Female age affects fertility, but doesn’t rule out pregnancy

Age and fertility

In the last couple of days, two news stories have appeared that, at first glance, might seem to contradict one another.

One warns women of age 35 and over not to stop taking contraception, with the Family Planning Association launching its “Conceivable?” campaign that reminds women to remain vigilant.

The other cites fertility doctors who suggest that age is still the most critical factor in whether couples can conceive, despite the wealth of new reproductive techniques emerging each year.

Contraception until menopause

The abortion rate for women aged 40-44 is now the same as for under-16s — four per 1,000 women — in England and Wales.

This suggests there is a real issue with women who believe that, past 35, they have next to no chance of becoming pregnant.

There are many reasons why some women opt for an abortion – including birth abnormalities in the baby, which are more common when the mothers are older.

But FPA says its anecdotal evidence suggests some of the abortions are because women wrongly assumed they could not get pregnant because they were too old.

The FPA’s chief executive, Julie Bentley, said, “Whilst the message about fertility declining with age is an important one, it is often overplayed, alongside disproportionate messaging about unplanned teenage pregnancies.

“It sends an inaccurate message to women and society that only the young fall pregnant and is leading older women to believe their fertility has gone long before it actually has.”

The advice for older women who don’t wish to fall pregnant is simple: continue taking contraception until after the menopause.

Fertility anxiety

Fertility doctors suggest that there are no more people needing fertility treatment than a decade ago.

What’s changed is the anxiety levels surrounding having a family.

Fertility clinics are full of patients who have delayed starting a family and believe that assisted reproductive treatments such as IVF offer them a guaranteed insurance policy of becoming parents.

Unfortunately, these expectations may not be realised, and a quick glance at the latest HFEA national data in the UK shows that only 24% of all IVF cycles resulted in a birth. This drops to 12% for women aged 40-42, and a heart breaking 3% for women age 43-44.

These cold statistics hide an emotional rollercoaster of stress, anxiety and often enormous financial strain.

They do, however, very effectively demonstrate the huge impact of female age on the chance of conceiving.

Unfair?

It does seem unfair, and you can bet there are plenty of women experiencing the “wrong” thing.

There will be those who fall pregnant unexpectedly who are aghast at the prospect, while others desperate for a family watch the years tick by without children coming.

It proves that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fertility.

Fertility treatments aren’t guaranteed, and while age plays a factor it’s not conclusive.

Via and Via

The secret life of sperm: may aid contraception and male fertility

Swimming Sperm

Scientists have discovered something about sperm that makes perfect sense: they don’t start swimming until they are closer to the egg.

Because sperm only have limited resources, they need to maximise their chances of fertilising the egg.

Internal pH

University of California researchers have found that sperm increases its internal pH — its acidity or alkalinity — due to pores on its surface that allow it to jettison protons.

Dr Yuriy Kirichok, who led the research, said: “The concentration of protons inside the sperm cell is 1,000 times higher than outside.

“If you just open a pore, protons will go outside – we identify the molecule that lets them out.”

A substance called anandamide, present in the female reproductive tract and in particularly high levels near the egg, seems to be the trigger for this release, which in turn allows the sperm’s tail to begin moving, and the vigorous swimming to begin.

Cannabis

This may also explain why men who regularly use cannabis/marijuana experience greater levels of infertility.

Contraception and Fertility

It seems fair that, as scientists learn more about sperm, it could aid in two ways.

Firstly, it could be used to create effective male contraceptives.

Secondly, it could be another explanation for male infertility. Sperm’s motility is already measured. Research such as this could help to improve motility, or to ensure that sperm doesn’t use up its resources too early.

Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: “Although it seems obvious that sperm have to swim in order to find and fertilise an egg inside the female body, or in the dish during IVF, we are only just uncovering some of the molecular details that the sperm use when swimming”

Via

Empty Arms: Beautiful video shares the anguish of infertility

Empty Arms is a beautiful video created by Susan Robinson. In a simple way using music, images and words it tries to share some of the pain that couples with fertility issues face every day.

It’s a poignant video, not judgmental or accusatory, but of encouragement to friends and family to stand alongside and simply love.

Not fully understanding, not always having words, not trying to problem solve … these are all things that are just fine. Being there as a shoulder to cry on, a friendly face, someone who says “I’ll stand by you and support you as you journey through this” – that’s what’s really needed.

Take a look at TearsAndHope.com to play the video.

Octuplet birth physician was “criminally negligent”, says fertility expert

Everyone seems to have an opinion on Nadya Suleman, the 33-year-old who now mothers fourteen children.

One of the latest to weigh in is medical director of Georgia Reproductive Specialists, Dr Mark Perloe.

He believes that the physician who treated Suleman is guilty of “criminal negligence” because American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines were breached when six embryos were implanted.

Generally only one to two embryos should be transferred via IVF to women under age 35, to a maximum of five for women over 40.

“Transferring six embryos was outside any existing standard,” he said, claiming that his company would not have considered IVF treatment on Suleman at all, due to her back problems and number of existing children.

“There are safe, proven methods for successful single births that significantly reduce the chances of having multiple births,” he said.

I’m sure Perloe isn’t hoping to gain any exposure for his own company from lashing out at another one of his profession, so I won’t link to his web site.

Study Shows New Therapy Opens Blocked Fallopian Tubes, Returns Fertility Without Surgery

A study published in “Alternative Therapies In Health and Medicine” (Feb, 2008) reports that blocked fallopian tubes can be opened without surgery, enabling infertile women to become pregnant naturally.

Authors of the study “Treating Fallopian Tube Occlusion with a Manual Pelvic Physical Therapy,” became curious after a pilot study published in “Fertility and Sterility” (9/06) showed the treatment returned fertility in women with blocked and swollen tubes.

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Stress-linked infertility can be helped with talk therapy

A group of reproductive medical specialists from Indiana have come up with new research which suggests that infertility caused by stress factors can be reversed through various forms of talk counselling.

According to mental health counsellors, many couples unable to conceive anticipate the holidays with dread. “For them, the end of the year becomes another marker in their inability to have children,” said Deidra T. Rausch, PhD, LMFT, an Indiana counsellor specialising in infertility. “Plus, the seasonal emphasis on family can become a painful reminder of their ongoing struggles.”

Fertility physicians believe that reducing stress is key for many infertility patients, with potential for both mental and physical benefits. On the physical side, stress signals the pituitary gland that the body is in trouble, said Laura Reuter, MD, medical director at Midwest Fertility Specialists.

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