UPDATE: There were some questions as to the science that was presented. Research had been released by California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The scientists presented their evidence before the “science advisory board’s developmental and reproductive toxicant identification committee,” which composed of eight doctors from various fields of medicine. The doctors heard testimony from almost 30 people, including myself — an environmental advocate — and members of the canned goods industry. -Elisa
OAKLAND, Calif. — Despite day-long presentations of scientific data and heartfelt testimony by breast cancer survivors and concerned mothers, a panel of eight doctors unanimously voted against listing the chemical bisphenol A as a neurological and reproductive toxin under the state’s Proposition 65.
Proposition 65, which was passed by voters in 1986 to protect people from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm, requires the governor to publish at least annually a list of these toxic chemicals.
At least a dozen studies have suggested bisphenol A, or BPAs that are found in numerous plastic products, including baby bottles, sippy cups and the inside linings of cans, can cause infertility problems like low sperm count and miscarriage and increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer. But the doctors sided with the industry, saying the animal sample sizes of these studies were too small and that the doses of BPAs were inconsistent to demonstrate a clear link between the chemical and these dire illnesses.
Read More
Tags : infertility, plastic, sperm
Many couples pay out-of-pocket for infertility diagnosis and treatment. This is because many employers still do not offer infertility benefits. Pending the type of fertility treatment rendered, costs may vary from a few hundred dollars to $15,000.00 or more.
According to Resolve, the national infertility association, only 15 states have laws requiring insurance coverage for infertility treatment. These laws are known as mandates. There are two types of mandates:
- Mandates to Offer: Mandates to offer require insurance companies to offer policies that cover infertility diagnosis and treatments. Employers must be made aware of these policies but are not required to include them in their employee benefits package.
Read More
Tags : infertility, insurance
New research suggests the hormone kisspeptin shows promise as a potential new treatment for infertility. Scientists led by Dr Waljit Dhillo from Imperial College London, have shown that giving kisspeptin to women with infertility can activate the release of sex hormones which control the menstrual cycle.
This research could lead to a new fertility therapy for women with low sex hormone levels.
Kisspeptin is a product of the KISS-1 gene and is a key regulator of reproductive function. Animals and humans lacking kisspeptin function do not go through puberty and remain sexually immature. In a previous study, Dr Waljit Dhillo and colleagues showed that kisspeptin treatment leads to the production of sex hormones in fertile women; they have now extended their research to look at the effects of kisspeptin in women whose periods have stopped due to a hormone imbalance.
Read More…
Tags : fertility hormones
To sustain a healthy pregnancy, women must maintain healthy levels of progesterone.
As a woman’s body prepares for ovulation, progesterone levels go up. The corpus luteum can stimulate the production of progesterone for about two weeks and if a conception occurs, the pregnancy itself takes over the stimulation of progesterone. With no pregnancy, the lining of the uterus deteriorates and a period begins.
Some research indicates if a newly pregnant woman’s progesterone level begins to diminish, miscarriage is imminent.
Many women who have experienced one or more miscarriages or are known to have a luteal phase defect (LPD) are being presented with a new option by their providers called Prometrium.
Prometrium is a synthetic form of progesterone that may help maintain a pregnancy and ward off miscarriage.
Read More…
Tags : miscarriage, prometrium
