Egg and embryo quality – What to know when the embryologist talks to you
At specific time points during embryo development the embryologist grades the appearance of embryos to determine the quality. There are multiple different grading systems but each system is designed to …
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The man’s side of baby loss – a lonely limbo
Baby loss happens every day but men hardly ever talk about it. I learnt this when my former partner and I lost three babies over three years and I was …
Everything you wanted to know about fertility treatment… but were too sad or angry to ask
As a past infertility patient I often felt like infertility was a test where I had studied for the wrong topic. I knew all about birth control, healthy living, and …
Using an Egg Donor – What You Should Know
If the fertility team has recommended that you use donor eggs to build your family, you probably had lots of reactions to the suggestion and even more questions. Fertility patients …
Thinking about adoption? Some things to consider
There are many different approaches to adoption, depending on which country you live in, but many of the core things to think about are similar. So instead of focusing on …
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Adoption: A U.S. Perspective
When a person or couple considers adoption, it is important to understand the options. Adoption is a complex process, taking both time, money, and emotional investment. Because the process of …
The impact of fertility treatment on your relationship and sex life
Like it or not, fertility treatments affect couples, and if you are one of those couples, you must take action. Even if you have a healthy mind, a peaceful life …
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Being aware of your fertility, what should younger people know?
Comprehensive sexual health education mainly focuses on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Even beyond what young people may learn during school, many societal messages indirectly encourage …
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Michael and Wes: The Story of how we became daddies
We’re Michael and Wes, and along with Talulah who is 3 years old, and Duke who is 10 months old, we make up our little Modern Family. I guess we’re …
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The Easy Bit – A documentary about men and infertility
One in six couples in the UK is affected by infertility. Tom Webb is the Director of the documentary The Easy Bit which portrays six men’s experience with infertility. Tom …
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What is Klinefelter syndrome?
Klinefelter syndrome is a condition affecting boys and men born with an extra X chromosome. Chromosomes are present in all cells in the body and contain DNA. Some of the DNA …
The Impact of Genetic Tests and Social Media When Using a Sperm Donor
A growing issue for single parents and couples that use donated sperm to conceive a much-wanted child is to consider the rapid changes that Direct-To-Consumer genetic tests and social media …
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Choosing between a Non-ID-Release or an ID-Release sperm donor: things to consider
The decision to use a sperm donor to have children is not one that anyone takes lightly. If treatment is successful, it is also the start of a new and …
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Fake fertility news or miracle reproductive cure? Unpicking fact from fiction in infertility headlines
‘Eating tomatoes could improve sperm quality by up to 50%, scientists claim’ declares one headline. ‘Women with ‘masculine’ jobs will struggle to conceive’, shouts another. But what is the truth …
What to know about surrogacy
What is Surrogacy? Sometimes couples or patients who want a baby cannot carry the pregnancy themselves. In this case, there are two pregnancy options available, where someone else (not the …
Germs and sperm in the male genital tract
Male Genital Tract The male genital tract is a rather grand description of the route that the sperm takes in its journey from the testicles to the point of ejaculation, …
Co-Parenting Arrangements
What is co-parenting? There are two main forms of co-parenting: Platonic co-parenting a child with another individual or couple. Co-parenting a child with a former partner or spouse. Platonic co-parenting …
What are varicoceles and why do they matter in infertility
What is a Varicoceles? A Varicocele is a fairly common condition in which veins inside the scrotum are dilated (wider than usual). Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back …
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Lifestyle factors and male fertility – What you should know
Lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, smoking or alcohol consumption have been shown to be important in the development of many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Therefore, it is …
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Relationship challenges when a man has sperm issues
“Ok, well what do we do next?” That is the most common response I receive when calling men to inform them of an abnormal semen analysis. I have been working …
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The Basics of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is becoming more and more common around the world. For example, in the United States, about 2% of all births result from IVF. Generally speaking, IVF is …
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When medical treatment affects your fertility – What can be done?
I often meet individuals whose fertility has been compromised by a medical problem or treatment. Unfortunately the ovaries and testes cannot always be protected from damage caused in treating another, …
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From her own perspective: Life as a child of sperm donation
My name is Emma Groenbaek, and I am 23 years old. I am studying to be a nurse in Aarhus, Denmark where I was also born and raised. My parents …
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Thinking about travelling abroad for fertility treatment? Things to consider
Every year thousands of people make the decision to pack their bags and travel abroad for fertility treatment. Whilst for some this represents the first step toward potential parenthood (perhaps …
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Parenting as an older father
Later-life parenting is on the rise, and many more babies than ever before are welcomed into their families by older fathers. In 1972, the average age of fathers of newborns …
Using Donor Sperm
If you are reading this, let’s start by acknowledging that using donor sperm probably wasn’t in your original plans. Babies have been conceived with donor sperm since 1884; until recently, …
Having your sperm quality tested – How does it work?
