Exposure to an increased level of air pollutants, especially nitrogen dioxide, has been associated with lower likelihoods of successful pregnancy among women undergoing in vitro fertilization, according to a team of fertility researchers. The team examined the outcomes of the first pregnancy attempt of 7,403 women undergoing IVF at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pa…

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The British Fertility Society has issued new guidelines in the journal Human Fertility on the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in fertility treatment. The guidelines found that there is currently no evidence that having acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine treatment around the time of assisted conception increases the likelihood of subsequent pregnancy…

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The high-intensity training undertaken by triathletes has a significant impact on the quality of their sperm, the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard 29 June. Professor Diana Vaamonde, from the University of Cordoba Medical School, Cordoba, Spain, said that the triathletes who did the most cycling training had the worst sperm morphology.

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New research strengthens the link between water pollution and rising male fertility problems. The study, by Brunel University, the Universities of Exeter and Reading and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, shows for the first time how a group of testosterone-blocking chemicals is finding its way into UK rivers, affecting wildlife and potentially humans. The research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council and is now published in the journal
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Despite the prevalence of acupuncture as a complement to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, a new study to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that there is little evidence of any benefits. The study, from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, was a review and meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials involving the use of acupuncture during IVF treatment and outcome assessment. In total, 2500 women were included.
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