Human embryo research touches upon strongly felt moral convictions, and it raises such deep questions about the promise and perils of scientific progress that debate over its development has become a moral and political imperative. From in vitro fertilization to embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and gene editing, Americans have repeatedly struggled with how to define the moral status of the human embryo, whether to limit its experimental uses, and how to contend with sharply divided public moral perspectives on governing science. Experiments in Democracy presents a history of American debates over human embryo research from the late 1960s to the present, exploring their crucial role in shaping norms, practices, and institutions of deliberation governing the ethical challenges of modern bioscience. J. Benjamin Hurlbut details how scientists, bioethicists, policymakers, and other public figures have attempted to answer a question of great consequence: how should the public reason about aspects of science and technology that effect fundamental dimensions of human life? Through a study of one of the most significant science policy controversies in the history of the United States, Experiments in Democracy paints a portrait of the complex relationship between science and democracy, and of U.S. society's evolving approaches to evaluating and governing science's most challenging breakthroughs.

This book aims to address a number of controversies concerning the use of testosterone treatment. It explains topics that clinicians regularly encounter such as whether to use free or total testosterone in the evaluation of the patient with testosterone deficiency; what factors actually impact testosterone levels, polycythemia, gynecomastia, bone density, and hyperprolactinemia in the testosterone deficient patient; critical analysis of the numerous questionnaires that are available to clinicians; and the impact of testosterone therapy on male fertility, cardiovascular disease, and prostate events including prostate cancer. Guiding the reader in both evaluation and management, the book also illuminates novel concepts in the T space such as testosterone use in the transgender population, T therapy as an endothelial modulator, bipolar testosterone therapy in the patient with advanced prostate cancer, and testosterone therapy as a performance enhancer. Controversies in Testosterone Deficiency is intended for any clinician involved in the care of patients with testosterone deficiency, exploring hot topics and correcting existent misinformation in the routine care of patients.

This text will provide doctors both in training and in practice with useful advice on managing women and men who are having trouble conceiving and couples with infertility and related disorders. Its combination of scientific information and practical advice for tackling problematic cases make this an accessible handy reference in outpatient clinics or in revision for professional exams, as well as a fully referenced information resource. Contents: Glossary of terms * Problems with puberty and its onset * Understanding infertility * Investigations in infertility * Influencing the sperm count * Helping women to ovulate * Damage to the uterus, the fallopian tubes and the ovaries * What to do if nothing wrong can be found and how to answer when a couple asks 'what can we do to improve our fertility?' *Assisted conception * Preserving fertility * Global perspectives on reproductive medicine * Reproductive biology in one other great ape (the gorilla) * Research questions still unanswered - And further reading

This volume focuses on endometriosis from its pathogenesis and the importance of the early diagnosis to treatment, throughout all aspects of femininity that this disease affects, impacting health and quality of life. It also covers treatment strategies for the pain and for the disease management according to the age and needs of the patient, from adolescence to menopause, passing through the fertile age and the consequences that this disease can have on fertility and pregnancy. This book is a useful, clear and up-to-date tool for gynecologists, gynecological surgeons, reproductive medicine and general practitioners and is an important source of information to face this more and more frequent and devastating disease.

This volume focuses on endometriosis from its pathogenesis and the importance of the early diagnosis to treatment, throughout all aspects of femininity that this disease affects, impacting health and quality of life. It also covers treatment strategies for the pain and for the disease management according to the age and needs of the patient, from adolescence to menopause, passing through the fertile age and the consequences that this disease can have on fertility and pregnancy. This book is a useful, clear and up-to-date tool for gynecologists, gynecological surgeons, reproductive medicine and general practitioners and is an important source of information to face this more and more frequent and devastating disease.

This book brings together the most up-to-date information about the physiology of progestogens. Addressing the bidirectional communication between hormones, fertility, tumors, and autoimmunity, it provides the basic science and clinical perspectives of progestogens which have not been previously available in one volume. In addition to estrogens, androgens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, progestogens are a major class of steroid hormone. While present in certain phases of estrous and menstrual cycles, progestogens are named for their function in maintaining pregnancy. This book is essentially practical in orientation, addressing the specific issues that confront the practitioner, and provides information to Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Reproductive endocrinologists, as well as Gynecological Oncologists and Rheumatologists. Contributions are from an international team of experts in the field, now completely updated in this new edition with new developments in primary dysmenorrhea and contraception.

