Ultrasonography is a crucial tool in successful assisted reproduction but requires a steady hand and can often be difficult for unconfident clinicians. A comprehensive ultrasound imaging reference, this is an essential guide for trainee clinicians, ultrasonographers, and nurses working in the field of assisted reproductive technology. Providing the reader with an overview of the process and a foundation to direct their ultrasound assessment of each patient, it contains highly practical tips and tricks for obtaining the best images. Heavily illustrated with example images, the role of ultrasound in fertility treatment is explained, as well as how to identify the uterus and ovaries, measure the endometrium, count follicles and recognize pathology. The role of ultrasound in assisted reproduction is covered, including transvaginal oocyte collection, embryo transfer, early pregnancy, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. This is an indispensable reference for clinicians new to ultrasound in assisted reproduction.

Written by a fertility nurse specialist and a sexual health information expert, What Every Woman Needs to Know About Fertility is the most comprehensive, practical and accessible guide to fertility awareness methods available.

This essential guide to reproduction puts you in control of your fertility by explaining how your body works, giving you the confidence to make informed decisions about your sexual and reproductive health. It answers every conceivable question about fertility awareness using detailed images, charts and a step-by-step guide to tracking your temperature and observing the bodily changes associated with ovulation, and gives clearly defined guidelines for how to plan, or avoid, a pregnancy.

Dispelling the myths around fertility awareness methods, and explaining the pros and cons of reproductive technologies such as fertility apps, this book also gives practical answers to the questions that all women ask, including:

• How reliable are Fertility Awareness Methods?
• How easy are FAMs to use?
• How can I use FAMs after having a baby?
• How can I use FAMs if I'm menopausal?

With insights into optimum health and preconception care, plus detailed practical advice to ensure the best possible conditions for pregnancy, What Every Woman Needs to Know About Fertility provides unique, comprehensive guidance and choices for all on how to plan or avoid pregnancy naturally.

Just as the health costs of aging threaten to bankrupt developed countries, this book makes the scientific case that a biological "bailout" could be on the way, and that human aging can be different in the future than it is today. Here 40 authors argue how our improving understanding of the biology of aging and selected technologies should enable the successful use of many different and complementary methods for ameliorating aging, and why such interventions are appropriate based on our current historical, anthropological, philosophical, ethical, evolutionary, and biological context. Challenging concepts are presented together with in-depth reviews and paradigm-breaking proposals that collectively illustrate the potential for changing aging as never before. The proposals extend from today to a future many decades from now in which the control of aging may become effectively complete. Examples include sirtuin-modulating pills, new concepts for attacking cardiovascular disease and cancer, mitochondrial rejuvenation, stem cell therapies and regeneration, tissue reconstruction, telomere maintenance, prevention of immunosenescence, extracellular rejuvenation, artificial DNA repair, and full deployment of nanotechnology. The Future of Aging will make you think about aging differently and is a challenge to all of us to open our eyes to the future therapeutic potential of biogerontology.

One in seven couples experience problems in conceiving, and this book provides information about fertility investigations, treatments, management and dilemmas. This overview of the management of couples with fertility problems is a straightforward account of best practice in the UK today. Fertility treatments have many ethical implications and the book explains the challenges we face following new developments in assisted reproduction, cloning, surrogacy and rationing. Fertility Problems helps GPs and their teams undertake as much management as possible in primary care, and enables them to understand and explain the issues to infertile patients. The book is also useful for patients themselves. Junior doctors, nurses, counsellors and members of ethics committees will find it a valuable introduction and overview. Much of the material is based on the guidelines for clinical management produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The author is a general practitioner and former member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Whilst assisted reproduction techniques (ART) have become increasingly successful and largely standardized, there is still only a partial understanding of what constitutes a 'true' embryo environment. Replicating the varying physiological conditions of the in-vivo environment that the embryo travels through in the in-vitro culture is still a major challenge in ART. This practical volume details how to organize and operate an IVF laboratory in order to mimic these conditions for successful embryo culture. Environments and equipment that are essential for running safe and efficient facilities such as maintaining good air quality and hygiene protocols, and utilizing an effective layout are covered in detail. Other chapters discuss the different consumables needed, optimal handling techniques and parameter monitoring systems, as well as recent advances in the area including artificial intelligence and automation. This is an indispensable guide to understanding the background science of culturing embryos, crucial to successful outcomes in ART.

