The term amniocentesis is derived the Latin amnion, the membrane that forms the protective sac around a growing embryo, and the Greek kentesis meaning to puncture or to prick. This accurately describes the amniocentesis definition of the insertion of a needle through the amnion in order to extract a small amount of amniotic fluid....

10 facts about infertility and fertility treatments

Do you know what happens when you have a hysterosalpingogram or about the significance of your AMH levels? More importantly, how much do you know about the ever-increasing options for fertility treatments now available? The majority of men and women who decide to start a family never have to think about these issues. But the...

What are the causes of secondary infertility?

The difference between primary and secondary infertility is that in the case of secondary infertility, the sufferer has already had a child or even children. Primary infertility is the inability to conceive or to carry a pregnancy to term in the first place. Quite often, the causes are similar. Whatever the cause, experiencing primary or secondary infertility can be surprising, bewildering [...]

Periods can often feel like an annoying fact of life that we could well do without, but in fact the existence of regular periods is an indication that the body is generally in good working order. Conversely, the absence of periods, amenorrhea, can be a signal that something is amiss. It is defined as either primary, when a girl does not start menstruating by the age of 15 or 16, or secondary, when a woman who has passed through puberty and had regular menstru[...]

In the developed world, we constantly hear about an obesity ‘epidemic’, often linked to an abundance of fast and processed foods and unhealthily sedentary lifestyles. At the same time, there are loud alarm bells ringing about a general decline in fertility, often thought about in terms of declining sperm quality in men, but in fact applying equally to men and women. C[...]

A diagnosis of breast cancer brings with it a whole raft of questions and unknowns for patients and their families. However, improved options for treatment and recovery also bring with them the chance to plan for a future relatively unaffected by the illness and its treatment. Breast cancer most often affects older, post-menopausal women, but for those still in their childbearing years, a common concern is whether or not they can [...]