Reproductive health care professionals in fields such as Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics face difficult ethical issues because they work at the crossroads of patient decision-making, scientific advancement, political controversy, legal regulation, and profound moral considerations. The dilemmas these professionals face expose big-picture bioethics questions of interest to everyone. Yet for clinicians striving to deliver excellent patient care, the ethical questions that make daily practice challenging can be just as nuanced. This volume presents a carefully curated compilation of essays written by leading experts in the fields of medicine, ethics, and law, who address key issues at the forefront of reproductive ethics. It is organized into three main sections: I. Contraception and Abortion Ethics - Preventing Pregnancy and Birth, II. Assisted Reproduction Ethics - Initiating Pregnancy, and III. Obstetric Ethics - Managing Pregnancy and Delivery. Each section begins with a short introduction by the editors providing an overview of the area and contextualizing the essays that follow. This volume's primary aim is to be useful to practicing clinicians, students, and trainees by providing short and practical essays covering urgent topics-from race, religion and abortion, to legal liability, violations of confidentiality and maternal choices that risk future children's health. This collection provides clinicians at all levels of training with frameworks they need to approach the intimate and high-stakes encounters central to their profession.

The ideal of equality constitutes a criterion for assessing current practice through attention to differences among individuals and groups. Inequality occurs when irrelevant differences are invoked in order to secure power or advantages over others. This book examines health care issues from an egalitarian perspective, focusing particularly on those that affect the lives of women and children. These are some of the most hotly debated, controversial, yet genuinely humanitarian issues of our time. They include gender stereotypes in medicine and in adolescent socialization, fertility curtailment and enhancement, coercive treatment during pregnancy, fetal tissue transplantation, decisions regarding newborns, decision-making by minors, the feminization of poverty and its impact on women's and children's health, and the meaning and role of "family" in health care decisions. The book describes a case-based or "feminine" model of reasoning as appropriate to the health care setting, but also as a possible rationale for exploitation of women. Different versions of feminism are clearly explained and specifically related to care-based reasoning. To overcome the pitfalls of paternalism and excessive stress on patient autonomy, a concept of "parentalism" is defended. An egalitarian perspective, the author claims, involves use of one's power to empower others. Because of the timeliness of the topics discussed, and the depth of detail, this book will be necessary reading for all bioethicists, health-care analysts and policy-makers, and women's studies researchers.

Neural tube defects, spina bifida, anencephalus, and encephalocoele, are among the commonest severe congenital abnormalities in most countries. The last decade has seen many advances, including the use of antenatal diagnosis by chemical and ultrasound methods, population screening, and many new findings in epidemiology, culminating in the demonstration of the protective effect of folic acid on recurrences. The progress in both antenatal diagnosis and in aetiological research on neural tube defects has been particularly dramatic, and may well anticipate developments in regard to other congenital abnormalities. Primary prevention now appears as an attainable goal. This book presents a critical review of the extensive findings of epidemiological studies, discusses several methodological issues of wider relevance such as ascertainment, seasonal variation, ethical and legal issues. As well as providing a unique resource in regard to neural tube defects, much of the material is relevant to those with wider interests in the prevention, antenatal diagnosis, and control of major diseases.

This atlas provides valuable information on crucial aspects of sperm examination as well numerous meaningful color illustrations. It discusses successful evaluation of the sperm morphology and the cellular elements other than spermatozoa, enabling readers to unambiguously interpret seminal cytologic images and compare reports for diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic purposes. With its extensive collection of colored images, the book is intended as a reference resource for students and technicians in the field of andrology as well as practitioners and clinicians in andrology, urology, pathology, IVF and other ART programs

This book covers current controversies in women's health care. It takes a broad interdisciplinary approach to the subject. With topics ranging from the controversies in breast and cervical cancer screening, through osteoporosis and the menopause, to the relationships of older women with their doctors, it provides a well-rounded view of health care for older women. Each chapter has been written by an authority in that field and includes issues of current debate. The book is suitable both for students new to the area and for specialists wishing to read about the work of others in related fields, as well as being a useful source of information for general practitioners about the provision of women's health care from a primary care perspective.

