Researchers want your views

If you've been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for six months or more, researchers at Cardiff University are interested in your views. They're conducting an online survey - so no need to talk to anyone face to face - and you can give your views from home when you'd like to do it. You can find the survey here

IVF for lesbian couples

News in The Times today of a lesbian couple winning the right to equal access to IVF funding. They'd originally been refused NHS treatment. Some local trusts are less enlightened than others when it comes to treatment for lesbian couples and single women, but later this year changes to legislation will remove the need to consider the need for a father when considering who should be offered treatment which should put an end to discrimination. You can read more about this case at www.timesonline.co.uk

Attractive men produce less sperm

If you've got a low sperm count, it may be down to the fact that you're so good looking... New research suggests that attractive males don't produce as many sperm as their less handsome counterparts. Apparently this is part of a pattern seen in some animal species where males who attract more females produce fewer sperm each time they mate. The males who aren't as popular with women need to produce more sperm each time they ejaculate in order to maximise their chances of reproducing, as they will get to mate less frequently.

The research is part of a study from researchers at University College London and the University of Oxford, and you can find out more at www.ucl.ac.uk

New hope for male infertility

You've probably heard by now about the human sperm created in the laboratory along with dire warnings about men becoming redundant in the future.

The sperm were made using embryonic stem cells by a team from Newcastle University and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute, and the researchers believe the development will offer hope to many couples with fertility problems. You can read all about the research at www.nesci.ac.uk

However, some other experts in the field have expressed doubts as to whether what has been produced are actually real sperm, or something similar with many of the same characteristics - clearly a case of watch this space!

The real cost of IVF

It's something patients have been complaining about for years - the hidden extra charges they often face when presented with a bill for their fertility treatment. Now, the HFEA is taking action on the issue, and has told clinics that they will be expected to present patients with a clear plan of how much their treatment is going to cost.

When so many people have to save or borrow to pay for treatment, an unexpectedly large bill can cause real problems and costed treatment plans at the start should make a real difference. There's a press release on this with more details on the HFEA website at www.hfea.gov.uk

New survey on treatment overseas

More and more people are travelling overseas for fertility treatment, often to escape rules and regulations in their own countries, according to a new cross-European study. For patients from the UK however, a major reason for travelling was the difficulty of accessing treatment. Many couples who need donor eggs find they face long waits in the UK and may choose to travel to Spain or the Czech Republic where there are more women willing to donate eggs. Age also played a part, as more than 60% of British women travelling for treatment were over the age of 40.

In Italy, freezing embryos is not permitted, so it is perhaps not surprising that Italians are the largest group of people travelling for treatment, whilst in France, lesbian couples are not eligible for IVF, so many same sex French couples travel for treatment. You can find out more about the new research at www.eshre.com

Can cycling damage sperm?

Spanish researchers have found that serious cycle training seems to damage sperm. They looked at a group of triathletes, and found that those who focused on cycling in their training had the poorest sperm quality. Apparently the time spent training and the distance cycled could be seen to have direct links with the quality of sperm. It isn't clear why this should be, although it is possible that it is due to heat damage or compression. You can read more on the report released at ESHRE this week at www.eshre.com