The late 20th century has witnessed dramatic technological developments in biomedical science and the delivery of health care, and these developments have brought with them important social changes. All too often ethical analysis has lagged behind these changes. The purpose of this series is to provide lively, up-to-date, and authoritative studies for the increasingly large and diverse readership concerned with issues in biomedical ethics - not just healthcare trainees and professionals, but also social scientists, philosophers, lawyers, social workers, and legislators. This volume brings together work by an international group of contributors from various fields and perspectives, on ethical, social, and legal issues raised by recent advances in reproductive technology. These advances have put us in a position to choose what kinds of children and parents there should be; the aim of the essays is to illuminate how we should deal with these possibilities for choice. Topics discussed include gender and race selection, genetic engineering, fertility treatment, ovarian tissue transfer, and post-menopausal pregnancy. The central focus of the volume is the interface between reproductive c

This reference work on andrology begins with a discussion of male infertility. It discusses genetic causes, conventional treatment, non-surgical methods for sperm retrieval, and assisted reproduction techniques. It also covers andrological endocrinology with chapters on clinical investigation and laboratory analysis in male hypogonadism, as well as testosterone deficiency syndrome. Additional topics include urogentical infections and STDs, erectile dysfunction, psychological abnormalities of male sexual function, and reproductive cancers. The book emphasizes contemporary concern for evidence-based practice, minimizing interventions, and promoting male reproductive health.

These proceedings of the 2018 XIII International Symposium on Spermatology focus on comparative biology, and encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas. The aim of this Symposium was to provide a unique opportunity and bring together scientists from a wide spectrum of research fields - human, domestic animals and other mammals, vertebrates, insects, and plants. The underlying focus is on the function of the spermatozoon - a common feature for sexual reproduction, but extremely varied. By exploring the variability, a better understanding of male reproductive functions can develop. These proceedings address the mechanisms of physiology and pathophysiology, rather than diagnosis and treatment. The symposium featured keynote lectures by invited speakers, followed by presentations on specific aspects of the general topic of the session. Experimental studies are given priority over clinical studies of patient populations. The proceedings comprise both keynote speakers' texts and selected free communications. Posters were considered for publication in the proceedings, and the volume includes exhibited materials on the work of prominent spermatologists, highlighting their important past achievements in the field.

Stillbirth remains a sufficiently frequent outcome of pregnancy to pose great problems for clinicians, who have to treat extremely distressed patients. This concise but comprehensive book from an international team of contributors sets out clear guidelines for clinical procedures and patient management for the obstetrician, as well as the gynecologist and the gynecologic pathologist.

Welcomed as liberation and dismissed as exploitation, egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) has rapidly become one of the most widely-discussed and influential new reproductive technologies of this century. In Freezing Fertility, Lucy van de Wiel takes us inside the world of fertility preservation—with its egg freezing parties, contested age limits, proactive anticipations and equity investments—and shows how the popularization of egg freezing has profound consequences for the way in which female fertility and reproductive aging are understood, commercialized and politicized. Beyond an individual reproductive choice for people who may want to have children later in life, Freezing Fertility explores how the rise of egg freezing also reveals broader cultural, political and economic negotiations about reproductive politics, gender inequities, age normativities and the financialization of healthcare. Van de Wiel investigates these issues by analyzing a wide range of sources—varying from sparkly online platforms to heart-breaking court cases and intimate autobiographical accounts—that are emblematic of each stage of the egg freezing procedure. By following the egg’s journey, Freezing Fertility examines how contemporary egg freezing practices both reflect broader social, regulatory and economic power asymmetries and repoliticize fertility and aging in ways that affect the public at large. In doing so, the book explores how the possibility of egg freezing shifts our relation to the beginning and end of life.

