Twittering

Do you get it ? Twittering, I mean. I'm not entirely sure I do, but I was at a gathering of authors the other night where I felt hopelessly out of date as everyone discussed their twittering and podcasts. So, since podcasting sounds far too technical I decided to have a go at Twitter instead. I don't quite get it yet, but I must admit that it took me about a year to understand Facebook. Maybe by summer 2010, I'll be merrily twittering away. You can find me here http://twitter.com/katebrian

Early menopause support

The Daisy Network - which offers advice and support to anyone affected by early menopause - is organising a one-day conference in central London in June.

The conference is open to all, and partners, friends and family will be warmly welcomed. The date is Saturday June 13 and it lasts all day, with informal discussion groups planned for the afternoon.

Experiencing an early menopause can be difficult and is often isolating, so anyone who would like more information about the day, or about what the Daisy Network can offer, may be interested in visiting the website at www.daisynetwork.org.uk

PCOS fertility workshop

I'm delighted to have been asked to speak at a workshop on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Fertility organised by Verity - the PCOS support network - in June.

It's a one day event, with a range of sessions exploring how Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can affect your fertility, and what you can do about it. PCOS is a very common female fertility problem, and can be linked with other upsetting symptoms such as weight isssues and excess body hair.

I'll be speaking about what to expect when you're trying to conceive. Other speakers at the event include Professor Stephen Franks and Dr Davinia White, and there will be sessions on funding for fertility treatment and on infertility and complementary therapies. The event will be held in Croydon on June 27. You can find out more at www.verity-pcos.org.uk

Free seminars on fertility treatment.

If you know you are likely to need fertility treatment and want to find out more about it, you may be interested in some free seminars being offered on the subject at one UK clinic. Bourn Hall, just outside Cambridge, is the clinic originally set up by the IVF pioneers, Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, and now it is a large unit offering a range of treatments.

There is a seminar every month held on a Saturday afternoon, where senior members of the medical and scientific team are on hand to provide information about the treatments and counselling offered at the clinic. The clinic do ask that you notify them in advance if you'd like to attend one of the seminars, but there is no obligation to continue with treatment there, and the question and answer session may prove informative.

You can find out more on the Bourn Hall website at www.bourn-hall-clinic.co.uk

Fertility warnings for cancer patients

According to an interesting article in the New York Times, it seems that many cancer patients are still not being warned about the risks treatment can pose to their fertility.

The paper reports that many patients don't think to ask about this during consultations, and that specialists often forget to tell them in the rush to start treatment. One study estimated that only 1/4 of specialists told patients that their cancer treatment could mean they would not be able to have children. In the US, a new programme has just started to help cancer patients who are worried about their future fertility.

It is surprising that even now many people are unaware that infertility is a fairly common side effect of cancer treatments. If the risks are explained before treatment starts, there is often a window of opportunity to freeze sperm or eggs before it begins. The chances of a successful pregnancy with frozen eggs are still low, but this is a rapidly changing field and this is certain to improve in the not too distant future.

Oxfordshire petition

It's one of those areas of the country with a completely nonsensical IVF funding policy - where only older women, who are less likely to be successful, qualify for NHS help. In Oxfordshire, you have to be 35 to be eligible for funded treatment - and so one couple who would have to wait nine years to qualify have started a petition to call on the local Primary Care Trust to change their policy.

It certainly can't be seen as cost effective to be funding treatment only when there is less chance of it working, but this kind of rationing helps keep waiting lists low and ensures many couples simply have to pay for their own treatment whilst still allowing health officials to claim that they are offering funding for IVF. The government's guidance is that up to three cycles of funded treatment should be offered to eligible couples where the woman is under 40, but in reality this is not happening in much of the country.

The couple who started the petition in Oxfordshire were told that their chances of success if they had IVF now would be 50%, but if they waited until they were eligible for funding, they'd only have a 24% chance of the treatment working. Surely the argument for a change of policy could not be clearer. You can sign the petition at gopetition.co.uk/online/26607.html and you can read more about the story in the Oxford Mail at www.oxfordmail.co.uk

Medical causes of excess body hair

Women who have excess body hair, known as hirsutism, don't always realise that this may indicate an underlying medical problem. Many women are upset and embarrassed if they start growing excess hair but the condition is surprisingly common, affecting up to 15% of the population, and women should feel confident about seeking medical advice. Hirsutism is often a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and the vast majority of women who have excess body hair also suffer from PCOS.

A new study to be published in The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist looks at the causes of hirsutism and also investigates the treatments that may be used successfully. If a woman is overweight, then weight loss can sometimes make a real difference, as can hormone therapy, such as taking the oral contraceptive pill. Women may also be offered cosmetic or medical treatment for hirsutism. There's more on this at www.rcog.org.uk