This work is based on the proceedings of the seventh conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research held at the University of Michigan in Arbor in June 1987. It discusses such topics as the experience of menstruation, perimenstrual symptoms and premenstrual syndrome and menopause.

The fetus occupies a critical phase during human development. It is at this stage when the body systems that will support us throughout our lives begin to face up to the challenge of life outside the womb. While the fetus can demonstrate a remarkably robust response to challenges in the uterus, it is also an exquisitely sensitive phase of development. It is now well recognized that disturbances to the materno-fetal environment can influence and even undermine our state of health well into adulthood. This exciting new publication provides a valuable insight into fetal growth and development across all the main body systems, and examines the influence of the materno-fetal environment on adult-onset diseases. This text contains additional chapters on the embryo, placenta, and parturition, to insure that this is a fully self-contained introduction. This book is written by world-renowned experts from leading centers of excellence and will be an invaluable introduction for students of medicine, reproductive biology, and human biology.

Compiled by two experts in Reproductive Medicine, with contributions from internationally respected specialists, this innovative text lets the whole team in Reproductive Medicine get literally on the same page. Taking a cook-book approach to the operational procedures in the laboratory and in the clinic, it details what needs to be prepared in advance, what needs to be prepared earlier the same day, and what steps to take before, during, and after the procedure itself. This is an essential tool for ensuring all staff - whether experienced or starters - can be confident in their tasks and are in touch with what is expected of them and their colleagues.

This book discusses the nature of meiotic chromosome pairing effects which may play a role in the determination of fertility. In particular, data and illustrations from the application of recently developed electron microscopic spreading techniques will allow researchers in related fields to come to grips with the recent advances in the cytogenetics of meiotic chromosome pairing behavior. Topics dealt with include meiotic and synaptonemal complex behavior in humans and mice with a variety of chromosomal and genetic abnormalities, sex chromosome pairing in mammals and birds, the significance for fertility or pairing in mammals and birds, the significance for fertility of XY pairing and crossing over, the effects of hybridity on pairing and fertility in plants, and the genetic control of synaptonemal complex formation and crossing over in polyploids. This is a timely reference book for graduate level medical and veterinary students, and scientists in the field of genetics and cell biology.

A comprehensive survey of the use of ultrasound in management of infertile patients is presented in this publication. Particular atten-tion is given to recently developed techniques such as assessment of endometrial changes, ovarian blood flow measurements, and per-cutaneous oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization. The very re-cent technique of transvaginal sonography is presented and richly illus-trated with original results obtained in biopsy-guided oocyte re-trieval, and in the precise delineation of follicle size and number for infertility treatment. Guidance in the interpretation of ultrasonic findings, which include potential limitations and pitfalls, is provided in each chapter. Researchers and practitioners interested in the management of infertile patients will find this volume indispensable.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Global South and North critically analyses the political and social frameworks of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), and its impact in different countries. In the context of a worldwide social pressure to conceive - particularly for women - this collection explores the effect of the development of ARTs, growing globalisation and reproductive medicalization on global societies. Providing an overview of the issues surrounding ART both in the Global South and North, this book analyses ART inequalities, commonalities and specificities in various countries, regions and on the transnational scene. From a multidisciplinary perspective and drawing on multisite studies, it highlights some new issues relating to ART (e.g. egg freezing, surrogacy) and discusses some older issues regarding infertility and its medical treatment (e.g. in vitro fertilisation, childless stigmatisation and access to treatment). This book aims to redress the balance between what is known about Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Global North, and how the issue is investigated in the Global South. It aims to draw out the global similarities in the challenges that ARTs bring between these different areas of the world. It will appeal to scholars and students in the social sciences, medicine, public health, health policy, women's and gender studies, and demography.

'Amy's book is everything I should have learned at school. It is a reminder to empower ourselves, in a world that still sadly lacks so much knowledge around women's health, by getting to know our own bodies more intimately - with the help of technology built by women' Emma Gannon 'Moody is a fascinating and friendly guide for you to understand you better.' Melissa Hemsley 'Knowledge is power and this book equips you with the power to unlock potential and happiness.' Poppy Jamie, author of Happy Not Perfect There is a secret inside you which, once you understand it fully, has the capacity to unlock untold potential. Once you learn the science of your hormones, you will be able to harness it forever. Hormones were something Amy Thomson, founder and CEO of leading women's health app and tech service Moody, never paid attention to, until one day her periods stopped and what had been an inconvenience each month became a barometer for her body's health and mental happiness. When she discovered that her hormonal burnout was driven by stress, she quit her job and focused on trying to understand how her body worked, to establish why and how she had pushed herself too far. In this guide, Amy shares the research and science behind how our hormones work for twenty-first-century survival, how understanding them can help you build better and healthier routines, and why the systems and cycles inside us are an invisible but powerful force. With insights from nutritionists, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, personal trainers and others, Moody provides a holistic and practical blueprint for understanding your hormones and optimising your life around them. Praise for Moody 'As a woman, medical doctor and scientist I found Moody hugely illuminating' Dr Tara Swart

This collection examines enduring and topical questions in sexual and reproductive health in a range of contemporary Asian cultures. Beliefs and practices surrounding conception, pregnancy, birth, and confinement are studies in culturally specific contexts in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Important and widely applicable health issues are also addressed, including the perception and management of HIV/AIDS, experiences of menopause and the interaction of cosmopolitan ("western'') medicine with traditional healthcare.