This new edition provides an update on the molecular mechanisms that regulate spermatogenesis. In addition to the rodent as a study model, chapters also include research on studies in humans. It includes the latest approaches of studying spermatogenesis, such as the use of bioinformatics, molecular modeling and others which are not commonly found in published materials. It also reviews the latest developments in the field, such as studies on the role of regulatory RNAs on spermatogenesis. Due to the declining fertility rate among men, a brand new chapter highlights the impact of environmental toxicants on spermatogenesis.

Oocyte cryopreservation entails important potential advantages for human IVF, offering a less ethically disputable alternative to embryo cryopreservation, simplifying and making safer oocyte donation, and giving an opportunity for fertility preservation to women at risk of premature ovarian failure as an effect of genetic factors or chemo- or radiotherapies. Oocyte cryopreservation could also meet the expectations of women wishing to preserve their fertility for social reasons. In the last few years, advances in cryopreservation methodologies have dramatically improved the efficiency of oocyte cryopreservation, leading to the birth of over a thousand babies and challenging the supremacy of embryo cryopreservation as the preferred form of fertility preservation. This text has been conceived with the aim of offering a comprehensive view of the state of the art of oocyte cryopreservation. It covers fundamental concepts of low temperature storage (controlled rate slow cooling and vitrification), aspects of oocyte physiology relevant to the process of cryopreservation, essential biological and clinical evidence, and ethical implications of oocyte cryopreservation, thereby providing a complete overview of progress in this strategy in assisted reproduction.

This thoroughly revised second edition is an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of Notch and Notch signaling in embryology and cancer. It discusses this topic from Notch's role in the development of the embryo to the Notch signaling pathway's role in the development of a number of cancers, including breast cancer, malignant melanoma, Non-melanoma skin cancer, intestinal cancer and others. In the years since the previous edition, there have been numerous developments and insights within this rapidly moving field, making this new edition urgently needed. This volume also features discussions of current insights on Notch's role in senescence, the regulation of Notch signaling by microRNAs, Notch's role in the microbiome, diet and its influence on Notch signaling and more. Taken as a whole, with its companion books - Molecular Biology of Notch Signaling and Notch Signaling in Cancer - this is a definitive discussion of the topic, presented by internationally-recognized contributors. Presented in a coherent and accessible structure, this revised and updated second edition is an essential and up-to-date guide for oncologists, embryologists, researchers and advanced students.

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.

Selecting the best embryo to transfer to the uterus is key to successful in vitro fertilization (IVF). A huge amount of research has been devoted to this topic and there are numerous methods used, from simple morphological assessment to molecular biological techniques to assess the genome and metabolism of the newly fertilized embryo. For many of these techniques, an adequate evidence base is lacking, and expert opinion is valuable. Clinical imperatives require ranking all embryos in a cohort according to their viability, thereby enabling the selection of the best embryo to optimize live birth outcome: a key indicator used to measure and rate IVF Clinics worldwide. This clear and informative manual will provide embryologists and clinicians with an overview of the tools now available to assist in embryo selection, as well as evidence for their efficacy and safety and the broader considerations that must underlie these important clinical decisions.

About preventing, preparing, coping How do I know if I have dementia, and how will I live with it if I do? Can people with dementia consent to sex? Can they choose euthanasia for their future selves? And can we prevent or push back its onset? Chances are you know someone with dementia, but how well do you really understand the condition? Dementia is a complex interplay of biological, social and psychological factors, and understanding it means understanding more about society and ourselves. Approaching the topic through 20 insightful questions, Dr Kate Gregorevic explains the physical state of dementia, how to relate the diagnosis to real life, what questions to ask your doctor, what might be done to prevent the condition, and how we can make our homes and society better for people with dementia. While this book tackles some uncomfortable questions, its purpose is to help - to prevent, to prepare, to cope and to understand - and provide you with strategies for moving forward.

God of Sperm tells the remarkable story of Dr. Cappy Miles Rothman, the son of notorious gangster Norman "Roughhouse" Rothman, who went on to become a trailblazer in the field of reproductive medicine. Rothman started the California Cryobank, one of the world's largest repositories of reproductive genetic material and cord-blood stem cells. Among other achievements, Rothman also pioneered the use of microsurgery in urological procedures, postmortem sperm retrieval techniques, and was one of the first practitioners of andrology, a specialty dealing with male reproductive biology and medicine. How Cappy Rothman went from Mafia scion and man-about-town during the postwar Miami Beach--Havana era of gangster chic to one of the most consequential figures in modern medicine is an epic, only-in-America tale that is also a fine reminder of the broad horizons and wild possibilities life in the U.S. can offer.

