As an embryologist by training and experience, my focus is usually on the technical aspects of IVF. But when I become aware of unintended consequences arising from high tech reproduction, I am forced to reconsider the status quo of how we provide assisted reproductive services to patients. I have been following a heated discussion regarding [...]

This was originally written for my fellow embryologists and other ART professionals who have to bridge the technology gap between themselves and their patients. As a patient, what other advice do you have for us that could aid communication? (Originally published in the Journal of Clinical Embryology, 2012 Summer Edition). The Embryologist’s Role as Patient [...]

Craig Sweet, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist, recently published a thought provoking article which argues for reducing the minimum recommended age for egg donation from 21 (as ASRM Guidelines recommend) to 18. You can read his entire piece here. He argues persuasively that women of 18 years (and younger) are able to make decisions about their [...]

(Originally published in Journal of Clinical Embryology, Spring 2012) Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a curious blend of medical practice and scientific technical expertise. Unlike much of medical practice, fertility treatment involves not only the patient’s body and physician’s expertise but also the skills of laboratory technicians to produce healthy embryos. As embryologists readily acknowledge, [...]

A recent Huff Post story caught my eye ,”Sperm Donation Lawsuit: Woman Sues FDA Over Sperm Donation Regulations (VIDEO)” . The facts of the story are this: A woman and her female partner desire to have a child together. Obviously, they require sperm to produce a child. They feel that the FDA required sperm-testing regulations [...]

A new study reported at this week’s European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) meeting suggests that fresh embryo transfer may not be in your best interest if you want to maximize your pregnancy chances. Professor Miguel Angel Checa from the Hospital Universitari del Mar in Barcelona, Spain performed a systematic review of  64 [...]

The short answer to the title question is, that Yes!, we are getting considerably closer to achieving therapeutic applications of stem cell technology to replenish ovarian reserve. Dr. Jonathan Tilly and his colleague Dr. Dori Woods recently summarized the dramatic advances in ovarian stem cell technology in their paper “The next  (re) generation of ovarian [...]

In my last Q from U post, I answered a patient’s question about how significant a factor “thin” endometrium was in hindering embryo implantation. As a rule of thumb, the endometrium must regenerate after menses to at least 7mm thickness (in excess of 9 mm is preferred) in order to provide an optimal implantation site [...]