For most men, sperm cells are constantly produced in the testicles, however, it usually takes around two days to generate a new portion of sperm cells after an ejaculation, hence …
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What causes male infertility
What causes male infertility? There are many potential causes of male infertility. Some conditions may impact a man’s fertility in more than one way. A definitive cause for infertility will …
Parenting after fertility problems
Becoming a parent is a huge life-changing event for anyone but it can feel overwhelming if you have experienced fertility problems on the way. For many people, the first hurdle …
Selecting a sperm donor
Sperm donation is closely regulated in Europe and North America there are many rules surrounding the process of sperm donation, which help to protect the donor, the intended parents and …
Sperm storage (cryopreservation)
Why should I store my Sperm? There are many different reasons for wishing to store sperm, some of them may be: You have been told that your fertility is not …
Freezing and storage of sperm and egg cells
Gametes (sperm and egg) can undergo cryopreservation (freezing) for long term storage. Infection screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV is required prior to the storage as affected sperm …
Life after infertility
We all know fertility treatment doesn’t always work, but it’s the chances of success we focus on when we’re going through treatment. We are often told to think positive and …
What is a semen analysis and how is it performed?
What is a Semen Analysis? A standard semen analysis is performed in a special lab by trained scientists and is a combination of an inspection of the sample with the …
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The emotional side of male infertility on men
Infertility is stressful. There is a mountain of research to support this. We as clinicians and scientists understand a great deal about the emotions that women experience when they are …
The impact of spinal cord injury on male fertility
What is the spinal cord? The spinal cord is bundle of nerve tissue inside the backbone. This nerve tissue is responsible for transmitting signals between your brain and your body. …
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What to know about the production of sperm and the testes
The process of making sperm occurs in tiny tubes within the testes, called seminiferous tubules (tubes), containing special cells called Sertoli cells. These cells guide the germ cells (cells from …
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Is men’s sperm quality and number getting worse?
For over 30 years there have been claims that sperm counts have fallen by over a half, though not everyone has accepted this. Sperm quality, which describes whether the shape …
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Beyond normal sperm testing: What other tests can be done on sperm and are they helpful?
A basic semen analysis – compromising sperm count, sperm motility and morphology (the shape and size of sperm) is the strongest predictor of likelihood of pregnancy when considering male factor …
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Male reproductive system – How does it all work?
Testicles and sperm The testicles (or testes) are two oval structures that are located within the scrotum. The reason that the testicles are outside body is that the optimum temperature …
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Female fertility basics – The man’s guide to female fertility
Whether or not you and your partner are trying to get pregnant, it will be helpful to first understand how the female body works in relation to fertility or if …
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What are the risks of fertility treatment?
So many people have had treatments like IVF and ICSI, that it is easy to think that there is no risk in having them. But all medical treatment carries some …
Telling others about my fertility issues: Is it helpful and how should I do it?
Pushed for time? The short answer is yes, but unless you’re talking to a counsellor or someone with similar personal experience, you need to think about who and how… My …
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What is counselling and how can it help when having fertility problems
Counselling? Me? Sitting in a room for an hour with a well-meaning therapist, with just a box of tissues between you, may not be top of your list of fun …
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Vasectomy reversal: What are the possibilities?
The main reason for undergoing a vasectomy is for male contraception/sterilisation when one’s family has been completed. This works by preventing sperm from the testes reaching the semen that is …
What is Surgical Sperm Retrieval and Who Needs It?
Surgical sperm retrieval is a broad term used to describe several types of procedures that can be used to recover sperm directly from the testicles when there is no sperm …
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Klinefelter’s syndrome – A personal story to support others
During my mid 30’s my ex-wife and I attempted to start our own family. After a few months of trying with no success at all, we approached the local healthcare …
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Erection and ejaculation: Getting sperm to the egg
Problems with erection This is a key aspect of how people have children, but there are a few aspects that need to be mentioned: How do men get erections? For …
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Knowing when to stop treatment
Starting fertility treatments can feel overwhelming, but stopping can feel impossible. During my own infertility experience, I participated in a support group where our leader invited us to image our …
Talking to your children about having used a sperm donor
You’re not alone as a Dad if you’re finding it difficult to think about how to talk with your child about having used a sperm donor. The good news is …
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Male fertility check – What happens at the clinic?
Attending for a fertility check at a clinic is an important part of your journey towards parenthood. Nowadays, men should expect to be assessed, especially if a male fertility problem …
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Pregnancy loss (miscarriage) – How to cope with it
Any time a pregnancy ends in a loss, there are very complex feelings for the couple. The loss may be particularly hard if the pregnancy followed lengthy infertility treatment or …
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How to support your female partner through your fertility journey
Fertility investigations and treatment can be both emotionally and physically challenging. Many couples will feel a huge sense of grief and injustice, which can leave couples worried about the impact …
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Reasons why men become sperm donors
You have probably wondered, why do men decide to become donors in a sperm bank? A chat with three Danish sperm donors might help us understand some of the thoughts …