Surrogacy is India's new form of outsourcing, as couples from all over the world hire Indian women to bear their children for a fraction of the cost of surrogacy elsewhere with little to no government oversight or regulation. In the first detailed ethnography of India's surrogacy industry, Amrita Pande visits clinics and hostels and speaks with surrogates and their families, clients, doctors, brokers, and hostel matrons in order to shed light on this burgeoning business and the experiences of the laborers within it. From recruitment to training to delivery, Pande's research focuses on how reproduction meets production in surrogacy and how this reflects characteristics of India's larger labor system.

Pande's interviews prove surrogates are more than victims of disciplinary power, and she examines the strategies they deploy to retain control over their bodies and reproductive futures. While some women are coerced into the business by their families, others negotiate with clients and their clinics to gain access to technologies and networks otherwise closed to them. As surrogates, the women Pande meets get to know and make the most of advanced medical discoveries. They traverse borders and straddle relationships that test the boundaries of race, class, religion, and nationality. Those who focus on the inherent inequalities of India's surrogacy industry believe the practice should be either banned or strictly regulated. Pande instead advocates for a better understanding of this complex labor market, envisioning an international model of fair-trade surrogacy founded on openness and transparency in all business, medical, and emotional exchanges.

Part of the recognised Infertility Management Series, this handbook is a complete guide to basic laboratory procedures in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The book guides clinicians step by step through the processes, beginning with discussion on semen analysis, cryopreservation of semen samples, and semen selection, to embryo culture, selection and transfer, and oocyte and embryo vitrification. The final chapters cover time-lapse imaging - a new technology for embryo development, design and equipment for the laboratory, and future developments in ART laboratory procedures, including the development of gametes from stem cells. Compiled by a recognised team of editors and contributors, the text is enhanced by clinical photographs, illustrations and tables. Other titles in the series include: Investigating Infertility, Intrauterine Insemination, Practical Management of Male Infertility, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Handbook of Ovarian Stimulation, and Abnormalities of the Pelvis. Key points Part of Infertility Management Series providing complete guide to basic laboratory procedures in ART Guides clinicians step by step through the various processes Highly illustrated with photographs, diagrams and tables Edited by recognised team of experts in reproductive medicine

A powerful, personal reflection on miscarriage from an acclaimed health and science journalist, drawing on original interviews and ground-breaking research to offer fresh insight into this underacknowledged subject. After losing four pregnancies with no obvious cause, Jennie Agg set out to understand why miscarriage remains such a profoundly misunderstood, under-researched and under-acknowledged experience. Part-memoir, part-scientific investigation, Life, Almost documents Agg's path to motherhood and her search for answers. Tracing each tentative step of her fifth pregnancy - as her body becomes a creature she does not wish to spook - Agg dismantles the myths that we unquestioningly accept about our reproductive lives- Why are we told miscarriage can't be prevented when half of all miscarriages are of perfectly healthy embryos? Why is it normal not to tell anyone you're pregnant for the first three months? Why don't we know why labour starts? Drawing on pioneering research and interviews with world-leading experts, Life, Almost is a ground-breaking book that will change how you think about miscarriage, and a moving reflection on grief and love at the edge of life as we understand it.

This is an up-to-date evidence-based textbook for junior obstetricians and gynaecologists. It contains all the material relevant to everyday practice and the new RCOG curriculum. It has been written and edited by inspiring teams that combine juniors, new and established consultants working in a range of settings and many of the UK's top experts in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Step-by-step descriptions and pictures of practical procedures help trainees integrate their clinical and drills-and-skills teaching with the theoritical basis of the vital, life-saving and emergency aspects of this specialty. The text covers the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes required before taking advanced modules or training in the subspecialty areas of obstetrics and gynaecology. Full reference is made to grades and levels of evidence, to specialty, and RCOG, and NICE guidance.
A novel section on professional skills covers a wide range of issues that other textbooks skim over, but will add quality to practice: breaking bad news, clinical errors and negligence, the Confidential Enquiries, law and ethics, and what to do when things go wrong.
The book manages to combine both a freshness and enthusiasm for the specialty along with wisdom rooted in reflective clinical practice. The text is laid out with excellent instructions, diagrams, clinical tips, landmark studies, key references and useful websites, all encouraging understanding and enjoyable learning.

