The Fallopian tube has until recently been a neglected structure, bypassed by IVF and seen only as a tube that transports the egg to the uterus. More recently, its central role as the site of fertilization and early embryogenesis has been recognized, along with the major effects of tubal disease, such as chlamydia trachomatis, on fertility. Tubal surgery is an option for those women who avoid IVF because of anxiety about medication side-effects or for religious reasons. The tube is also the site for female sterilization and its reversal. This definitive guide to the Fallopian tube and its disorders collates all these topics, with authoritative text covering the spectrum of clinically relevant topics in a digestible fashion. It will be of interest to gynecologists, specialists in reproductive medicine and infertility and family planning, and others with interest in this fascinating and underestimated organ of reproduction.

Infertility is a major increasing concern. As the male factor contributes to about half of the infertility cases, sperm analysis is extremely important for diagnosis and investigation of infertility. In this book, the cytometric techniques used to evaluate sperm DNA/chromatin integrity together with some other functional properties of the male gamete are described and advantages and limitations are discussed. In addition, the authors provide an overview of how antioxidative and redox systems participate in spermatogenesis and in pathological conditions, such as heat stress, in the testes. Oxidative stress-induced damage to both oocytes in vivo and embryos in culture are also examined, as well as the role of ROS signalling in embryo development. Furthermore, endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent disease which affects 6% to 30% of women in reproductive age and is associated with infertility in approximately 60% of cases. In this book, classic and recently proposed etiopathogenic mechanisms or endometriosis-related infertility are discussed, as well as some aspects of its clinical investigation and medical treatment. Other chapters in this book assess the capability of combining of Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and embryo quality as predictors of pregnancy outcome and an examination of how the use of animal models can help us to understand the female reproductive system and the aetiology of some female infertile disorders.

If you need help having a baby, reproductive technology can supply the answer. But it also raises a host of questions that won't arise until after the child is born: What will you say to "Where did I come from?" when the answer includes a donor or surrogate? Will knowing the truth about how you conceived make your child love you less? Will having a baby with someone else strain your relationship with your spouse or partner? What will grandparents, family members, friends, and coworkers think? Dr. Diane Ehrensaft--a developmental and clinical psychologist who's worked with families formed using assisted reproductive technology for more than 20 years--helps you anticipate the big questions and find solutions that are right for you and your loved ones. Dr. Ehrensaft offers information, support, and straightforward advice for coping with private worries, confronting public prejudices, and raising happy, healthy children. Single or married, straight or gay, anyone looking forward to the joys and challenges of building a family with the help of a donor or surrogate will discover a wealth of thought-provoking ideas and fresh insights in this sensitive, practical, and positive book.

Are girls entering puberty earlier than they used to? This question, which has been debated recently by doctors and scientists in the pages of "Time" magazine and the "New York Times," proves that there is still a great deal to learn about women's reproductive health. "Female Fertility and the Body-Fat Connection" is the record of one scientist's groundbreaking and decades-long work on the connections among fertility, body fat, and reproductive health in women.
Rose E. Frisch explains here how, in women, a certain amount of body fat is crucial to the reproductive system and sexual maturation. Women who are too lean are infertile and cannot conceive children; young girls who are too thin have a delayed onset of their first period. "Female Fertility and the Body-Fat Connection" illuminates how and why a "critical fitness" level underlies a woman's reproductive health. In the process Frisch gives readers a comprehensive view of the research done to date on the relationship between body composition and fertility and also describes her own journey as a woman scientist working to advance her critical-fitness hypothesis both to the general public and the scientific community. Frisch answers the questions every woman has about the desirable weight for health and fertility and even includes tables to help women find their own best weight. She also demonstrates how important diet and exercise are for the long-term reproductive health of women, and shows what factors influence the onset of puberty in girls.
Each milestone of the reproductive life span is affected by food intake and energy output, the factors affecting the storage of fat. "Female Fertility and the Body-Fat Connection" is acornerstone to understanding the health of girls and women.

Drawing on the experiences of parents, offspring and donors, including her own and her family's story, this is an exploration of the process of donor conception, from the consumer advocate for the Donor Conception Support Group of Australia.;Caroline Lorbach takes the reader step by step through the process of deciding to use donor conception, choosing a donor, and discussing the decision with others. She also considers the perspective of the donor alongside those of parents and offspring.

A groundbreaking new book on American policy and human fertility control which reviews and analyzes policies and practices over the last thirty years in each of the fifty states. Arguing that morality politics has helped make fertility policies contentious and complex, McFarlane and Meier conclude that current policies are inadequate for addressing unintended pregnancies and even contribute to high abortion rates. The authors offer alternative public policy designed to be more effective in the future.

Impotence is a widespread phenomenon; about half of couples entering sex therapy and one quarter of those entering marital therapy will complain of this problem. As baby boomers enter their fifties and grow older during the next few decades, many more men will be affected by this problem. In this groundbreaking work, Gerald Weeks and Nancy Gambescia present the first serious discussion of comprehensive psychological and medical treatments for erectile dysfunction after the advent of Viagra. Though most recently Viagra has catapulted discussion of erectile dysfunction to the front pages of major newspapers and, via television, American living rooms, there are actually a number of different treatment options available. In fact, medical therapies for erectile dysfunction have developed at an ever-increasing pace in the last 20 years. Yet, despite widespread advances made in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the field of sex therapy has lagged significantly behind in how it addresses the problem. The authors offer an integrated approach that examines both the organic and psychological factors contributing to erectile dysfunction. With this treatment model integrating both medical and psychological therapies, the authors also stress the role of the couple's relationship in the etiology and treatment of the dysfunction. The book presents medical information (about various kinds of drugs as well as other interventions); physiological information (why certain drugs work and why some don't); psychological information (the effects of the disorder on both the individual and the couple); and practical information (when and how to seek treatment and what type of treatment works best under different conditions). For sex and couple therapists and physicians, Erectile Dysfunction presents a systematic method for evaluating erectile dysfunction, determining whether its basis is primarily organic or psychogenic, and treating it by integrating medical interventions with sex and marital therapy. For the person seeking treatment (and for his spouse), the book offers a thorough and impartial discussion of the disorder.

