Personnel working in assisted reproductive technology often lack the opportunities for dedicated training in the specialized techniques and technologies required for the procedures. As such, success in the form of live birth rates can range from over 50% to less than 10% per treatment cycle. This comprehensive introductory textbook is an essential resource for trainee embryologists, medical students and nurses. The recent revolutions in biotechnology and molecular biology involved in delivering assisted reproductive services are thoroughly discussed. Basic knowledge such as the development and physiology of both male and female reproductive systems is covered, with practical aspects of IVF including gamete and embryo manipulation, cryopreservation and genetic testing explained in detail. A full description of the optimal structure and management of the IVF laboratory is given, helping ensure procedures are safe and effective. Extensive and highly detailed colour illustrations bring the content to life and aids readers in their understanding.

..". glimpses of intriguing changes in social arrangements and cultural understandings in relation to surrogacy. Disturbing motherhood indeed." New Scientist

"Larry Gostin has put together the definitive collection of essays on one of the most perplexing and titillating topics in contemporary medical ethics. This book includes contributions from some of the leading scholars on the legal, ethical, and social aspects of surrogacy, as well as several critical perspectives on the famous Baby M case must reading for understanding the surrogate motherhood controversy." Robert M. Veatch

"Highly recommended... " Choice

..". a valuable resource for those concerned with an exceedingly difficult ethical, legal, and political problem." Ethics

"There is a wealth of information here on the current status questionis in the United States, and anyone involved in the surrogacy debate, in the U.S. or otherwise, will find working through this material very worthwhile." Canadian Philosophical Review

..". an excellent sample of some of the best and most varied thinking so far on the numerous conceptual, moral, social, and policy questions raised by contract motherhood." The Journal of Clinical Ethics"

The creation of 'test--tube babiesa acted as a spur to public debate about the implications of research on embryos, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and the whole range of technologies concerned with human reproduction. The scope of reproductive technologies examined in this volume -- from techniques for the medical 'managementa of childbirth, to genetic engineering -- is such that few women in the western world, and smaller and smaller numbers in the third world, escape their influence. What then is their impact: on the process of reproduction, on family life and particularly on women? 'Reproductive Technologiesa is a remarkable collection of original essays which attempts to place the current controversy over reproductive technologies in a political, legal and economic context. Contributors -- including Lesley Doyal, Ann Oakley, Ros Petchesky, Carol Smart, Hilary Rose, and Naomi Pfeffer -- examine systematically the technologies that have sparked off these debates. They explore the problem of infertility which is used to validate reproductive technologies; the way assumptions about the family and about biological parenthood continue to structure the arguments for and against; the impact of the medicalization of childbirth; the way debates are embedded in changing conceptions of paternal rights, maternal rights and embryo rights; the problems of providing adequate health care for women; and, above all, the urgency with which these issues raise problems about the accountability of science.

It is the book for every woman who hopes for VBAC. In fact, many first-time cesareans could be avoided if this book were read first. It is thorough, it is compassionate. "Esther Zorn, Cesarean Prevention Movement"

A] landmark book. . . . These VBAC stories are inspiring, as well as very informative about the nature of labor and current U.S. obstetric practice. "Ina May Gaskin, The Birth Gazette"

This is not a dry text book remote from reality, but a powerful manual' that burns the knowledge women need in an indelible way on heart and mind. "AIMS Quarterly Journal"

Here for the first time are intimate stories of the VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) experience, as told by mothers, fathers, midwives, obstetricians, labor coaches, and others whose lives have been affected by VBAC. The stories demystify in a powerful way the idea of once a cesarean, always a cesarean. By example, each story is a telling critique of birthing practices in general and the cesarean outcome in particular, as well as a primer for mothers, fathers, and professionals on the VBAC experience.