Has the college experience of women been an influence on the number of children desired and the number and spacing of their children? Do women come to college with their attitudes and values in this regard already formed? This study of 15,000 women, freshmen and seniors in 45 American colleges and universities, both secular and nonsecular, attempts to answer this question and to determine how such characteristics as religious preference, career intentions, and the number of children in her own family influence a woman's fertility values. Attention is paid to an earlier finding that Catholic college graduates have higher fertility than Catholic high school graduates, although higher education is usually associated with lower fertility. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Why do American couples differ in the number of children they have? To answer this question the first major longitudinal study in American fertility was begun in 1957 with a series of interviews with parents of two children. Family Growth in Metropolitan America (1961) and The Third Child (1963) reported the results of the first two phases of this research project. In this book, in addition to evaluating the longitudinal design of the study, the authors report the results of the third and final interviews, a decade after the first, and attempt to answer such questions as: How well are couples able to predict their own fertility over the years? To what extent does the number of children desired affect the spacing of births? How is fertility affected by peer group relations, by the wife's participation in the labor force, by religion? Originally published in 1971. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Maintaining consistent and reliably high success rates is a daily challenge for every IVF laboratory. This step-by-step guide is an essential aid in navigating the complex maze of physical, chemical, biological, and logistic parameters that underpin successful gamete and embryo culture: temperature, pH, osmolality, gas supplies, air quality, light exposure, infections, managing supplies, personnel, as well as overall quality control. Numerous real-life troubleshooting case reports are presented, identifying all aspects necessary for troubleshooting. Process maps and flow charts accompanying each chapter offer a logical and systematic approach to problem solving in the laboratory. This is an essential resource for scientists in assisted reproductive technology and specialists in reproductive biology and medicine, helping IVF clinics to achieve the dream of every infertile couple: the birth of a healthy child.

In Taking Baby Steps, Jody Lynee Madeira takes readers inside the infertility experience, from dealing with infertility-related emotions through forming treatment relationships with medical professionals to confronting difficult medical decisions. Based on hundreds of interviews, this book investigates how women, men, and medical professionals negotiate infertility's rocky terrain to create life and build families-a journey across personal, medical, legal, and ethical minefields that can test mental and physical health, friendships and marriages, spirituality, and financial security.

Men with cancer rendered infertile by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy that are needed to control or cure their disease are increasingly being offered the chance to preserve their reproductive potential through artificial reproductive technologies. Cryopreservation of sperm and testicular tissue have increasingly helped boys and men preserve their fertility. There is a growing subspecialty within reproductive medicine aimed at fertility preservation in this population. Furthermore, strategies are being developed that may in the future revolutionize the approach to such patients. Written by international authorities in the field of fertility preservation, this comprehensive book is aimed at clinicians dealing with male cancer patients, in particular, urologists, andrologists, oncologists, pediatricians and nursing staff as well as clinicians in reproductive endocrinology. The text reviews the impact of cancers and their treatment on male fertility, the available fertility preservation strategies and post-treatment management.

Intrauterine insemination and ovulation induction is effective first-line treatment for infertility in many straightforward cases and is preferred by many clinicians because they are less invasive than in-vitro fertilization and its variants. This is a comprehensive account of how to set up and run a successful IUI program. The book addresses the practical aspects of treatments that will produce optimum results in terms of pregnancy outcome and safety, as well as the pharmacological and physiological reasons for their use. Chapters on how to prevent complications of ovulation induction such as multiple births and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome are included, as well as how to diagnose infertility in both sexes. Laboratory procedures for sperm preparation are described in detail. Worldwide resources for obtaining donor sperm and legal issues that surround the management of patients are included. This 2009 manual is of interest to reproductive medicine specialists, general practitioners and general obstetrician gynecologists.

It is widely believed that reproductive cycles are very similar between human females. However, there are in fact considerable variations both between individuals and within the reproductive life of any given individual. 'Normal' reproductive cycles cover a wide range of eventualities, and the likelihood of successful monthly egg release and ensuing pregnancy can be modified by a large number of factors. In this book, the variability of human fertility is examined by first looking at the physiological processes regulating reproduction, and the roles of metabolic adaptation and metabolic load. Inter-population variation in normal ovarian function is then discussed, covering the importance of factors such as age, disease and breastfeeding in modifying ovarian function. First published in 1996, this is an important book for all those interested in human fertility.

Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, 2nd edition, is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary textbook for all health professionals providing care for individuals facing reproductive health issues. It is the most thorough and extensive book currently available for clinicians in the field of infertility counseling, providing an exhaustive and comprehensive review of topics. It addresses both the medical and psychological aspects of infertility, reviewing assessment approaches, treatment strategies, counseling for medical conditions impacting fertility, third-party reproduction, alternative family building and post infertility counseling issues. Each chapter follows the same format: introduction, historical overview, literature review, theoretical framework, identification of clinical issues, suggestions for therapeutic interventions, and future implication. This edition also includes extensive appendixes of clinical tools useful to the clinician, including an Internet database of resources and an extensive glossary of terminology.

Selecting good-quality sperm for use in in-vitro fertilization is a key step in assisted reproduction. For many years purely morphological attributes have been used to assess suitability, but increasingly biochemical and molecular biological techniques are now identifying sperm with the best chances of producing viable and healthy embryos. Focusing on modern sperm function testing, this manual provides technical details of commonly used tests and gives an overview of the laboratory techniques used to evaluate sperm samples. Covering a variety of testing methods in detail, from manual and computer-assisted semen analysis to zona pellucida binding assays, and tests assessing sperm DNA damage such as the TUNEL assay. Describing the underlying science, practical advice for performing the tests is given, including tips for optimizing outcomes and trouble-shooting. This is an essential guide for reproductive medicine specialists, clinical andrologists, urologists and gynecologists working with sub-fertile men.

Women's reproductive tract infections and other gynecological disorders are an enormous global health burden. This significant book helps focus research in this important, neglected area. It is a vital tool for doctors, epidemiologists and public health professionals to formulate effective ways of evaluating the scale of this problem within the local community. The book takes an international perspective and recognizes that gathering gynecological information in different societies requires a sensitive and multidisciplinary approach. This research highlights the social significance of these disorders for women's health and casts new light on effective medical and behavioral interventions.

This insightful and thought-provoking collection of chapters describes the rapid advances that have revolutionized reproductive medicine. From oogenesis and spermatogenesis, through to fertilization, embryogenesis, and cloning, this volume looks at cutting-edge technologies and scientific advances. Subsequent chapters focus on infertility and its diagnosis and treatment using the full armory of assisted reproductive technologies. A concluding section surveys the impact of these developments on the provision, regulation, and financing of reproductive health care in the global community.

This well-illustrated new publication provides concise yet comprehensive practical information on the modern-day approach to the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. The author explains basic principles of reproductive physiology, before moving on to the medical causes of infertility. The full armory of techniques from IVF to ICSI and even newer technologies used to treat infertility in all its manifestations is described and detailed. The aim throughout is to explain issues clearly, simply, and directly in a way that will be understood by doctors, scientists, and nurses alike. By combining basic science and medical aspects, along with "how it is done" descriptions of techniques and medical interventions, this book offers an unsurpassed introductory account of this fast moving area.

This practical and concise guide provides a step-by-step approach to every aspect of the interpretation of semen analysis results. While other books focus on basic semen analysis protocol and techniques, few books then go on to actually interpret these results and provide useful guidance on the significance of different results for infertility assessment. This guide takes a systematic, hands-on approach to identification of the ranges of abnormality that contribute to male subfertility. It also defines basic concepts, provides clinically essential reference values, and elucidates the often subtle relationships among many sperm characteristics. Once conclusions are reached, the guide offers recommendations for appropriate referral and additional options. Inclusion of vignettes from a wide range of real-life case reports based on the author's own experiences help to illustrate key points. This practical guide is an invaluable resource for all clinicians, scientists, and laboratory professionals working with infertile patients.

As we enter the twenty-first century, a number of medical, environmental, and social changes have profoundly affected human reproduction. This book discusses some of the more dramatic changes in an accessible manner, illustrating the ways in which human biology and culture can affect fertility. It provides a unique interdisciplinary perspective on the subject. Topics of discussion include medical technological advances that equip us with potential cures for many causes of infertility; diseases, such as AIDS, that have a devastating impact on the reproductive and social lives of humans; increasing industrialization and the development of fabricated materials that pollute our environment in unforeseen ways with possibly devastating effects on human health and fertility; and social revolutions that profoundly alter human relationships, such as nonmarital unions between heterosexual couples, same-sex relationships, and adoption and surrogacy.

In recent years, the treatment of male infertility has been revolutionized by advances in assisted reproductive technology. Prepared by an authoritative international panel of experts, this concise and structured account provides a consensus on the most effective and logical approach to the investigation and management of male infertility. The manual focuses attention on three key areas: history taking, clinical assessment of male fertility, and objective criteria for diagnostic categories. This approach complements the areas covered in the companion volume WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-Cervical Mucus Interaction (CUP, fourth edition, 1999) and significantly expands on the section on male infertility discussed in the previous volume on the infertile couple, WHO Manual for the Standardized Investigation and Diagnosis of the Infertile Couple (CUP, 1993). This new, practical consensus will be an indispensable guide to good clinical management of all forms of male infertility.

Many wrongly believe that reproductive cycles are very similar among human females. In actuality, there are considerable variations among individuals and within the reproductive life of any given female. "Normal" reproductive cycles cover a wide range of examples, and the likelihood of successful monthly egg release and ensuing pregnancy can be modified by many factors. In this book, the variability of human fertility is examined by looking first at the physiological processes regulating reproduction. Interpopulation variation in normal ovarian function is then discussed, covering the importance of factors such as age and disease in the modification of ovarian function. The final part of this text covers issues of metabolic effects on reproduction. Researchers will welcome this definitive compilation of observations on fertility.

A comprehensive integrative handbook on fertility treatment, and Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART), the book is written by specialist contributors for health professionals and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners, and for those seriously considering ART themselves. Integrated approaches to infertility offer both a greater awareness and understanding of the combination of factors that can influence the chances of success when undergoing different types of ART. Leading experts review the evidence and discuss the benefits of different approaches to support the physiological and emotional aspects of fertility and fertility treatment. The book covers everything from identifying and treating conditions that may reduce fertility, including immunological abnormalities and specific male and female factors, to how nutrition, acupuncture, reflexology and yoga can support couples going through assisted reproduction, including helping to improve some immunological aspects. There is also a chapter that looks specifically at support for the over 40's.

For around half of the couples who have trouble conceiving the cause of infertility is sperm-related. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the most common and successful treatment for male infertility. Here, the pioneers for the technique, along with authorities in the field, describe the underlying science of ICSI and other micromanipulation techniques. Practical advice for performing the techniques is covered in depth, including sperm selection, laser-assisted ICSI, and the use of piezo in ICSI. Examining the safety of ICSI in animal models as well as the impact of ICSI on the health and well-being of the children conceived through the procedure is discussed. This manual is an essential resource for clinical embryologists and laboratory personnel wishing to refine or develop techniques and improve outcomes.

In early 2020, Rosanna Davison gave a raw and sincere account of the 14 miscarriages she had suffered before choosing to have a baby via gestational surrogate. Then, just weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant with identical twin boys, conceived naturally. In this heartfelt and honest book, Rosanna reveals her difficult journey to motherhood and examines the stigma and silence that surrounds infertility. From the anguish of her multiple pregnancy losses to the decision to explore surrogacy, as well as the practical and emotional challenges involved in pursuing this route to parenthood, she reveals what it was like to find out she was expecting miracle twins just months after her daughter was born. She describes how she and her husband have coped with the long and intense road to becoming parents of three children under two. Shining a light on miscarriage and motherhood, Rosanna tells her story.

'This book is an absolute game-changer' - Dr Xand Van Tulleken 'Everyone concerned about their fertility should read this book' - Dr Raj Mathur, Chair of the British Fertility Society The book you can trust to help you achieve a healthy pregnancy. Whether you are trying for a baby now or preparing for a family in future, The Fertility Book is the no-nonsense guide you need to help you to optimize your chances of a healthy pregnancy. World-renowned fertility consultant Adam Balen and reproductive biologist Grace Dugdale dispel the myths in this comprehensive guide to reproductive health, explaining in easy-to-understand terms the genetic and lifestyle factors at play. They take an honest look at the evidence for both conventional and alternative approaches, equipping you with powerful tools to improve your chances of a natural conception and an understanding of how to create the best environment for a healthy pregnancy. If you do decide to seek help through assisted conception, this book will be with you every step of the way, explaining what treatments are available and how to approach them, so that you can come to an informed decision about what is right for you. Professor Adam Balen and Grace Dugdale have decades of experience helping couples on their journey to conception and beyond. Now in this, their first book for a general readership, they explain everything you need to know to understand your own fertility.