This textbook covers the basic aspects of stem cell research and applications in regenerative medicine. Each chapter includes a didactic component and a practical section. The book offers readers insights into: How to identify the basic concepts of stem cell biology and the molecular regulation of pluripotency and stem cell development. How to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the basics of transfection. The biology of adult stem cells, with particular emphasis on mesenchymal stromal cells and hematopoietic stem cells, and the basic mechanisms that regulate them. How cancer stem cells arise and metastasize, and their properties. How to develop the skills needed to isolate, differentiate and characterize adult stem The clinical significance of stem cell research and the potential problems that need to be overcome. Evaluating the use of stem cells for tissue engineering and therapies (the amniotic membrane) The applications of bio-nanotechnology in stem cell research. How epigenetic mechanisms, including various DNA modifications and histone dynamics, are involved in regulating the potentiality and differentiation of stem cells. The scientific methods, ethical considerations and implications of stem cell research.

This second edition emphasizes the environmental impact on reproduction, with updated chapters throughout as well as complete new chapters on species such as sharks and rays. This is a wide-ranging book that will be of relevance to anyone involved in species conservation, and provides critical perspectives on the real utility of current and emerging reproductive sciences.Understanding reproductive biology is centrally important to the way many of the world's conservation problems should be tackled. Currently the extinction problem is huge, with up to 30% of the world's fauna being expected to disappear in the next 50 years. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that the global population of animals in zoos encompasses 12,000 - 15,000 species, and we anticipate that every effort will be made to preserve these species for as long as possible, minimizing inbreeding effects and providing the best welfare standards available. Even if the reproductive biology community cannot solve the global biodiversity crisis for all wild species, we should do our best to maintain important captive populations. Reproductive biology in this context is much more than the development of techniques for helping with too little or too much breeding. While some of the relevant techniques are useful for individual species that society might target for a variety of reasons, whether nationalistic, cultural or practical, technical developments have to be backed up by thorough biological understanding of the background behind the problems.

Part of the renowned Donald School series, this book is a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis and management of reproductive and gynaecological endocrinology disorders. The book begins with an overview of ovulation and investigation and causes of female infertility including anovulation, tubal block, endometriosis and congenital uterine anomalies. The following chapters discuss ovarian stimulation and assisted reproductive techniques. The second half of the book covers causes and management of male infertility, and concludes with chapters on recurrent miscarriage, gamete banking, and assessment of early pregnancy. Authored by recognised experts in the field, the text is further enhanced by clinical photographs, illustrations, tables and flowcharts. Key points Comprehensive guide to diagnosis and management of reproductive and gynaecological endocrinology disorders Part of renowned Donald School series Covers investigation, causes and management of both female and male infertility Authored by recognised experts in the field

The method of vitrification of oocytes and embryos is fundamental for the outcome of IVF. This atlas presents data on both closed system and open vitrification techniques, and the consequences of each method for survival rates, aiding the comparison of vitrification methods. Structured on a patient-by-patient basis, the atlas describes 100 clinically documented case studies that follow the evolution of cryopreserved blastocysts between warming and blastocyst transfer. It relates fresh to post-warming blastocyst morphology and to response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. For each case, pronuclear morphology and synchrony, as well as embryo morphology, are reported and described. Data on indications for treatment, stimulation type and duration, are accompanied by over 400 high-quality images of vitrified blastocysts. Covering the state-of-the-art techniques, this atlas is an essential aid in selecting the vitrification method for clinical embryologists and physicians in reproductive medicine.

A geneticist tells the stories of men, women, and children whose genes have shaped their lives in unexpected ways.

It was while listening to a colleague tell the parents of a newborn girl that their daughter was going to die that a lifelong interest in genetic medicine was sparked in Dr Edwin Kirk. Warmth and gentleness tempered a direct, sure manner - this was the medicine he wanted to practise, where the most advanced science and the most deeply human meet. Twenty-five years later, Dr Kirk works both with patients and in the lab, and he spearheads a campaign that will change the way we think about having babies. His experience is without parallel, but it is his humour and insight that make all the difference.