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.

Vitrification in Assisted Reproduction presents standard and new cryopreservation techniques in detail, outlining those that have resulted in success, and providing recommended means for overcoming typically encountered problems. This new edition provides a much broader range of clinical application and data to demonstrate its contribution to the use of vitrified oocytes and embryos. The book also discusses new areas in the field of assisted reproductive technology such as oocyte banking, preimplantion diagnostics at the blastocyst stage, and the burgeoning adoption of elective single embryo transfer. Written by expert scientists and clinical embryologists, this book will help you to consistently and predictably apply vitrification as an important therapeutic strategy in assisted reproduction.

For the generation that reached sexual maturity in the 1960s, the "pill" became synonymous with sexual freedom and started a sexual revolution. For women it meant freedom from the fear of pregnancy, and for men enhanced sexual opportunity. The new era of the pill has nothing to do with fertility, but everything to do with sex. The first orally effective prescr- tion drug for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) was marketed in 1998. (R) Sildenafil (Viagra ) has rejuvenated the aging male veterans of the sexual revolution, forever changed the science of sexual medicine, and tra- formed society's perspective on aging and sex. This class of drugs, known as oral phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE-type 5), is highly effective in the treatment of ED. Since its introduction there has been a much greater awa- ness of ED, its comorbidities, and its effects on the quality of life. In 1997, while preparing to address the Endocrine Society on the occasion of the 92nd American Urological Association meeting, I first looked at the p- clinical studies of sildenafil. I thought "this will change everything" and it clearly has-changing practice patterns in sexual medicine, and the at- tudes of patients, potential patients, and their partners. Two new PDE-type (R) (R) 5 inhibitors, tadalafil (Cialis ) and vardenafil (Levitra ), were first approved by the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products and subsequently by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 and 2004.

This gold standard text has kept its readers abreast of rapid advancements in reproductive medicine and surgery since 1983. Continuing this tradition, this fifth edition has been fully updated and revised to provide clear, didactic advice on best practice for a variety of clinical situations faced by practitioners across many specialties - including urologists, gynecologists, reproductive endocrinologists, medical endocrinologists and many in internal medicine and family practice who see men with suboptimal fertility and reproductive problems. Completely restructured to include pedagogical features such as easily accessible key concepts that cement understanding and real-world use. Covering everything from foundations of anatomy and embryology, through clinical evaluation, diagnostic approaches, treatment and fertility care in context within the healthcare system and society, thrilling advances and future directions are also included. This new edition is an essential reference for all who are working in this young and rapidly evolving field.

Among the many recent advances in assisted reproduction therapies (ART), improved technologies for identifying viable oocytes, sperm, and embryos are of primary importance. Paradoxically, the latest advances presented at conferences and symposia are often slow to become part of the daily routine in IVF laboratories. Detailing established and developing techniques, A Practical Guide to Selecting Gametes and Embryos provides a user-friendly text of ready-to-use ARTs that can be utilized effectively in the lab.

In this volume, renowned embryologist and educator Markus Montag and his expert panel highlight sophisticated and proven selection strategies and emphasize the importance of proper lab practice in handling gametes and embryos.

Topics include:

• Steps undertaken for the analysis of a semen sample
• Quality control and prevention of exposure to toxins in oocyte collection and embryo culture
• Morphological selection of gametes and embryos
• Both commonly used and innovative techniques for gamete and embryo selection, such as oxygen respiration and time-lapse imaging
• Invasive techniques, including polar body, embryo, and blastocyst biopsies as well as aneuploidy testing by FISH and array-CGH

Accompanied by numerous figures and descriptions, this guide to selecting gametes and embryos brings the insight of international authors with knowledge and expertise, highlighting practical tips and key points. The book offers a starting point for applying successful selection strategies for reducing the rate of high-risk multiple gestations while maintaining or increasing viable pregnancy rates.

The successful achievement of pregnancies following pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was first reported in April 1990. The technology is often used for patients who are at substantial risk of conceiving a pregnancy affected by a known genetic disorder, however from this technology other more controversial uses have arisen such as HLA typing to save the life of a sibling, gender selection for social reasons, the prevention of late onset diseases, or the prevention of diseases which may be genetically predisposed to developing such as breast cancer. The technology surrounding PGD is constantly developing, giving rise to new and unexpected consequences that create fresh ethical and legal dilemmas. Featuring internationally recognized experts in the field, this book critically explores the regulation of PGD and the broader legal and ethical issues associated with it. It looks at the regulatory situation in a number of jurisdictions including New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, but it also explores a number of themes of wide significance including a historical consideration of PGD and its part in the creation of the "genetic embryo" as a political tool, the over regulation of PGD and the ethical difficulties in handling additional unexpected medical information yielded by new technologies. This book will be of particular interest to academics and students of law, medicine and ethics.

