad” for families, but such conclusions are rarely justified. What’s good for one family – or group of families – may be bad for another. And…
I’ll have a clean cage with a side of fertility issues.
Mouse image via www.shutterstock.com
Mice possess a notable talent: they are excellent at making more mice. Their ability to reproduce at a breakneck pace is one reason they are often used as experimental research subjects. Thus, when Dr…
By 2100 there could be 11 billion people on Earth, but there’s no quick way to slow growth.
James Cridland/Flickr
The rise in population since 1900 has been so rapid that up to 14% of all humans that have ever lived are still alive today, according to recent research. Other research shows that slowing population growth…
Germany and the rest of Europe are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the associated communist regimes in Eastern Europe. This event had colossal repercussions in the…
For couples trying to conceive, the chance of this happening within a year depends on their age. The monthly chance of pregnancy for couples where the woman is 35 years or younger is about 20% and 80-90…
Everyone’s favourite property expert and house hunter extraordinaire, Kirstie Allsopp, raised some eyebrows when she recently suggested that women’s fertility “falls off a cliff” when they hit 35. Her…
Sending out the wrong signal.
Mobile phone by Shutterstock
A new study has claimed that keeping mobile phones in trouser pockets can damage a man’s sperm count, affecting his chances of becoming a father. While the possibility that mobile phone radiation could…
Anthropologue et démographe, professeur émérite au Muséum national d’histoire naturelle et conseiller de la direction de l'INED, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN)
Director Nurture Fertility, The Fertility Parnership and Reader/Associate Professor in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham