According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 1 in 100 couples in the general population is at high risk of having a child with a severe genetic disorder. In this context, reproductive genetics emerge as an essential field of study, as one of the main concerns of anyone who wants to start a family… View Article
The decision to have IVF treatment is a big one. It comes probably after a long period of hoping for pregnancy, fearing infertility. It comes to terms with the need for fertility treatment. It’s understandable that, once you’ve reached your decision, you’re going to hope for speedy results. But this is a series of stages… View Article
People who have fertility problems and are considering treatment have long been used to the idea that they are facing a long and complicated course of procedures. The expectation is that when you go to a fertility clinic, eggs and sperm are tested among lots of other processes, at the end of which the outcome… View Article
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the process by which egg and sperm are brought together in the laboratory to form an embryo. This is later transferred to a woman’s uterus to develop into a baby in the normal way. For many people, that broad-brush description is as far as their knowledge needs to go. But… View Article
There are many aspects of frozen embryo transfer which are different to fresh transfer, as well as many similarities. In this article, we aim to explain some of the differences between these two well-established assisted reproduction techniques. These include differences in the hormonal medication protocols involved and the choices available to the patient for the… View Article
The current global pandemic, coupled with the collapse of health care, is forcing people to postpone the desire to have children in the face of widespread uncertainty. This is already reflected in many countries, which have recorded a drop in the birth rate in 2020 and expect an even more drastic drop in 2021. In… View Article
International Women’s Day (IWD) has always had a dual function: to challenge injustice and gender inequality on the one hand, and on the other, to celebrate the achievements and successes of women the world over. The date to mark in your calendar is 8 March. Each year the event has a different theme and this… View Article
Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure that a man can have as a permanent form of birth control. It works by cutting off the supply of sperm to your semen so that even though you still ejaculate normally, there are no sperm present and so you cannot make someone pregnant. Because of its permanent nature,… View Article
An antral follicle is the final stage of development of the primordial follicles that are already present in the ovaries of baby girls when they are born. Too miniscule to be seen by the naked eye, there are roughly one million at birth, and these are all the potential eggs a woman is ever going… View Article
If you’re thinking and hoping that you’re pregnant, it can come as an unwelcome surprise to have what may appear to be the start of your period. But all is not lost! It’s possible that what you mistake for menstruation bleeding is in fact implantation bleeding, also called implantation spotting (as it’s not such a… View Article