This contemporary account of male fertility provides a much-needed bridge between those seeking to understand the subject from an evolutionary and biological perspective, and those with clinical responsibility for the investigation and treatment of male infertility. Accordingly, the first half of the book deals with evolutionary aspects of male reproduction and sperm competition, sperm production and delivery in man and other animals, spermatogenesis and epididymal function, sperm transport in the female tract, and the apparent decline in human sperm count. The second part of the book puts greater emphasis on clinical problems and opens with a discussion of ICSI, including its value and limitations. This is followed by a review of modern developments in the genetics of male infertility and proceeds to a further chapter on the role of surgical procedures in the treatment of male infertility. The contributors provide a critical review of semen analysis and a full description of the molecular techniques now being used in preimplantation diagnosis and in the study of mitochondrial inheritance. This volume, written by an international team of authors, illustrates the breadth of vision needed to tackle the problem of male infertility.

Scientists investigating germ cells have, over the past 15 years, originated discoveries and innovations that give us valuable insights into the mechanisms that regulate not just stem cell function, but human development in its widest sense. With contributions from some of the leading researchers in the field, Male Germline Stem Cells: Developmental and Regenerative Potential assesses the implications of these discoveries for understanding the fundamental biology of germline stem cells as well as their potential for human stem cell-based therapies. This monograph covers many of the fundamental issues now being explored by today's generation of stem cell researchers, including the field's potential for regenerative medicine. Ranging from an assessment of the pluripotency of primordial germ cells and their possible applications in treating testicular cancer, to the recovery of once-mordant fertilization-competent sperm, this volume has it all. It is a reference point for any scientist involved in related research as well as being a timely summation of what could prove to be a hugely exciting and very fruitful area of inquiry.

Reproductive medicine is the most dynamic area within obstetrics and gynecology and, arguably, the most complicated. An explosion of scientific understanding and technological capabilities - particularly in contraception, infertility and menopause - has transformed the specialty into a high-profile subject that touches upon endocrinology, embryology, andrology, surgery, social science, and practical law and ethics. The Oxford American Handbook of Reproductive Medicine provides a practical overview of the reproductive system and a systematic approach to its disorders, covering diagnosis, assessment, and ongoing management with particular emphasis on common and important presentations. Concise, readable, and pocket-sized, this handbook is useful for medical students, primary care clinicians, and ob/gyn residents as a ready reference for daily practice.

'Reprogen-Ethics and the Future of Gender' brings together three tightly related topics, which have so far been dealt separately in bioethics: assisted reproduction, enhancing and gender. Part one in this book targets present policies and legislature of assisted reproduction. Part two focuses on current views of the ethics of PGD and enhancing. Part three tackles the future of gender. Part four deals with artificial wombs and ectogenesis. The aim of this book is to provide a joint perspective in order to get the big picture. Contributors include Matti Hayry, Tuija Takala, Soren Holm, David Heyd, Daniel Callahan, Harriet Bradley, Ekaterina Balabanova and others. Some chapters in this book will significantly contribute to the current discussion of the topics at stake; other chapters will start a discussion on issues that have not yet been discussed. 'Reprogen-Ethics and the Future of Gender' will certainly appeal to readers who are interested in any of the intersecting topics of assisted reproduction, genetic enhancing and gender; bioethicists, sociologists, genetic counsellors, gynaecologists, legislators, and students of the relevant disciplines.

It has been over 40 years since the original report by Salmon and Daughaday demon strating that the ability of GH to stimulate sulfation of cartilage was mediated by a "sulfation factor. " In the ensuing decades, it has become apparent that this "sulfation factor activity" encompasses a complex system ofligands (IGFs), receptors, and carrier proteins that are, in tum, responsible for a wide array of cellular actions. The IGF system has been demonstrated to be critically involved in both intrauterine and postnatal growth, and to have important implications in cancer biology as well, owing to the ability of the IGFs to function in endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine modes and given the wide distri bution of IGFs in virtually every organ system. The contributions to The /GF System reflect the wide span of interest in the IGF system and its implications for normal and abnormal growth and metabolism. The chapters have been divided into four broad sections: I. Molecular biology of the IGF system; II. Bio logical actions of the IGFs; III. IGF physiology; and IV. Clinical aspects of the IGFs. We have made every effort to highlight the major contemporary themes in IGF biology, but as is inevitable in such a fast-moving field, perspectives will continue to change as new information is accumulated."