The aim of the two-volume set of Placenta and Trophoblast: Methods and Protocols is to offer contemporary approaches for studying the biology of the placenta. The chapters contained herein also address critical features of the female organ within which the embryo is housed, the uterus, and some aspects of the embryo-fetus itself, particularly those of common experimental animal models. In keeping with the organization used effectively in other volumes in this series, each chapter has a brief introduction followed by a list of required items, protocols, and notes designed to help the reader perform the expe- ments without difficulty. In both volumes, sources of supplies are given and illustrations highlight particular techniques as well as expected outcomes. A key aspect of these volumes is that the contributors are at the forefronts of their disciplines, thus ensuring the accuracy and usefulness of the chapters. Placenta research has progressed rapidly over the past several decades by taking advantage of the technical advances made in other fields. For example, the reader will note that many techniques, such as reverse transcriptase po- merase chain reaction, northern and western blotting, microarray analyses and in situ hybridization experiments, are routinely used for dissecting a wide range of experimental questions. Protein analysis and functional experiments on tissues and cells that comprise the maternal-fetal interface benefit from studies in en- crinology, immunology, and developmental biology. These volumes also present new ideas on investigating gene imprinting and gene transfer via viral vectors.

This book provides concrete scientific basis that we can conceive the possibility of modifying or even completely canceling aging process, despite the fact that aging is commonly regarded as the result of the overall effects of many uncontrollable degenerative phenomena. The authors illustrate in detail the mechanisms by which cells and the whole organism age. Actions by which it is possible, or will be possible within a limited time, to operate for modifying aging are also debated. The discussion is conducted within the frame and the concepts of evolutionary medicine, which is also indispensable for distinguishing between the manifestations of aging and: (i) diseases that worsen with age, and (ii) acceleration of normal aging rates, caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits and other avoidable factors. The book also discusses the impact of aging on overall mortality and the strange situation that, according to official statistics, aging does not exist as cause of death. This book is a turning point between a gerontology and geriatrics conceived as the study and vain treatment of an incurable condition and one in which these disciplines examine the how and why of a physiological phenomenon that can be modified up to a possible total control. This means transforming the medical prevention and treatment of physiological aging from the greatest failure to the greatest success of medicine.

The purpose of sexual and reproductive healthcare should be the enhancement of personal relationships and a healthy sex life and not merely counselling and care related to procreation or sexually transmitted infections. Providing practical and evidence-based guidance, this handbook follows the curriculum of the joint EBCOG and ESCRH Certificate and Diploma Examination in Sexual and Reproductive Health. Short, clearly structured text focuses on the essential knowledge of each topic, allowing readers to quickly access key information. Written by trusted experts in the field, topics covered include contraception, infertility and sexual dysfunction, sexual violence and STIs. The text provides advice and practical tips for how to practice patient-centred counselling and shared decision-making. Improving the relationship between the patient and healthcare-provider leads to increased trust, adherence of advice and more satisfactory treatment for the patient.

"Studies on Men s Health and Fertility "provides a comprehensive series of up-to-the-minute reviews addressing the role of oxidative stress in the aetiology of reproductive pathologies in the male. This volume represents by far the most detailed, authoritative review of the field that has been produced to date. The text encompasses the basic science of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by mammalian spermatozoa, the way in which these highly reactive molecules are processed by the germ line and the physiological significance of this redox activity in the generation of a functional gamete. The factors responsible for perturbing the delicate balance between physiological redox signaling on the one hand and oxidative stress on the other are also extensively reviewed and some of the first clues concerning the underlying mechanisms (age, heat, infection, cryostorage, aberrant lipid metabolism), clearly identified. From a clinical perspective there are chapters setting out the methods we should be using to diagnose oxidative stress in the male germ line, a clinical perspective on the aetiology of this condition and detailed considerations of the most suitable means of ameliorating such stress from a therapeutic point of view.