Today, we are exposed to an increasing number of chemicals in the environment and there is a growing awareness of the effects of these chemicals on the ovaries. Infertility resulting from environmental exposures may not be obvious until the reproductive life span is waning. As such, the potential for xenobiotic-induced infertility needs to be better understood. In recent years, research into chemicals that have the potential to cause early menopause by destroying pre-antral ovarian follicles is gaining greater appreciation. Ovarian Toxicology, Second Edition represents a compilation of chapters prepared by researchers who have substantially contributed to our understanding of the impact of xenobiotics and environmental factors on ovarian function. The second edition substantially updates newly investigated ovotoxicants as well as improved mechanistic insights that have emerged since the first edition. Topics include: Ovarian physiology and the metabolism of xenobiotics The effect of pesticides, heavy metals, phthalates, BPA, and cigarette smoking on the ovaries Ovarian cancer, including endocrine effects and new perspectives on chemoresistance Epidemiology and human health risk assessment for environmental chemicals and pharmaceuticals The first book to focus specifically on ovarian toxicology, this resource is ideal for scientists in academia, regulatory agencies, and industry who would benefit from a survey of the impact of xenobiotic chemicals on ovarian function.

In Reproductive Medicine and the Life Sciences in the Contemporary Economy, Alexander Styhre and Rebecka Arman illuminate issues that have given rise to terms such as 'the bioeconomy' and 'the baby business'. The life sciences play an increasing role in providing services and commodities consumed by businesses and the public. Based on an in-depth study of clinics offering assisted fertilization in Sweden, this book is the first to examine the commercialization and commodification of know-how derived from the life sciences, from the point of view of organization theory. In the field of reproductive medicine there has been significant growth of both public and private clinical work. Clinics are places where individual interests and concerns and social and institutional arrangements intersect. With a front office where patients encounter various professional groups and a back office comprising the laboratories wherein human reproductive materials are handled and stored, they are more than just places in which medicine is applied in a clinical setting. Clinicians in this field actively influence policy-making and the regulatory frameworks that monitor and set the boundaries for their work. These are places where social and cultural interests and concerns are translated into policies and practice. The clinics are open social systems, responding to and influencing discussions. This book combines organization theory, sociological theory, gender theory, science and technology studies, and philosophy. It emphasises the critical importance of a sociomaterial perspective on organization, stressing how material and social resources are always of necessity folded into each other in day-to-day organizing.

Bringing together the latest information on the organization, management and quality of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) units, this is the first true field guide for the clinician working in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Divided thematically into four main sections, part one discussed the establishment and organization of the IVF unit, including location, design and construction, practical considerations for batching IVF cycles, and regulations and risk management. Part two, the largest section, covers the many aspects of overall quality management and its implementation - staff and patient management, cryobank and PGD/PGS management, and data management - as well as optimization of treatment outcomes and statistical process control analysis to assess quality variation. Part three addresses the relationship between IVF units and society at large, including the ethics of IVF treatment, as well as public/low-cost and private/corporate IVF units. Advertising and marketing for IVF units is discussed in part four, including the building and managing of websites and the use of traditional print and social media. With approximately five thousand IVF units worldwide and a growing number of training programs, Organization and Management of IVF Units is a key resource for clinic directors, unit managers, embryologists, quality experts, and students of reproductive medicine and clinical embryology.

Technologies of Sexuality, Identity and Sexual Health highlights the complex ways in which sexuality is expressed and enacted through local ideologies, global identities and material cultures, and their influence on people s sexual health and well-being. Its impetus is the renewed interest in technology and the social life of things, including pharmaceuticals, expanded sexual and related surgery, the growing exploitation of markets for sexual and contraceptive products, and the impact of these on sexual and health practices and outcomes.

Organised loosely into three parts, the opening chapters concentrate on female contraception, its availability, and the varied cultural significance attached to the ability to control its use, exploring the politics of reproductive health and birth control, and the ties between technology and power. The middle section turns its attention to men, and the impact of traditional and contemporary concerns about masculinity, and the social and sexual roles of men. The final chapters look at the commonalities across cultural borders and sexual gendered identities how products and procedures travel, not only through the formal channels of globalisation, but also informally, carried by individuals across cultural and social boundaries through sexual, social and commercial interactions.

The volume brings together anthropologists, sociologists and cultural studies scholars, both senior and emerging, from around the globe. Offering an important and topical contribution to the developing global literature on sexuality, sexual identity, culture and health, it is of interest to researchers and advanced students in these areas.

This new edition of an acclaimed text reviews the evidence for best practice in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, to present the reader with the right information, with appropriate use of proven interventions and avoidance of ineffectual or harmful ones. The information is presented in the right format by summarizing evidence succinctly and clearly in tables and algorithms. The aim is to inform the clinician, to reduce errors and "to make it easy to do it right." The volume can be purchased separately or together with the companion volume on Obstetric Evidence Based Guidelines (set ISBN 9780367567033). The Series in Maternal-Fetal Medicine is published in conjunction with the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. From reviews of previous editions: An excellent resource with quick and easy protocols... this book has a permanent spot on my shelf. -Doody's Review Service

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.

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.