Find out why Dr Kirk found himself among hundreds of people, each with a glass of poison in front of them - and how you might perform the same experiment yourself (without the poison). Learn how the realisation that a young boy wasn't short ended up saving the life of his mother - and how Angelina Jolie has saved the lives of many more. Sit in the room with Dr Kirk and his patients as they navigate the world of heartbreaking uncertainties, tantalising possibilities, and thorny questions of morality. In genetics, it is the particularities of an individual's history that matter, and here, in clear and considerate writing, those individual stories are given voice.

In Quest for Conception, Marcia C. Inhorn portrays the poignant struggles of poor, urban Egyptian women and their attempts to overcome infertility. The author draws upon fifteen months of fieldwork in urban Egypt to present moving stories of infertile Muslim women whose tumultuous medical pilgrimages - or their "search for children," as they call their quests for conception - have yet to produce the desired pregnancies. Inhorn examines the devastating impact of infertility on the lives of these women, who are threatened with divorce by their husbands, harassed by their husbands' families, and ostracized by neighbors. Beliefs about procreation and infertility causation and cure among the Egyptian urban poor derive from a five-thousand-year history of shifting medical pluralism. Although colonially produced Western biomedicine is the dominant system in Egypt today, it represents only one of an array of therapeutic alternatives. Infertile women seek help from both "biogynecologists" (practitioners of Western biomedicine) and "ethnogynecologists" (practitioners of indigenous ethnomedicine), often using the remedies of both simultaneously. Quest for Conception examines in detail the variety of ethnomedical and biomedical treatments for infertility and concludes that treatments of both types are often ineffective and sometimes harmful. Given this untherapeutic setting, the future of infertile Egyptian women is explored in light of needed changes in reproductive health policy and the introduction of new reproductive technologies. Quest for Conception is the first comprehensive account of non-Western women's experiences of infertility and is a novel study within the literature on Middle Easternwomen.

This book analyzes the basic science and treatment of male factor infertility with Dr. Silber's characteristic honesty and clear thinking. It describes finally what works and what doesn't work. It will inspire everyone in reproductive medicine (Gynecologists, Urologists, Embryologists and Endocrinologists) who wish to better understand male infertility.

This book summarizes the contributions at an April 2016 conference held at Albany Medical College, Reproductive Ethics: New Challenges and Conversations. Reproductive ethics does not suffer from a lack of challenging issues, yet a few "hot button" issues such as abortion and surrogacy seem to attract most of the attention, while other issues and dilemmas remain relatively underdeveloped in bioethics literature. The goal of this book is to explore and expand the range of topics addressed in reproductive ethics. This is a multi-disciplinary book bringing together philosophers, clinicians, sociologists, anthropologists, and other scholars whose research or clinical interests touch reproductive issues. The results of this compilation are a comprehensive and unique discussion of the evolving issues in the rapidly changing field. The majority of the popular reproductive ethics anthologies were published at least 10 years ago. The field of reproductive ethics would benefit from a new anthology that addresses some of the perennial dilemmas in reproductive ethics (e.g. abortion, sex selection) from updated perspectives and that also covers new technologies that have emerged only in the last few years, such as social egg freezing.

In the mid-1990s, the international community pronounced prenatal sex selection via abortion an "act of violence against women" and "unethical." At the same time, new developments in reproductive technology in the United States led to a method of sex selection before conception; its US inventor marketed the practice as "family balancing" and defended it with the rhetoric of freedom of choice. In Gender before Birth, Rajani Bhatia takes on the double standard of how similar practices in the West and non-West are divergently named and framed. Bhatia's extensive fieldwork includes interviews with clinicians, scientists, biomedical service providers, and feminist activists, and her resulting analysis extends both feminist theory on reproduction and feminist science and technology studies. She argues that we are at the beginning of a changing transnational terrain that presents new challenges to theorized inequality in reproduction, demonstrating how the technosciences often get embroiled in colonial gender and racial politics.

