infertility news stories on Newser

Sperm Bank Turns Away Carrot Tops

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:34:11 CDT

Redheaded men seeking a quick $500 best not turn to the Cryos sperm bank: It's full-up with carrot top donors and is turning them away. "There are too many redheads in relation to demand," director Ole Schou tells the Telegraph . Only women who have an infertile redhead boyfriend or who...

Scientists Turn Stem Cells Into Working Sperm

Matt Cantor — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:15:00 CDT

Researchers have managed to produce sperm cells from embryonic stem cells—and for the first time, the sperm worked, resulting in healthy baby mice. Researchers in Japan mixed the embryonic stem cells with certain proteins and hormones. They converted the resulting cells into germ cells, which they implanted in the...

Sperm Grown in Lab for First Time

John Johnson — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:37:39 CDT

Japanese researchers have grown sperm in the laboratory for the first time, reports Nature . If the breakthrough with mice transfers to humans, it could open up IVF treatments for infertile men, notes the Guardian . Scientists created the sperm from the testicular tissue of mice and successfully produced a dozen baby...

Guys, Beware Laptops' 'Scrotal Hyperthermia'

Nick McMaster — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:56:28 CST

This study involves the phrases "scrotal temperature elevation" and "scrotal hyperthermia," so you know it can't end well. SUNY researchers found that using a laptop on the lap for only 10 or 15 minutes heats up men's testicles—figure about 1-degree Celsius in 15 minutes if sitting with knees close...

Baby Born From Embryo Frozen in 1990

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:24:04 CDT

Thanks to IVF, a baby conceived 20 years ago was just recently born. The baby boy sets a new record for the longest-frozen human embryo to result in a live birth, the Telegraph reports. The previous record was 13 years. The chain of events for this baby’s birth began in...

The Rise of Cheap(er) Fertility Clinics

Emily Rauhala — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:25:00 CDT

Fertility treatment doesn't come cheap—IVF typically costs $15,000. But a new wave of clinics hope to ease the expense, reports Newsweek . In St. Louis, for instance, a new facility offers a range of treatments for about $7,500. The goal is equal access, say supporters. "A woman’s right...

Studies Link Infertility Treatments to Autism

Jane Yager — Fri, 21 May 2010 05:57:00 CDT

Scientists have a new lead in the search for the causes autism. Research presented this week provides strong evidence of a link between infertility treatments and the disorder. A Harvard study has discovered that treatment with Clomid and other ovulation-stimulating drugs doubles a woman's risk of giving birth to an...

Docs: 'No One Will Need Sex to Make Babies in 10 Years'

Rob Quinn — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:07:59 CDT

Sex will become purely recreational even for couples seeking babies within a decade thanks to advances in IVF technology, predict veterinary Australian scientists. Calling the traditional form of baby-making a "fairly inefficient process" in a report published in the Reproductive BioMedicine journal, they claim in vitro fertilization methods will soon...

Wife Allergic to Husband's Sperm Plans to Adopt

Rob Quinn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:21:32 CST

A Pennsylvania couple's wedding night—and their plans to have children—were ruined when the new wife discovered she was allergic to his sperm. Julie and Mike Boyde had had sex before, but had used protection until that night, when she found herself in excruciating pain. She was diagnosed with...