It’s no shock fertility treatments aren’t cheap. Babycenter.com estimates the prices/success for many of the common treatments. Here is a quick look table with more details further down the page. These costs are all averages and may or may not be accurate for your particular situation.
Don’t know what to ask the Doctors at the Fertility cafe? Why not see what other women have been asking Dr. Cedars?
Dr. Cedars was on Oprah in May of 2002. Click the “After the Show” link to see video of various women asking Dr. Cedars questions.
On the Oprah page, you can find additional information about the link between age and fertility. I personally love the common misconception page.
I was stunned to read your lifestyle (diet and excercise) are not important factors in your egg’s health. Genetics seem to be a very important factor, so talk to your mother ladies!
Also, the pill has little or no effect on your ability to get pregnant. Another misconception I had. I guess I’m not a fertility expert.
According to the WHO, over 150 million people worldwide now have diabetes. The surge is in Type II diabetes, which afflicts adults over 30. Diabetes is one of three major new diseases that hardly existed 100 years ago: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
In the May 3rd issue of Human Reproduction, Queen’s University researcher’s show a link between diabetes and low sperm quality. There was no significant difference in sperm concentration, appearance, or mobility. There was a small reduction in sperm volume. But the most significant affect was a higher DNA fragmentation, 53% versus 32% in non-diabetics. DNA fragmentation could affect the ability to fertilize an egg and even lead to abnormalities in an offspring.
Sperm DNA does not have the ability to repair itself unlike other DNA in the body. The damage is permanent.
The authors of the study admit more work is to be done, including analyzing birth defects in children with diabetic fathers.
Healthy sperm look like points of light. The DNA fragmented sperm have tails on the end.
Oocyte cryopreservation. This is the fancy term for egg freezing. An oocyte is an immature ovum.
In the April 20th issue of Science, the increased usage of oocyte cryopreservation is discussed. Frozen oocytes is the future. Why? Unlike frozen embryos, there isn’t the ethical dilemna. It’s an unfertilized egg, no one considers that life yet. Frozen embryos have successfully been thawed and implanted via IVF. There have been about 300,000 frozen embryo births. However, frozen egg births are only account for about 300.
Back to the freeze. So why can’t we just freeze it and thaw it for later use? Sounds simple. Alton Brown will take it from here.
I have been toying with a cafe on fertility. I was inspired by my friends Rodrigo and Joy to approach the topic. Check out their blog. Joy’s recovery from cancer and subsequent ovarian transplant is both interesting and inspiring.
In my brief study of fertility, I found this to be a taboo topic, yet affects SO many people. What would be the effect of having a frank dialogue on fertility? Read the rest of this entry »
Monday, November 17th, 2008 7-9 PMWhere:Atlas Cafe What: Physics for Future Presidents: The Nuclear Reaction Who: Richard Muller, UC Berkeley and LBL The Deets:As we head into a new presidency, much of the debate has been centered on one word: Nuclear. Nuclear terrorism, nuclear power, nuclear proliferation, the mispronunciation of the word nuclear...all have been fervently discussed. But When it comes to the nuclear discussion, isn't the science a key component?
We'll discuss the difference between a Uranium bomb, a Plutonium bomb, and a Hydrogen bomb, the real dangers of nuclear waste, and the danger of radiation. Consider it a crash course on nuclear physics that the next president would appreciate.
Here are some nuggets to chew on:
• Of those killed in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks, less than 2% died of cancer induced by the radiation.
• 1 square mile of sunlight with current solar cells would provide as much peak power as a nuclear power plant.
• Plutonium is a thousand times less poisonous than botulism toxin, the active ingredient in botox.
• Purified uranium is hard to get, but easy to design into a bomb. Plutonium is relatively easy to get, but hard to make into a bomb. So different kinds of nuclear bombs are difficult to make, but for different reasons. Terrorists are unlikely to be able to make one; the bigger danger is that they could buy one.
Richard A. Muller is professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley (and my former physics teacher!). He is a past winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. He is the author of Physics for Future Presidents, based on his renowned course for non-science students.
Science in Action Events Science in Action is a series of tours, trips, and hikes intended to put you in the middle of active science in the Bay Area.
If you're interested in attending, send me an email.
November 1st & 2nd What:
Wonderfest - The Bay Area Festival of Science Cost: FREE Details:
WonderFest is the the Bay Area festival of Science. On November 1st & 2nd, there will be free science discussions, art, comedy, and trivia events at both UC Berkeley and Stanfurd. The lineup is jam packed with some of the best talent both university have to offer. You can’t beat the price or the quality.
Here are my picks:
• Saturday 11/1 8:00 pm Does Civilization Have a Promising Energy Future?
• Sunday 11/2 1:30 pm Science Laughs (science comedy)
• Sunday 11/2 2:30 pm Are Dreams Psychologically Significant?
• Sunday 11/2 4:00 pm What Science Must Our Leaders Understand?