Congenital malformations are worldwide occurrences striking in every condition of society. These severe physical abnormalities which are present at birth and affecting every part of the body happen more often than usually realized, once in every 33 births. The most common, after heart defects, are those of the neural tube (the brain and spinal cord) which happen in as many as one in every 350 births. They have been noted as curiousities in man and beast throughout recorded history and received great attention in our time by various fields of study, for example, their faulty prenatal development by embryologists, familial patterns by geneticists, causation by environmentalists and variability by population scientists.

Attention turned much in recent years to the relation of these malformations to deficiency of a particular dietary ingredient, folic acid, a subject this book analyzes in depth. The greatest conundrum of all, which this latest matter like so much else hinges on, is the amazing fact of the tremendous, almost universal decrease in the frequency of these anomalies since early in the 20th century. The puzzle is 'What can this downward trend possibly mean?' and at bottom 'Whether it is part of a long-term cyclical pattern'. This fascinating biological phenomenon is explored in the book together with various other topics.

This book on fibroid uterus focuses on surgical challenges in minimal access surgery that a surgeon faces while treating this condition. This book explores the role of various imaging modalities in both diagnosis and planning of the treatment. Various surgical techniques, such as hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and robotic are discussed which will help readers to understand the pros and cons of each one. Teaching practical tips from experts regarding these procedures, the book aims to help surgeons make clinical decisions while they choose surgical procedures for their patients in various clinical settings. The book highlights both the conservative (techniques of myomectomy) and hysterectomy by various methods for treating fibroids. Key Features How to use various imaging modalities for preoperative evaluation of fibroids Issues in preoperative counseling and consent before surgery for fibroids Overview of surgical treatment of fibroids Individual chapters on practical tips by experts for various surgical techniques used for both myomectomy and hysterectomy Discusses the controversy in morcellation and how to perform it safely Covers the problem of parasitic fibroids that have increased in recent times Discusses issues like breach in endometrial cavity during myomectomy, surgery for adenomyosis, uterine rupture and recurrence after myomectomy When to call it a day and convert from laparoscopy to laparotomy

Life Before Birth provides a coherent framework for addressing bioethical issues in which the moral status of embryos and fetuses is relevant. It is based on the "interest view" which ascribes moral standing to beings with interests, and connects the possession of interests with the capacity for conscious awareness or sentience. The theoretical framework is applied to ethical and legal topics, including abortion, prenatal torts, wrongful life, the crime of feticide, substance abuse by pregnant women, compulsory cesareans, assisted reproduction, and stem cell research. Along the way, difficult philosophical problems, such as identity and the non-identity problem are thoroughly explored. The book will be of interest not only to philosophers, but also physicians, lawyers, policy makers, and anyone perplexed by the many difficulties surrounding the unborn.
"Bonnie Steinbock's excellent book is . . . consistent, thoroughgoing, and intelligible." --Nature
"Steinbock's book is valuable for all interested in the ethical/legal issues surrounding abortion, prenatal injury and liability, maternal-fetal conflict, and fetal/embryo research. The author provides an excellent historical overview of these issues, but she also addresses the issues from the stance of a particular theory of moral status, namely, interest theory. This gives coherence to her discussion as well as allowing testing of the viability of interest theory."
--Choice
"A focused, lucid, analytically fine-grained discussion of a wide variety of problems. . . extremely useful as a survey of the current state of the debate." --Religious Studies Review
"Merits serious consideration by physicians. Steinbock's interests-based approach treats all questions as open -- another and most welcome breath of fresh air." -New England Journal of Medicine
"An extremely valuable contribution to the literature. The author carefully identifies the many bioethical issues to which the status of embryos and fetuses is relevant....She thoroughly reviews the extensive medical, bioethical, and legal literature on all of these issues, offering well-developed critiques of many standard positions. She articulates and thoughtfully defends interesting positions on all of theses topics. Anyone with an interest in these issues will learn a great deal from her knowledgeable and judicious treatment of them." -- The Journal of Clinical Ethics

Different genetic diagnostic and treatment options are used worldwide to improve routine IVF procedures for the benefit of patients. This handbook updates the new genetic diagnostic technologies that have been translated to the clinic, aiming to improve outcomes in the clinic and result in a healthy baby in the home. Chapters cover the use of genetic technologies in a personalized manner to unravel the possible genetic risks for the couple wishing to conceive, in terms of sperm, the embryo, the endometrium, miscarriage, and finally the fetus. This expanded new edition covers the range of the latest genetic diagnostic technologies being translated into practice internationally to improve routine IVF procedures for the benefit of patients. Bringing together international experts to discuss their work, this text gives a context for the developments in this very fast-moving area of research and offers a comprehensive and rounded appraisal of hot topics.