This book discusses the role of oxidative stress in the reproductive system. The book reviews endogenous sources, methods of determining its levels in body fluid/tissues, the physiological roles of ROS, as well as its negative effects on the human reproductive processes. Also discussed are multiple extrinsic factors that could induce oxidative stress in the reproductive system. This volume covers various clinical pathologies related to the reproductive system that arise from or produce oxidative stress, both in the male and female. The use of antioxidants as a therapeutic measure to keep ROS levels in check are highlighted, describing the outcome of various clinical studies involving antioxidant supplementation in infertile patients. Infertility is a global disease that affects 15-25% of all couples, and oxidative stress arising from a multitude of sources has been implicated as one of the major contributing factors to the decline in human fertility. As such, this book provides an up-to-date review on the significance of ROS in human reproduction.

Reflecting the increasing interest in fertility management for pediatric and adolescent patients and fulfilling an urgent need to have a comprehensive guide to the management of these individuals, this is the first book of its kind to present a comprehensive discussion of pediatric and adolescent oncofertility. It carefully examines the impact of pediatric cancer and cancer therapy on fertility and presents both current and emerging fertility preservation techniques for both males and females, such as cryopreservation. Fertility concerns beyond cancer are also discussed, including disorders of sexual differentiation, gender dysphoria and thalassemia. Practical chapters on pediatric oncofertility in the clinic round out the book, covering setting up a practice, counseling and consent, disclosure and insurance considerations. Concluding chapters document fertility preservation techniques and outcomes internationally, with contributions from Portuguese, Brazilian and Japanese authors. Timely and wide-ranging, Pediatric and Adolescent Oncofertility is an ideal resource for reproductive medicine specialists, pediatric oncologists, and primary care physicians treating pediatric and adolescent cancer patients looking to protect fertility options.

An ideal reference for infertility specialists and reproductive endocrinologists alike, this comprehensive text discusses current natural and mild approaches to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the development of in vitro maturation (IVM) as a clinical treatment. It is divided thematically into four sections. Part I presents the basic science of ovarian endocrinology and the mechanism of oocyte maturation, including follicular development and the importance of mitochondrial changes. The differences between natural cycle IVF and stimulated IVF are presented in part II, including the standard ovarian stimulation protocols and their outcomes and the etiology, prevention and management of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Minimal and mild stimulation for IVF is discussed in part III, including mild stimulation protocols for oncofertility patients and the new minimally invasive INVO procedure. In vitro maturation as a clinical treatment is the subject of part IV, discussing the methodology of immature oocyte retrieval as well as other laboratory aspects and congenital and obstetrical outcomes of babies born from IVM. Combining expertise from thought leaders around the world, Development of In Vitro Maturation for Human Oocytes will be a go-to resource for infertility researchers and practitioners and reproductive endocrinologists working with infertile couples looking for safer and more cost-effective options for treatment.

This unique book is a comprehensive guide for healthcare providers who treat patients with complex medical conditions but lack the resources to address fertility and sexuality concerns and help patients navigate their fertility decision-making process. It presents up-to-date information concerning fertility preservation and restoration for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes, disorders of sex development, hematologic diseases, genetic disorders of gonadal dysfunction, immunologic diseases, gynecologic diseases, endocrine disorders, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Utilizing a practical, user-friendly format, each chapter discusses the epidemiology, classification, risk factors and/or clinical manifestations, and diagnosis and treatment modalities specific to each condition, as well as the effect of it or its treatment on fertility and unique options that may exist. Complex medical conditions are inherently difficult to manage, and reproductive interventions are often not part of the conversation. As such, Fertility Preservation and Restoration for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions will be an excellent resource for primary care physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, endocrinologists, oncologists, and other health professionals working with patients with fertility concerns. This book, together with Oncofertility: Fertility Preservation for Cancer Survivors; Oncofertility: Ethical, Legal, Social, and Medical Perspectives; Oncofertility Medical Practice: Clinical Issues and Implementation; Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines; and Pediatric and Adolescent Oncofertility: Best Practices and Emerging Technologies, provides scientific and medically relevant information on fertility preservation from all vantage points and is an indispensable series for those interested in fertility management in cancer or complex settings.