This open access book addresses self-care on sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV prevention and treatment in the most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Case studies and personal narratives are used to share their perspectives and experiences, sources of information for self-care products, motivations for self-care, and challenges and outcomes. Self-care provides the way to reach the last mile in achieving universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Issues related to stigma, discrimination and violence among these communities are highlighted. Changes in policies and programs to improve their sexual and reproductive health, education and employment are discussed. The last chapter in the book examines how the agenda on self-care can be advanced in the years ahead. The audience for this publication includes health professionals, researchers, those managing health institutions and service providers.

Reproductive donation is the most contentious area of assisted reproduction. Even within Europe there are wide variations in what is permitted in each country. This multi-disciplinary book takes a fresh look at the practices of egg, sperm and embryo donation and surrogacy, bringing together ethical analysis and empirical research. New evidence is offered on aspects of assisted reproduction and the families these create, including non-traditional types. One of the key issues addressed is should children be told of their donor origin? If they do learn the identity of their donor, what kinds of relationships may be forged between families, the donor and other donor sibling families? Should donation involve a gift relationship? Is intra-familial donation too close for comfort? How should we understand the growing trend for 'reproductive tourism'? This lively and informed discussion offers new insights into reproductive donation and the resulting donor families.

Spermatogenesis is a tightly regulated cellular renovation and differentiation process. It consists of self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), spermatocytic meiosis and spermiogenesis; each of these processes is essential to the continuous, successful production of male gametes. During spermiogenesis, haploid spermatids undergo extensive cellular, molecular and morphological changes, including acrosome biogenesis, flagellum development, cytoplasmic reorganization and chromatin condensation. These changes ultimately result in mature spermatozoa with an acrosome-covered head and motile tail. In this book, Chapter One summarizes the progress that has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying acrosome biogenesis, and the authors discuss the potential directions of future investigations of this process. Chapter Two briefly addresses the basics of spermatogenesis and the synthesis of ncRNAs, and then the authors discuss the recent progress in understanding of the functions of miRNAs, endo-siRNAs, piRNAs and lncRNAs in the regulation of spermatogenesis. Chapter Three provides a review of the current literature on testicular immunoregulation and its underlying mechanisms, along with its effect on testicular functions.

El problema de la esterilidad e infertilidad en las parejas hoy dia esta poniendo en riesgo la capacidad de reemplazo generacional en Europa. Segun la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS), alrededor del 10 al 15% de las parejas en edad de procrear consultan al medico por problemas de esterilidad. El objetivo de este manual es actualizar los conocimientos y adiestrar en los procedimientos para evaluar la calidad del semen, ayudar al diagnostico de la subfertilidad y esterilidad de origen masculino. Va dirigido al personal en formacion y a profesionales del ambito sanitario, principalmente del laboratorio (tecnicos y facultativos) pero tambien a los clinicos prescriptores (urologos y ginecologos).

Omdat mensen nietzelf kunnen kiezen volgens welk receptzijhun kinderwens vorm geven, is begnip en respect erg belangrijk. Dit boekje is een schitterend instrument om kinderen te introduceren in de complexe wereld van fertiliteitsbehandelingen. Het ontdoet de problematiek van de taboes waarmee fertilieteitsbehandelingen vaak nog zijn omgeven en helpt inzien dat het niet uitmaakt volgens welk recept je op de wereld gekomen bent. Kortom, een aanrader voor groot en klein"

It is estimated that more than 4.5 million couples experience infertility each year, and more than 4 million babies have been born using IVF since 1978. However, assisted reproductive technologies continue to raise many medical, social, ethical, political and religious questions, often leading to controversial and sometimes inaccurate opinions about the outcomes of pregnancies resulting from these techniques. This is the first book dedicated to pregnancies arising from assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Chapters cover the most important management issues, from early pregnancy to outcome of children resulting from ART, including gynaecological, genetic and obstetric complications. Each chapter is written and edited by leading experts in the field of human reproduction. A timely, practical and evidence-based guide to the management of ART pregnancies, based on 30 years of clinical experience, this is essential reading for reproductive and maternal-fetal specialists as well as general obstetricians and gynaecologists.

IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. This book presents topical research in the study of in vitro fertilisation including management of chronic viral infections in assisted reproduction; posthumous sperm procurement; assisted reproductive technologies for serodiscordant couples with an HIV-1 infection and the impact of laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for infertile women with endometriomas prior to IVF/ICSI cycles.