Andrology for the Clinician consists of two parts: In Part One, the busy clinician can easily find the problem-orientated information he or she needs on such issues as male factor fertility problems, male contraception, and male genital tract infection and tumours. Part Two contains in-depth subject-orientated information and adds important scientific background information to the recommendations received in Part One. Several leading experts have contributed to this work, which has been extensively subedited by world-renowned editors to ensure a well-structured didactic design and homogeneous content. This outstanding book is of great value for all Urologists, Andrologists, Dermatologists, Endocrinologists, Gynaecologists, Reproductive Biologists, GPs, Gerontologists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Paediatricians and anyone else interested in the problems of male sex and constitution.

This book presents the findings of a study into the social shaping of reproductive genetics in Germany and Israel, two exceptionally interesting social settings, which share a traumatic history.

Based on a variety of empirical materials (including in-depth interviews with genetic counsellors and survey data on their practices and opinions, as well as analysis of legal, religious, professional and media texts), the study reveals dramatic differences between the way that the German and Israeli societies address the question of a life (un)worthy of living: while in Germany, social, cultural, religious and legal conditions restrict the selection of embryos based on prenatal diagnosis, in Israel they strongly encourage it.

A close comparative analysis of the ways that these two societies handle the delicate balance between the quality and sanctity of life illuminates the controversy around reproductive genetics in an original and provocative way. The study is also innovative in its use of contemporary social theory concerning the politics of life in comprehending the differences between two societies positioned at opposite extremes in their adoption of reproductive genetics. It thus offers an original cross-cultural discussion concerning present-day techno-medical manipulations of life itself.

'This is a unique and courageous book. Yael Hashiloni-Dolev studied the field of reproductive genetics in Israel and Germany, and found out that while in Germany social, cultural, legal and religious conditions restrict the selection of embryos based on prenatal diagnosis, it is strongly encouraged in Israel. This unexpected finding is brilliantly analyzed by the author. Thus this excellent book must be read and discussed by social scientists, human geneticists, genetic counsellors, bio ethicists and medical students.'
Benno Muller Hill, Dr. rer. nat. m. Prof. at the Institute of Genetics of the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany"

In recent years, increasing attention and resources have been brought to bear on the relationship between the environment and congenital diseases. These diseases were previously thought to be mostly due to genetic causes. Even though the importance of genes as factors in causation is accepted, environmental factors seem to be implicated just as strongly. This book explores some further concepts that have arisen from more recent perceptions of environmental effects and their possible interactions with living systems. Amongst the topics discussed are:

-effects of prenatal exposure to toxic chemicals

-intra-uterine exposure to drugs

-effects of endocrine disrupters

-environmental risk and sex ratio in newborns

-surveillance of environmental impact

-research and policy

Discussion and presentation of old and novel ideas is targeted at developing a more holistic and united perception of the interaction between congenital diseases and the environment.

Reproductive tract infections and other gynaecological disorders among women represent an enormous global health burden. This significant book will help focus research on this important though neglected area. The primary aims of the book are to provide an overview of reproductive tract infections and other gynaecological disorders, to highlight the conceptual and methodological challenges associated with undertaking research on this subject, and to serve as a reference for future research in this area. The book focuses on developing country settings, and recognizes that gathering this sort of information requires a multidisciplinary and culturally sensitive approach. Findings from the research described in this book will undoubtedly assist physicians, social scientists, epidemiologists and public health practitioners in evaluating the magnitude of this problem within the community at large and in identifying potentially effective medical and behavioural interventions to address this problem.

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.

This practical handbook provides detailed guidelines on prescribing drugs in all classes and for a wide variety of diseases and disorders during pregnancy, with numerous boxes and tables to assist understanding. CONTENTS: Introduction to Drugs in Pregnancy * Antimicrobials during Pregnancy: Bacterial, Viral, Fungal, and Parasitic Indications * Cardiovascular Drugs during Pregnancy * Endocrine Disorders, Contraception, and Hormone Therapy during Pregnancy: Embryotoxic versus Fetal Effects * Antiasthma Agents during Pregnancy * Anesthetic Agents and Surgery during Pregnancy * Antineoplastic Drugs during Pregnancy * Analgesics during Pregnancy * Anticonvulsant Drugs during Pregnancy * Psychotropic Use during Pregnancy * Antihistamines, Decongestants, and Expectorants during Pregnancy * Nutritional and Dietary Supplementation during Pregnancy * Use of Dermatologics during Pregnancy * Drug Overdoses during Pregnancy * Miscellaneous Drugs during Pregnancy: Tocolytics, Immunosuppressants, and Biologic Therapeutics * Substance Abuse during Pregnancy * Online Support Material

This book reviews recent trends and developments in the study of the impact that the environment has on human reproduction. It thoroughly examines these issues, using the most modern techniques and methods available, to analyze the manner in which both male and female fertility can be affected and assessed. Coverage examines such diverse factors as toxic environmental contaminants, air pollution, and exposure to medical drugs.

The most common abnormal growth of the female reproductive system, fibroids, are thought to affect the majority of women at some point during their reproductive years. This text from leading fibroid experts looks at the latest evidence on how the problem impinges on reproduction and the most up-to-date management and treatment options available to help patients with fibroids hoping to conceive. Print versions of this book also include access to the eBook version with links to procedural videos.

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

Mammalian spermatozoa have complex structures. The structure-function relationship of sperm has been studied from various viewpoints. Accumulated evidence has shown that the sperm components undergo sequential changes from the beginning of spermatogenesis to the time of fertilization/embryogenesis. Structural analyses have been performed using various new techniques of light and electron microscopy as well as immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry in combination with specific probes such as antibodies against sperm components. Recently developed gene-manipulation techniques have accelerated investigations on the events that govern the relationship between the structure and molecular components of sperm. In addition, animal models with gene manipulations have been shown to exhibit various morphological and functional abnormalities that lead to infertility.

In humans, male infertility is caused by a number of factors such as the external environment, nutrient changes, genotoxins, and mutagens. These factors affect not only the development of germ cells during spermatogenesis but also the functions of mature sperm, ultimately impairing fertilization or embryogenesis. Typical phenotypes of impaired fertilization or embryogenesis are visible in conditions such as azoospermia, oligozoospermia, and teratozoospermia, which have been induced in model animals with gene deficiencies. Thus, comparative analyses of the phenotypes expressed by model animals carrying gene mutations and infertile human patients should be performed in relation to the normal (natural) fertilization process to clarify the etiology of infertility due to male factors.

In this book, I discuss the events that occur in the normal sperm head and govern the structure-function relationship from the time of spermatogenesis to that of fertilization or egg activation. In this regard, I describe dynamic modifications and maturation events occurring in sperm-head components and compare the outcomes of these events with the outcomes of their failure.

The strength of this collection of essays is its careful consideration, from a variety of perspectives within the Catholic tradition, of the practice of embryo adoption. It approaches the question in an open and reasonable way by allowing proponents of diverse positions within the tradition. This method both sheds a great deal of light on the particular question and at the same time introduces the reader to the relevant general principles that guide Catholic moral thought.

This unique source of reference provides the first comprehensive guide to the adverse side-effects of many commonly prescribed drugs on fertility and sexual health. More than 150 drugs are listed in this compilation, and the evidence linking them with infertility and sexual dysfunction is carefully reviewed. The volume is designed to provide a rapid source of reference to alert doctors and pharmacists to these hazardous side-effects. The volume also includes an introductory account of the reproductive process and a review of the mechanisms by which these drugs can interfere with or inhibit reproduction. Another important theme of the volume is the effect of social and recreational drugs and environmental agents on reproductive health.

