Articles

Number of motile spermatozoa inseminated and pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination

To determine whether age modifies the effect of the number of motile spermatozoa inseminated (NMSI) as a predictor of success in Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).

Authors: Palma G. Gubert, Jessica Pudwell, Dean Van Vugt, Robert L. Reid and Maria P. Velez

15 years of transcriptomic analysis on endometrial receptivity: what have we learnt?

Authors: Soumaya Messaoudi, Imane EL Kasmi, Amelie Bourdiec, Kimberley Crespo, Laurence Bissonnette, Cecile Le Saint, François Bissonnette and Isaac-Jacques Kadoch

Case report of pelvic tuberculosis resulting in Asherman’s syndrome and infertility

Approximately one-third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and it is a leading cause of infertility in endemic countries. The global incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is growing a...

Authors: Mary Louise Fowler and Shruthi Mahalingaiah

Epidemiology of infertility and characteristics of infertile couples requesting assisted reproduction in a low-resource setting in Africa, Sudan

Infertility is a big health problem worldwide. Few data exist on infertility in Sudan.

Authors: Osama G. Elhussein, Mohamed A. Ahmed, Suliman O. Suliman, leena I. Yahya and Ishag Adam

Perceptions, expectations and challenges among men during in vitro fertilization treatment in a low resource setting: a qualitative study

Partner support is very important in alleviating the burden of infertility related stress and although understudied, partner coping patterns also play a key role in the other partner’s ability to cope with the...

Authors: Daniel Zaake, Anthony Kayiira and Imelda Namagembe

Knowledge and attitudes regarding elective oocyte cryopreservation in undergraduate and medical students

To assess knowledge and attitudes regarding elective oocyte cryopreservation among female undergraduate students (UG) and medical students (MS) in Eastern Virginia.

Authors: Arnold M. Mahesan, Seifeldin Sadek, Hadi Ramadan, Silvina Bocca, Anthea B. M. Paul and Laurel Stadtmauer

Case report: interventional radiology’s potential role for in vitro fertilization post ovarian transposition and pelvic radiation

Ovarian transposition is a procedure that can help preserve fertility for female patients requiring radiation in the abdominopelvic region. However, the displacement of ovaries from its original anatomic locat...

Authors: Benjamin Jang, Aaron Rohr, Paras P. Vakharia, Zachary Collins, Courtney Marsh, Isabella Herrera and Thomas Fahrbach

Ethnic disparities in fertility and its determinants in Nigeria

High fertility rate has been consistently reported in Nigeria. The three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba have different socio-cultural identities particularly those that relate t...

Authors: Ayo Stephen Adebowale

Antimullerian hormone is a predictor of live birth in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss

Ovarian reserve testing is not routinely performed in the evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The objective of this study was to determine if AMH levels are predictive of live birth rate in RPL patie...

Authors: Gayathree Murugappan, Lora Shahine and Ruth B. Lathi

Congenital Zika syndrome arising from sexual transmission of Zika virus, a case report

Sexual transmission of Zika virus is well documented and pregnant women are advised to abstain or use barrier protection if a sexual partner has risk for Zika infection. However, to date there has not been a d...

Authors: Christina D. Yarrington, Davidson H. Hamer, Wendy Kuohung and Aviva Lee-Parritz

ART implantation failure and miscarriage in patients with elevated intracellular cytokine ratios: response to immune support therapy

The origins of adverse reproductive outcome can be multifactorial, but the contribution of the maternal immune system is considered debatable. Elevated intracellular cytokine ratios have been proposed, althoug...

Authors: Conor Harrity, Lyuda Shkrobot, David Walsh and Kevin Marron

Diagnosis and management of a heterotopic pregnancy and ruptured rudimentary uterine horn

Heterotopic pregnancies implanted in a rudimentary uterine horn account for 1 in 2–3 million gestations, and confer significant risk of morbidity due to uterine rupture and hemorrhage.

Authors: Paula C. Brady, Rose L. Molina, Michael G. Muto, Brenna Stapp and Serene S. Srouji

The impact of endometrial thickness (EMT) on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration on pregnancy outcomes: a 5-year retrospective cohort analysis in Malaysia

Chances of pregnancy in relation to endometrial thickness (EMT) remain elusive albeit some literatures suggest poorer pregnancy outcomes below the threshold of 6-7 mm, notwithstanding others perceive detriment...