The bible of cesarean prevention. Wall Street Journal A landmark event, which will change the course of obstetric care by giving parents the informtion they need to make the decisions that are best for their own families. Comprehensive, highly readable, sensitive . . . should be read by everyone who cares about someone. Marian Tompson Director, Alternative Birth Crisis Coalition American Academy of Medicine Required reading for all childbirth professionals and prospective parents. Journal of Gynecological Nursing

Are assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) a medical issue or a matter of public policy, subject to restrictions? Francesca Scala employs the concept of boundary work to explain the protracted debates that ensued when Canada appointed a royal commission in 1989 to settle the issue. She reveals that both sides of the debate attempted to secure their position as authorities by challenging, defending, or blurring the boundaries between science and politics. This compelling account contributes to our understanding of the interaction between science and politics, the exercise of social control over science and technology, and the politics of expertise in policy making.

The theme of this BRP is the right to procreate in the Israeli context. Our discussion of this right includes the implementation of the right to procreate, restrictions on the right (due to societal, legal, or religious concerns), and the effect of the changing conception of the right to procreate (both substantively and in practice) on core family concepts.

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.

Sexualfreundliche Sexualerziehung soll und muss sein, aber wem nutzt eine pro-aktiv sexualisierende Sexualerziehung und warum loest sie Widerstand aus? Ist die aktuell diskutierte Sexualpadagogik mit ihren Zielen und Methoden kindgerecht oder bedient sie Interessen von Erwachsenen? Diese Streitschrift bietet Interessierten und an Erziehung Beteiligten Informationen und Analysen, sowie persoenliche Einschatzungen der Autorin, die nachdenklich machen. Das Buch reflektiert alternative Herangehensweisen an das Thema Sexualitat in Kita und Schule und erklart, warum sich religioes begrundete und "moderne" sexual-padagogische Konzepte ahneln. Die Autorin nimmt die Leser mit in die Fragestellung und Besorgnis, ob die derzeit propagierte Sexualerziehung darauf hinauslauft, Kinder mit padagogischer Legitimation in die sexualisierte Erwachsenenwelt hineinzuziehen. Es oeffnet die Augen fur die Thematik und gibt Hinweise wie Kinder und Jugendliche motiviert werden koennen, sich vor dem Einfluss von Pornografie zu schutzen.

This book provides comprehensive information on Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), its clinical considerations, outcomes and potential health effects. Male and female infertility is increasing all over the world. The basic techniques of assisted reproduction like ovulation control and intrauterine insemination are ineffective if the sperm quality or number is inadequate. The advanced fertilization techniques are in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and ICSI. In 15% cases of infertility, IVF results in total failed fertilization; therefore, ICSI must be used. Some clinics exclusively use ICSI for all infertility patients due to its reliability of fertilization outcome or to avoid total fertilization failure. ICSI was first used in humans in 1992. Since then, tremendous advances have been made in assisted reproductive technology. ICSI has enabled even those men who have rare sperm in their testes to father a biological child. If no sperm are observed in the ejaculate, in almost all cases, they can be recovered from the testicles. Such retrieved sperm can only be used by ICSI. Therefore, its understanding is essential not only for medical staff but also for patients suffering from infertility. This book is highly recommended for patients suffering from infertility or currently undergoing infertility treatment. It explains the factors affecting ICSI success rate. In ICSI, the embryologist picks a sperm for injection to fertilize oocytes whereas in intrauterine insemination and IVF, one sperm penetrates naturally. This manual selection of sperm has raised concerns especially in those patients suffering from severe male factor infertility. The nature of sperm defects varies and could be congenital, acquired or genetic. Children born through ICSI are, therefore, considered at higher risk of carrying the defect. Many investigations have been carried out to compare incidence of the defects between children conceived naturally and conceived through ICSI. Additional technologies have been developed to ensure the birth of a normal child. These include pre-implantation genetic testing and non-invasive prenatal testing. This book addresses these concerns and explains the health effects on children born through ICSI. This book is very useful for medical students, andrologists, embryologists, nurses or anyone else interested in learning basic or advanced knowledge of assisted reproductive technology, especially ICSI. The authors of the chapters of this book are highly experienced and from different parts of the world. Many of them are directing very busy ART laboratories at leading infertility clinics in the United States of America, Canada and the Middle East.