What limits the genetic choices parents make for their children? Is it okay to select the sex of our children, or for deaf parents to select deaf children? In this second edition of Genetic Dilemmas, Davis argues that parental reproductive autonomy should be limited by respect for the future autonomy of the children created by these measures.
Praise for the first edition:
"A thoughtful, timely and comprehensive look at genetics in the modern era by a recognized scholar of both their legal and humanistic implications. An excellent read "
-R. Alta Charo, Professor of Law and Medical Ethics, University of Wisconsin- Madison.
"Dena Davis has been the most consistent and important voice insisting that we take seriously the concept of each child's right to an open future, and what respecting that right would mean for new technologies in genetics and reproduction. This engaging new book is the work of a thoughtful and humane scholar, and deserves a broad readership."
-Thomas H. Murray, President of The Hastings Center
"Dena Davis offers an engaging, informative and provocative argument in Genetic Dilemmas. Her primary accomplishment is to draw much-needed attention to the interests of the child in reproductive decision-making...she has succeeded admirably."
-Mary Terrell White, Medical Humanities Review
"People now face a dizzying array of choices about reproduction-from sex selection to cloning, from prenatal screening to genetic enhancement. In this engaging and path-breaking book, Dena Davis intelligently and compassionately explores the often-ignored impact of these choices on the children that are created and the society in which they will be raised."
-Lori Andrews, Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law

In the past, medical researchers and practicing clinicians have lacked a single, comprehensive resource on chromosome disorders, the cause of a wide variety of growth abnormalities and miscarriages. As new syndromes are being defined and known syndromes better described, patients with chromosomal abnormalities and their families are making greater demands on professionals for more extensive information. Consisting of more than 200 chromosomal aneuploidy syndromes, the Handbook of Chromosomal Syndromes is the most up-to-date reference to focus exclusively on clinical syndromes due to chromosomal abnormalities.

This fully illustrated guide is ideal for clinicians to use as a ready reference and for treatment and counseling of families and expectant parents facing abnormal prenatal tests. For each syndrome, this easy-to-use guide offers a complete description of clinical presentation, with illustrations, as well as information on behavioral aspects, life expectancy, diagnosis, and cytogenetics. Features of the text include:

• A section devoted to the nomenclature of chromosome abnormalities
• Pictorial material suitable to be shown to patient populations
• Descriptions of the phenotype in tabular and text form for quick and easy reference
• Ideograms for each entry
• A list of key references

Practicing clinicians–including primary care providers, pediatricians, and obstetricians–genetic counselors, researchers, and clinical and medical geneticists will find the Handbook of Chromosomal Syndromes to be an indispensable resource.

Assisted Reproduction is a specialty undergoing rapid change as new technologies are introduced and new research challenges previous treatment options. This text examines a selection of controversial topics for both laboratory and clinical practice and tries to place them in perspective, so readers can understand how and why the current state of the question has come about and how future contributions to the debate should be measured. All physicians involved with the technologies concerned will learn from the expert contributions assembled here. CONTENTS: The use of ovarian markers * Use of molecular markers of endometrial receptivity * Use of GnRHa for triggering final oocyte maturation during ovarian stimulation cycles * Use of time-lapse embryo imaging in assisted reproductive technology practice * Use of cryopreservation for all embryos * Preimplantation genetic screening * The use of single embryo transfer * Use of luteal phase support * Measuring safety and efficiency in in vitro fertilization * To flush follicles during egg collection or not * Use of blastocyst culture * Use of mitochondrial donation * Controversies in recurrent implantation failure: From theory to practice * Fibroids: To remove or not? * Limitations of endometrioma surgery in in vitro fertilization: Possibilities of early disease control

Mammalian Endocrinology and Male Reproductive Biology provides comprehensive and current coverage of the area of endocrinology and male reproductive biology, covering not just humans, but mammals in general. Written by international experts in their respective fields, this multi-author book also covers the latest developments in genomics of androgen action and male infertility. The book begins by covering sexual dimorphism in the central nervous system; structure, control of secretion and function of GnRH; and gonadotropins of pituitary origin and their role in gonadal functions. This is followed by an account of hormonal regulation of spermatogenesis, and the role of apoptosis in this process. Subsequent chapters center around epididymis, regulation of growth and function, and sperm motility regulation. The last chapters in the book discuss the structure and function of male accessory sex glands with associated pathologies as well as recent updates in male contraception, mechanism of androgen action, and genomics of male infertility. Wherever necessary, tables and figures have been added for a better understanding. Each chapter is appropriately referenced and contains current information on the latest developments in the field.