In order to maximize the chance of IVF success, couples need to ensure that their preconceptual health is optimal to increase the quality of gametes and reproductive fitness. This text reviews the medical and lifestyle factors that can affect the body at preconception stage, such as micronutrients, stress, hormonal and gynecologic assessment, as well as environmental factors such as optimal weight and age for childbirth. This book will enable all medical practitioners and healthcare professionals to give evidence-based advice to influence the success rate of subsequent IVF cycles, and ensure that every child is born in the best possible condition. Part of a four-book series on optimizing different aspects of the IVF cycle, this book focusses on preparing the body for assisted conception. Other books in the series focus on the egg and embryo, the endometrium, and the sperm.

Girl meets girl. Girl marries girl. They want to have babies - but they need a little help. Double Pregnant is author Natalie Meisner's light-hearted, poignant and informative true story of two lesbians who want to have children. For a variety of reasons, one being that Natalie's wife is a woman of colour who was adopted into a white family, the couple decides not to take the anonymous sperm clinic route. Natalie and Vivien want their children to have some connection to their donor if possible. Taking matters into their own hands leads the couple to a series of often-hilarious "dates" with potential donors, all of whom have wildly different opinions on how the donation process should go and also of what this new, twenty-first-century version of a family will look like.

Around three quarters of people who turn to adoption do so because of infertility and those working in this field need information, guidance and support to assist them in the process of adoption to support the adopters and to deal with any issues that may result from infertility. Adopting after Infertility is an accessible and informative interdisciplinary book that addresses the issues that professionals working with adopters and the adopters themselves face when going through the adoption process and the impact of infertility on their experiences. The book includes chapters on the effects of infertility, why people may choose adoption and the assessment and preparation process. It also covers what an Adoption Panel needs to know about the prospective parents, the experiences of those coming to adoption from minority communities or when living with health conditions and post-adoption support needs. Personal accounts by people who have experienced adopting after infertility are included throughout the book. This book will be essential reading for professionals and academics from a range of disciplines including social work, psychology, health, mental health and counselling. It will also be invaluable to students studying for post-qualifying awards.

Now in its revised and expanded second edition - including over 20 new chapters - this comprehensive textbook remains a unique and accessible description of the current and developing diagnostic and treatment techniques and technologies comprising in vitro fertilization (IVF). Arranged thematically in sections, each chapter covers a key topic in IVF in a sensible presentation. Parts one and two describe the planning, design and organization of an ART unit and IVF laboratory and equipment and systems, respectively. The sections that follow provide detailed descriptions of IVF techniques, embryo culture methods, sperm processing and selection, insemination procedures, micromanipulation, embryo evaluation, cryopreservation, and embryo transfer. Concluding sections address issues of management and regulation of ART labs across the globe, as well as special topics and emerging techniques and devices. Chapter authors, all experts in the field, contribute their expertise from around the world. With the addition of learning key points and review questions at the beginning and end of each chapter, this new edition of In Vitro Fertilization is a readily accessible, high quality instructional resource for reproductive medicine trainees at all levels. Practicing reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, and embryologists also will find value in the book, as will infertility researchers.

Gain a solid understanding of how to treat infertility with Chinese medicine Written by experts in Chinese medicine, this textbook provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese medicine therapies for fertility disorders. It opens by reviewing the basics of current Western reproductive medicine in terms of diagnosis, treatment options, and possible risks. The book then introduces the reader to traditional Chinese fertility treatments, providing information about how they complement Western reproductive medicine. The authors describe in detail the different treatment methods, ranging from qi gong and tui na to moxibustion and acupuncture to Chinese dietetics and medicinal therapy. The main section of the book provides in-depth discussion of specific fertility disorders and their management, including menstrual disorders, early menopause, sexual disorders, male infertility, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome. It closes with a section on patient support, addressing issues such as the mind-body relationship and the impact of stress. Key features: Case studies with real-life examples of specific treatment approaches Information on both Chinese and Western therapies. Perspectives from numerous Chinese medicine specialists. Extensive quotations from classical texts in translation. Historical, cultural, and social perspectives on the issue of fertility in Chinese culture, modern and ancient Chinese Medicine in Fertility Disorders is an invaluable resource for practitioners in complementary medicine, including acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists who wish to include fertility treatment in their practice, and a useful reference for all physicians who seek to expand their perspective on managing fertility issues.

If you need help having a baby, reproductive technology can supply the answer. But it also raises a host of questions that won't arise until after the child is born: What will you say to "Where did I come from?" when the answer includes a donor or surrogate? Will knowing the truth about how you conceived make your child love you less? Will having a baby with someone else strain your relationship with your spouse or partner? What will grandparents, family members, friends, and coworkers think? Dr. Diane Ehrensaft--a developmental and clinical psychologist who's worked with families formed using assisted reproductive technology for more than 20 years--helps you anticipate the big questions and find solutions that are right for you and your loved ones. Dr. Ehrensaft offers information, support, and straightforward advice for coping with private worries, confronting public prejudices, and raising happy, healthy children. Single or married, straight or gay, anyone looking forward to the joys and challenges of building a family with the help of a donor or surrogate will discover a wealth of thought-provoking ideas and fresh insights in this sensitive, practical, and positive book.