The reproductive system and all of its functions related to sex, conception, pregnancy and delivery, all actions aimed at keeping it functioning optimally and free from diseases and harmful traditional practices are explored in this book.

Say "biological clock" and most people think "women." Yet men have biological clocks too, reveals Dr. Harry Fisch, one of the country's leading experts in male infertility and author of this groundbreaking new book, "The Male Biological Clock." Men's clocks tick at a different rate from women's and of course cause an entirely different set of bodily and behavioral changes over the course of a lifetime. But while men's clocks don't strike a "midnight" toll heralding an end to fertility the way menopause does for women, male fertility, testosterone levels, and sexuality all do decline with age. Dr. Fisch's book emphasizes that even young men can have testosterone levels as low as those of much older men, leading to infertility, sexual problems, and other serious health issues. Another startling revelation is that men over thirty-five are twice as likely to be infertile as men younger than twenty-five. In addition, as men age, the quality of their sperm declines significantly, giving rise to an increased chance of a Down syndrome baby, other genetic abnormalities, and miscarriage. Every couple should know all the risks and issues facing men, because these affect two of the most important things in their life: their ability to have children and their capacity to have good sex.

"The Male Biological Clock" is must reading for every man and every couple who is struggling to have children or improve their sex life. Many of Dr. Harry Fisch's findings are startling -- beginning with the fact that infertility is not mostly a women's problem -- and he offers many helpful suggestions for how to deal with declining testosterone, changing sexual needs, and the fertility industry.

We have allheard stories of men becoming fathers in their seventies or even eighties, yet most of us are unaware that these are dangerously deceptive exceptions. Older men face a number of increased risks as fathers, and often find their sex lives and well-being changing considerably. The good news: Much can be done to slow down and even reverse the effects of a man's biological clock. "The Male Biological Clock" tells you what you need to know and how you can achieve optimal fertility and sexuality.

In "The Garden of Fertility, "certified fertility educator Katie Singer explains how easy it is to chart your fertility signals to determine when you are fertile and when you are not. Her Fertility Awareness method can be used to safely and effectively prevent or help achieve pregnancy, as well as monitor gynecological health. Singer offers practical information, illuminated with insightful personal stories, for every woman who wants to learn to live in concert with her body and to take care of her reproductive health naturally.
"The Garden of Fertility "provides:
Directions (and blank charts) for charting your fertility signals Instructions for preventing pregnancy naturally - a method virtually as effective as the Pill, with none of its side effects. Guidelines for timing intercourse to enhance your chances of conceiving without drugs or hormones Information to help you use your charts to gauge your reproductive health - to determine whether you're ovulating; if you have a thyroid problem, low progesterone levels, or a propensity for PCOS or miscarriage; or if you're pregnant Nutritional and nonmedical strategies for strengthening your gynecological health Clear descriptions of reproductive anatomy, hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, and how conception occurs

YES, YOU PROBABLY CAN GET PREGNANT
...and the really good news is that most of you can conceive naturally, without expensive high-tech intervention. The six-step mind/body fertility enhancement program from Harvard Medical School could give you the answer.

• How can I relax when I'm worried sick about getting pregnant?
  
• Can antidepressants affect my fertility?
  
• Is there some medicine I can take to increase my sperm production?
  
• Does being a vegetarian increase or decrease my chances of conception?

Start to help yourself by learning the newest information on how simple lifestyle changes affect fertility.

This work provides insight into the subjective experience of stillbirth, miscarriage and pregnancy, and the professional response. It has grown out of interviews with women and with the range of health professionals who were significant in their care. These experiences are drawn upon to explore the dilemmas in offering good care, and to suggest ways in which practice might be improved.

"Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women is a crucial resource for all therapists who treat women. Not only will the information further the well-being of women clients, but it could literally save lives. Interesting, readable, and well-organized, this book belongs on the shelf next to the DSM-IV. The case examples will grip the reader whether professional or lay audience." --Natalie Porter, Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology "I am greatly impressed with the book. It is a brand new idea, one that is long overdue." --Hannah Lerman, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Los Angeles Some clients don't respond to a therapist's chosen treatment for a specific mental disorder. Could there be a physical disorder that is causing psychiatric symptoms? How can a therapist distinguish between similar psychiatric and physical disorders to arrive at the correct diagnosis, refer on, and/or suggest appropriate treatment? Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women gives the therapist the foundation for identifying those physiological disorders that may be at the root of the mental problems presented by women clients. Hyperthyroidism, for example, can result in depression and anxiety, and temporal lobe epilepsy can manifest itself with the same symptoms as bipolar disorder. This special guidebook sorts out potential mix-ups by providing detailed cases and illustrations, a quick reference table for checking symptoms, and a glossary. Making technical information clear and concise, the authors cover endocrinological--including thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, and parathyroid systems--and brain seizure problems as well as other diseases--such as multiple sclerosis, mitral heart valve prolapse, and lupus erythematosus. They offer a basic overview of the systems and organs involved and focus on how particular malfunctions can result in serious behavioral problems. A guide to providing the best and most effective care to women clients, Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women presents important information about assessment and interfacing with medical professionals. All mental health and helping professionals will find this book invaluable, as will students in clinical/counseling psychology, health psychology, social work, and gender studies. "This book is informative and interesting to read. This is a text that can be read more than once and be that much more helpful in subsequent readings. . . . Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women will certainly have an impact on feminist assessment, theory, and therapy. In a broader context, it provides a foundation to spawn research hypotheses on women's health and to reconnect the mind and body. Written accessibly even for reader without a background in physiological psychology, it fills a gap in the clinical and counseling literature. This text has far-reaching implications about the origin of psychiatric symptoms and possibly for explaining some differential rates in sex ratios for prevalence of certain psychologically based clinical syndromes. I found the text a humbling reminder of how easy it can be to miss the obvious and how easy it can be to attribute psychological explanations to symptom clusters one doesn't understand. This book could easily become a 'required' text for graduate students in mental health professions and mental health professionals. . . . This text will undoubtedly have an impact." --Maria P. P. Root, Ph.D., University of Washington "Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women is very good and will make an important contribution to the field. . . . The book's message--that it is critical that differential diagnosis include consideration of both psychiatric disorders--is convincing and important to emphasize to students in graduate programs." --Helene Jackson, Ph.D., The Columbia University School of Social Work

Controversies about abortion and women's reproductive technologies often seem to reflect personal experience, religious commitment, or emotional response. Laura M. Purdy believes, however, that coherent ethical principles are implicit in these controversies and that feminist bioethics can help clarify the conflicts of interest which often figure in human reproduction. As she defines the underlying issues, Purdy emphasizes the importance of taking women's interests fully into account. Reproducing Persons first explores the rights and duties connected with conception and pregnancy. Purdy asks whether conceiving a child or taking a pregnancy to term can ever be morally wrong. She challenges the thinking of those who feel the prospect of disability or serious genetic disease should not constrain conception or justify abortion. The essays next look at abortion from a variety of angles. One contends that killing fetuses is not murder; others emphasize the moral importance of access to abortion. Purdy considers the conflicting interests of women and men regarding abortion, and argues against requiring a husband's consent. The book concludes with a consideration of new reproductive technologies and arrangements, including the controversial issue of surrogacy, or contract pregnancy. Throughout, Purdy combines traditional utilitarianism with some of the most powerful insights of contemporary feminist ethics. Her provocative essays create guidelines for approaching new topics and inspire fresh thinking about old ones.

Get Your Body Ready for the Marathon of Labor!

If you're newly pregnant, you're probably watching your diet carefully, getting plenty of rest, and preparing for the arrival of your new baby. You're also thinking about the big day itself and what the experience of labor will be like. Even if you're following a regular fitness program, you'll want to do everything you can to strengthen and prepare your body for the rigors of labor.

Maternal Fitness features clearly illustrated exercises that focus specifically on the muscle groups you'll use throughout labor, especially the transverse abdominals -- the stomach muscles that play a critical role during delivery. A powerful set of transverse abs can speed labor and delivery and make for a quick recovery. By learning how to strengthen your abdominals and relax your pelvic floor muscles, you'll be able to push more effectively.

While the Maternal Fitness program is designed specifically for the big moment, it also has other benefits, from minimizing backache and fatigue to giving you a welcome head start on getting back into shape after childbirth. Developed by a professional trainer who is also a registered nurse and childbirth educator, the Maternal Fitness program is safe for you and your baby and easy to do. Once learned, it can be incorporated into any workout.

This anthology examines the normative and conceptual issues raised by recent innovation in human reproduction, including such practices as in-vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, and parenting through contract (surrogate motherhood). Its purpose is to identify and analyse the conceptual relations important for understanding and making judgements about the normative concerns of prudence, morality, and public policy (including law).