The development of the placenta was a pivotal event in evolution. Without it, we would still be laying eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring. It represents the critical link between the foetus and the mother, but its character is extraordinary - it is, in effect, a foreign tissue that invades the mother's body. Compared to many other animals, the human placenta represents a particularly aggressive body. But how is it managed and controlled? How did such an organ evolve in the first place? And why is it tolerated by the mother? Y.W. Loke explores the nature of the placenta and what it can tell us about evolution, development, and genetics.

Infertility can have devastating physical, emotional and financial effects on people affected. It is a common problem, but can be hard to talk about, and hard to understand. In this concise book, Dr Kovacs, a reproductive gynaecologist who has spent the past 40 years working with patients facing fertility problems, focuses on and unpicks key misconceptions. In his clear explanations, he covers the basic physiology of conceiving, and describes the areas that have to be explored for those who have not yet been able to conceive. Specific chapters cover the three major problem areas: lack of releasing eggs, sperm problems, and abnormalities of the female passages. Treatment options are discussed for each of these areas, including technical details and a brief readable overview of their history. The many ways of parenting which are now available are also detailed. This is a recommended read for couples wanting to conceive, their friends and families, and anyone who wants to understand fertility.

Il dolore cronico vulvare, o vulvodinia, e una patologia diffusa che puo avere un forte impatto sul benessere della donna. Nonostante sia frequentemente osservata nella pratica clinica quotidiana, resta un disturbo trascurato e puo richiedere anche molti anni per essere correttamente

diagnosticato. Il volume offre un panorama conciso delle ultimissime acquisizioni sulla diagnosi e la cura della vulvodinia e delle sue numerose comorbilita, ha un formato facile da leggere, con molti consigli pratici, e aiuta ad affrontare rapidamente ed efficacemente tutte le complesse e delicate problematiche

che sottendono il disturbo. Questo libro si rivolge ai medici motivati a migliorare la qualita di vita delle donne che soffrono di vulvodinia, e in particolare ai Ginecologi e ai Medici di Medicina Generale.

In this widely-praised study, Carol Laderman provides a vivid picture of the daily life of rural Malays as she focuses on their dietary practices and the ritual and medical aspects of childbirth procedures. Apprenticed to a village midwife and a local shaman, she was able to observe a traditional culture adapting to modern practices.

This practical book focuses on the most recent advances in natural cycle and minimal stimulation in vitro fertilization (IVF). The volume presents the steps that need to be followed to successfully perform these techniques and covers all aspects and competences involved. The book provides information on physiology of folliculogenesis, ovulation, oocytes and luteal phase and based on this information on clinical practice of stimulation, ovulation induction and inhibition, follicle aspiration and luteal phase support in natural cycle and minimal stimulation IVF. In addition costs, risks, success rates and several treatment protocols are provided. An overview of large European, Japanese and American programs and the discussion of clinical cases will complete the coverage of the topic. This practical and easy-to-use guide is a valuable resource for all clinicians performing any kind of IVF techniques.

Infertility can have devastating physical, emotional and financial effects on people affected. It is a common problem, but can be hard to talk about, and hard to understand. In this concise book, Dr Kovacs, a reproductive gynaecologist who has spent the past 40 years working with patients facing fertility problems, focuses on and unpicks key misconceptions. In his clear explanations, he covers the basic physiology of conceiving, and describes the areas that have to be explored for those who have not yet been able to conceive. Specific chapters cover the three major problem areas: lack of releasing eggs, sperm problems, and abnormalities of the female passages. Treatment options are discussed for each of these areas, including technical details and a brief readable overview of their history. The many ways of parenting which are now available are also detailed. This is a recommended read for couples wanting to conceive, their friends and families, and anyone who wants to understand fertility.

