Wednesday 31 March 2010

Fizzy drinks and male fertility

Did you know that too many fizzy drinks may affect male fertility? A study from Denmark looked at more than 2,000 young men and investigated their diet and intake of caffeine (including fizzy cola which contains caffeine) before analysing their sperm. They found that there was no clear link between semen quality and caffeine consumption, BUT there was a link when they looked at fizzy drink consumption.

Men who drank more than 14 bottles of fizzy drinks a week (that's about a litre a day) were far more likely to have poor fertility. However, it isn't clear what the cause of this might be. Researchers say it can't be the caffeine, as getting the same amount of caffeine from coffee didn't have the same result. It could be that those who drink lots of cola have other lifestyle factors that may come into play - on the whole they were less healthy, eating less fruit, vegetables and fish and consuming more fast food and alcohol. The one thing that does emerge very clearly from the research is that lifestyle and eating habits certainly do play an important role in male fertility.

You can read the full paper here

IVF and ICSI information evening

There's a free fertility information evening at Homerton Hospital in Hackney on Wednesday 7 April from 7-8.30pm. Consultants from the hospital's fertility centre will give a presentation on IVF and ICSI and answer any questions. I will also be there, representing Infertility Network UK. The evening will be held in the main lecture theatre, Education Centre, Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row, London E9 6SR. If you'd like to come along you can email fertility@homerton.nhs.uk or call 020 8510 7660.

Friday 26 March 2010

US egg donors paid too much?

The human egg raffle (see previous post), raised quite a lot of debate here about payment for egg donors and whether that might help solve the shortage of donor eggs. Indeed, recompense for donors is something the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is considering in the UK.

However, a new study from the US shows how careful you have to be once you set that ball rolling. It discovered that many egg donors are currently being paid considerably more than the guidelines suggest, particularly those with good grades at good universities. Apparently ads appear in University newspapers across the US offering considerable sums in exchange for eggs. Is that really a route we'd want to follow here? Is it possible to pay donors more than the paltry amounts they currently receive in the UK and still keep the situation under control? And if so, how can that be done?

Thursday 18 March 2010

The egg raffle

You've probably heard about the human egg raffle taking place to promote a link-up between a London fertility clinic and a centre in the US. Apparently, we are told, this is pretty standard practice in the States and it's not exactly a raffle as you don't buy tickets - in order to qualify you have to go along to an information seminar to find out more about the treatment on offer.
Whether it's a dubious marketing strategy or a slippery path to something far more sinister depends on your point of view.

It's interesting that when another London clinic gave away a number of free treatment cycles, there was no outcry. Is this really no more than a similar free treatment offer for those who need donor eggs? In theory, perhaps not, but in practice the idea of a human egg raffle is highly distasteful - and all the more so to us in the UK because the winner will choose the donor from a wide selection of women who are willing to sell their eggs.

The HFEA came out and condemned the raffle as "inappropriate" and said it "trivialises altruistic donation". But what of the clinic concerned? Splashed across the pages of our newspapers and discussed on radio and TV, it certainly got publicity - and if you're of the opinion that any publicity is good publicity, then perhaps it worked. But will it have encouraged patients to dash off to the seminar for the chance of winning a cycle of donor treatment? Or would it be more likely to encourage them to seek treatment elsewhere?

Monday 15 March 2010

Acupuncture guidelines

Complementary therapies for fertility problems are becoming ever more popular, and acupuncture in particular is generally accepted to be a successful alternative or addition to conventional treatments. Having a session of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer is thought to increase the chances of implantation. Indeed, it’s now so popular that some fertility clinics have acupuncturists working on site to provide an integrated service alongside the medical treatment due to patient demand. However, the British Fertility Society has now questioned the accepted wisdom that you're more likely to get pregnant if you've had acupuncture alongside your IVF.

They've issued guidelines which say there's no evidence that having acupuncture (or using Chinese herbal medicine) increases your chances of having successful fertility treatment. They examined the results of fourteen existing trials, which included more than two and a half thousand patients, and found no evidence that acupuncture made any difference to the outcome of fertility treatment. Acupuncturists question the methods used for the trials, but the lack of evidence cannot be entirely meaningless given the number of patients involved.

When The Complete Guide to IVF was published, I was questioned by an acupuncturist who didn’t feel I had been sufficiently positive about acupuncture during treatment in the book. In fact, I am not against the idea of complementary therapies at all, and I think that if they can make you feel calmer and more relaxed, this can only have a positive outcome. I had, however, pointed out that scientific evidence was not clear cut when it came to backing up claims that having acupuncture during an IVF cycle increased success rates. If you find that acupuncture makes you more able to deal with the ups and downs of IVF, then there’s every reason to use it while you’re having treatment. If on the other hand, you are spending money you can ill afford looking and are expecting miracles, it may be worth reconsidering.

You can read more about the British Fertility Society take on this at www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk

Saturday 13 March 2010

The cost of fertility drugs

As a quick addition to the previous post about cost-price drugs from Asda, I was with some consultants from an NHS fertility clinic this week who informed me that they sell IVF drugs through their clinic at cost price, and that they are even cheaper than Asda! So do check out all your options...

An existing child...

Whether you qualify for NHS-funded IVF doesn't just depend on where you live in the UK, it can also depend on your personal circumstances. Women who are overweight, who are over a certain age or under another, couples or single women who need donor eggs or sperm may all find that their situation makes them ineligible. In many areas, having an existing child from a previous relationship means that you won't qualify for NHS help.

If both you and your partner have been in previous relationships and you have one or more young children from either of those relationships living with you in your home, discovering that you don't qualify for fertility treatment may be upsetting as you'd like a child together, but you do have "an existing child". However, what about a woman whose partner has an adult "child" from a previous relationship? She may have absolutely no contact with that young person and it's a very different scenario - yet she will also be deemed ineligible for treatment by many PCTs.

Fertility patients understand that these are difficult financial times and the NHS doesn't have unlimited funds, but is it really right to make up rules which treat people unfairly in order to disguise the fact that fertility treatment is rationed?

Friday 5 March 2010

Cost price IVF drugs from Asda

Congratulations to Asda on the decision to sell IVF drugs at cost price. So many people who need fertility treatment have to pay for it privately, and the expensive drugs needed for each IVF cycle make it an even more costly business.

Whilst I'm delighted by Asda's decision, what shocked me most was the profit most other outlets are currently making when they sell fertility drugs. Asda say that if you buy your IVF drugs from them, you will pay around £1,170.00 - buying the same drugs elsewhere could cost you at least £800 more! When you're already spending a lot of money on your treatment, that's not a saving to be sniffed at. Most of us tend to imagine that pharmaceutical companies are to blame for the high cost of drugs, but this reveals that High Street pharmacies could be making a very healthy profit from those of us with fertility problems too.

The Asda pharmacy is online at www.asda-pharmacy.co.uk

Monday 1 March 2010

PCOS - not too late to book for the conference

If you have polycystic ovary syndrome, you will be interested in a one day conference due to take place later this month in Reading. Organised by Verity, the PCOS support network, on March 27, the conference covers a wide range of topics including complementary therapy, health issues and dealing with excess hair. See the Verity website for more details.