"Studies on Men s Health and Fertility "is intended to provide clinicians and scientists with a snap shot of the current status of this exciting, rapidly moving field. The book will be of value to clinicians interested in strategies for the management of oxidative stress in their infertility patients and scientists wishing to understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning the generation of ROS by these cells and its pathophysiological significance. It was not so long ago that the ability of spermatozoa to generate ROS was a hotly disputed topic. With the publication of this book such doubts can finally be laid to rest. There is now no doubt that these cells actively generate ROS, that oxidative stress is a major contributor to defects in male reproductive health and that the successful clinical management of this condition depends on developing a deeper understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this quest, "Studies on Men s Health and Fertility "will be seen as a clear and important milestone. "

The first IVF conceived birth in 1978 resulted in a significant growth of third party reproductive options which continue to raise ethical, legal, and psychological questions. Third party reproduction procedures can involve as many as five people: sperm donor, egg donor, gestational carrier, and intended parents. "Third-Party Reproduction: A Comprehensive Guide" utilizes experts in the field to address the medical, psychological, ethical and legal aspects of sperm donation, egg donation, embryo donation, and the use of gestational carriers. In addition, there are chapters on the medical and ethical aspects of posthumous reproduction, religious aspects of third party reproduction, and how to avoid pitfalls of third party reproduction. Aimed at physicians, trainees, psychologists, nurses, and social workers whose practices may include patients considering third party reproduction, the intent of this book is to provide a comprehensive and practical overview of the many aspects of third party reproduction to help all those involved to better understand them. Patients considering third party reproduction may also find value in this book.

This much-needed book provides honest, clear, and helpful medical information for older adults and their caregivers, written in an easily understandable language. There are many myths and much misinformation about aging. At the same time, there are few trustworthy books on the subject. Aging, But Never Old: The Realities, Myths, and Misrepresentations of the Anti-Aging Movement was written to address those myths and fill that gap. Written by an eminent geriatric specialist, this book will educate readers about the specialty of geriatric medicine, helping them understand what true geriatric care is and what it can do for older adults. The book opens with a comparison of scientifically sound geriatric medicine as compared to its arch rival, the "anti-aging business." It goes on to discuss the most important medical issues an older adult will face, explaining them in layman's terms and through the use of case examples. Full of sage advice, humor, and easy-to-remember suggestions pertaining to each issue discussed, this upbeat volume will help older adults and their children and caregivers better navigate the increasingly complex medical options older adults now face. Contributions from 20 distinguished physicians from Harvard Medical School and quotes and other material from more than 100 original papers to ensure scientific accuracy and up-to-date context Case examples that help explain material and bring the advice to life

The first edition of "Textbook of Men's Health" did much to establish and define the scope of the emerging subspecialty of aging men's health. This revised and updated edition offers a unique overview of the male health and offers valuable insights for improved management and critical care.The central mission of the new edition is to unpick normal physiologic aging in men from pathologic processes, eschewing any material that is routinely available in the standard textbooks of medicine and geriatrics in order to maintain a uniquely male perspective. This means a focus on the age-related decline in sex steroids and other hormones and the pathological and clinical consequences. Wherever possible, the book records consensus on diagnostic criteria, emphasizes evidence-based medicine and highlights translational science. Thisnbsp;revised and updated edition, with new sections on basic sciences and sexual dysfunction, unpicks normal physiologic aging in men from pathologic processes, in order to maintain a uniquely male perspective. This revised and updated edition, with new sections on basic sciences and sexual dysfunction, unpicks normal physiologic aging in men from pathologic processes, in order to maintain a uniquely male perspective. The first edition of Textbook of Men's Health did much to establish and define the scope of the emerging subspecialty of aging men's health. This revised and updated edition offers a unique overview of the male health and offers valuable insights for improved management and critical care. The central mission of the new edition is to unpick normal physiologic aging in men from pathologic processes, eschewing any material that is routinely available in the standard textbooks of medicine and geriatrics in order to maintain a uniquely male perspective. This means a focus on the age-related decline in sex steroids and other hormones and the pathological and clinical consequences. Wherever possible, the bo