This new edition provides a much-needed reference book to accommodate emerging and expanding knowledge in fertility preservation, the rapidly growing field of reproductive medicine associated with advances in oncology. Written by a team of world-leading experts in the field and comprehensive in its scope, the book covers the full range of techniques and scientific concepts in detail. It opens with an introduction to fertility preservation in both cancer and non-cancer patients, followed by fertility preservation strategies in males and females, including medical/surgical procedures, ART, cryopreservation and transplantation of ovarian tissue, and in-vitro follicle culture. Concluding chapters address new technologies, as well as ethical, legal and religious issues. The book has been thoroughly updated, includes additional contributors, and now provides greater focus on practical and clinically relevant issues. Richly illustrated throughout, this is a key resource for clinicians specializing in reproductive medicine, gynecology, oncology, hematology, endocrinology and infertility.

While the practice of surrogacy has existed for millennia, new fertility technologies have allowed women to act as gestational surrogates, carrying children that are not genetically their own. While some women volunteer to act as gestational surrogates for friends or family members, others get paid for performing this service. The first ethnographic study of gestational surrogacy in the United States, Labor of Love examines the conflicted attitudes that emerge when the ostensibly priceless act of bringing a child into the world becomes a paid occupation. Heather Jacobson interviews not only surrogate mothers, but also their family members, the intended parents who employ surrogates, and the various professionals who work to facilitate the process. Seeking to understand how gestational surrogates perceive their vocation, she discovers that many regard surrogacy as a calling, but are reluctant to describe it as a job. In the process, Jacobson dissects the complex set of social attitudes underlying this resistance toward conceiving of pregnancy as a form of employment. Through her extensive field research, Jacobson gives readers a firsthand look at the many challenges faced by gestational surrogates, who deal with complicated medical procedures, delicate work-family balances, and tricky social dynamics. Yet Labor of Love also demonstrates the extent to which advances in reproductive technology are affecting all Americans, changing how we think about maternity, family, and the labor involved in giving birth.

Die Sexualgeschichte ist keine eigenstandige Disziplin, sondern Teilaspekt natur-, geistes- und sozialwissenschaftlicher Facher sowie haufiges Thema gesellschaftspolitischer Diskussionen. Florian G. Mildenberger zeigt historische Entwicklungen, gesellschaftliche Diskurse und Problemfelder von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart auf, beschreibt sie uberblicksartig und stellt weitere Literatur fur eigene Studien bereit. Der Autor: Dr. Florian G. Mildenberger ist Professor am Institut fur Geschichte der Medizin der Robert Bosch Stiftung in Stuttgart und forscht vorrangig zu Geschichte, Entstehung und Bedeutung heilkundlicher, sozialer und sexueller Subkulturen im 19./20. Jahrhundert.

Regulating Reproduction examines the social context and current state of the art of reproductive mediating technologies such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, sex preselection, DNA probes, prenatal diagnosis, and sterilization. Robert H. Blank explores the impact of the technological revolution on our perceptions of children, parenthood, and the family. He discusses the impact of trends toward the commercialization of reproductive services as well as the inclusion of third parties into what until now has been a private matter between two persons.

This new edition of a groundbreaking book is now in two volumes, on 'Fundamentals, Symptoms, and Conditions' on 'Reconstructive and Fertility Preserving Surgery and Procedures. From a distinguished editorial team and internationally recognized contributors the text educates surgeons on the techniques and procedures now needed in gynecology, with a special focus on reconstructive vaginal, hysteroscopic, laparoscopic, and laparotomic surgery, including that designed to preserve or enhance fertility. The reader can now more readily understand pathogenesis, appropriate investigation, and application of both surgical and nonsurgical strategies and techniques. The two volumes contain over 20 new chapters and in the integral ebook, over 140 instructional videos; each chapter has Key Points summarized.