Authors: Joe Mee Chan, Alvin Isaac Sukumar, Magendra Ramalingam, Surinder Singh Ranbir Singh and Mohamad Farouk Abdullah

Determinants of change in fertility pattern among women in Uganda during the period 2006–2011

Studies on fertility in Uganda have attributed fertility reduction to a shift in the overall characteristics of women of reproductive age. It is not clear whether the reduction in fertility is due to changing ...

Authors: Paulino Ariho, Allen Kabagenyi and Abel Nzabona

Responses to fertility treatment among patients with cancer: a retrospective cohort study

Cancer treatments have significant negative impacts on female fertility, but the impact of cancer itself on fertility remains to be clarified. While some studies have shown that compared with healthy women, th...

Authors: A. V. Dolinko, L. V. Farland, S. A. Missmer, S. S. Srouji, C. Racowsky and E. S. Ginsburg

Pyosalpinges after hysterosalpingography in a patient with lower genital tract infection and managed by laparoscopic surgery in a resource low tertiary hospital case report and literature review

Pyosalpinges (a complication of pelvic inflammatory disease) is infection of the fallopian tubes and the morbidity associated with it has major health implications. We are reporting a case of pyosalpinges diag...

Authors: Thomas Obinchemti Egbe, Fidelia Mbi Kobenge, Metogo Mbengono Junette Arlette and Eugene Belley-Priso

Anti-oxidant mediated normalisation of raised intracellular cytokines in patients with reproductive failure

Raised intracellular cytokine ratios (CKR) are proposed as a significant risk factor for adverse reproductive outcome. An elevated cytokine ratio, such as between TNFa and/or IFNg to IL-10 is associated with r...

Authors: Kevin Marron, John F. Kennedy and Conor Harrity

Characterization of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) fellowship applicants: guiding our mentees toward success

Advanced subspecialty training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) entails a competitive application process with many data points considered. It is not known what components weigh more heavily...

Authors: Jason Franasiak, Daniel Kaser, Linnea Goodman, George Patounakis, Caroline Juneau, Scott Morin, Shelby Neal, William Schlaff and Richard Scott

Intramuscular progesterone (Gestone) versus vaginal progesterone suppository (Cyclogest) for luteal phase support in cycles of in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer: patient preference and drug efficacy

The requirement for luteal phase support (LPS) in stimulated IVF cycles is well established, however drug choice, and route of administration and duration of use are not. This report evaluates patients’ prefer...

Authors: Amal Yaseen Zaman, Serdar Coskun, Ahmed Abdullah Alsanie and Khalid Arab Awartani

Fertility differential of women in Bangladesh demographic and health survey 2014

The aim of this study was to examine the fertility differential of women age 15 to 49 using data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014- a survey of women who were born from 1963 to 1999.

Authors: Shongkour Roy and Sharif Mohammed Ismail Hossain

Fertility with early reduction of ovarian reserve: the last straw that breaks the Camel’s back

Diminished fertility and poor ovarian response pose a conundrum to the experts in the field of reproductive medicine. There is limited knowledge about the risk factors of diminished ovarian reserve other than ...

Authors: Sabahat Rasool and Duru Shah

Vitamin D binding protein is lower in infertile patients compared to fertile controls: a case control study

The importance of vitamin D in general health as well as in human reproductive success has been an area of focus. A better understanding of vitamin D metabolism, particularly vitamin D binding protein, is impo...

Authors: Jason Franasiak, Sue Shapses, Wei Sun, Richard Scott and Xiangbing Wang

Magnetic resonance imaging performance for diagnosis of ovarian torsion in pregnant women with stimulated ovaries

To determine if asymmetric ovarian edema on non-contrast MRI can be used to distinguish torsed from non-torsed stimulated ovaries in pregnant women.

Authors: Elizabeth Asch, Jesse Wei, Koenraad J. Mortele, Kathryn Humm, Kim Thornton and Deborah Levine

Contraception and fertility transition in AMHARA National Regional State of ETHIOPIA: an application of BONGAARTS’ model

The overall decline of fertility in Amhara National Regional State between 2000 and 2011 was the highest in Ethiopia. The aim of the present study was to determine the most significant proximate determinant of...

Authors: Nega Mihret Alazbih, Getachew Nibret Tewabe and Tariku Dejene Demissie

Perceptıon scale of barrıers to contraceptıve use: a methodologıcal study

The objective of this study was to design and develop the Perception Scale of Barriers to Contraceptive Use (PSBCU) as a measurement tool for the qualitative assessment of the barriers and obstacles women perc...

Authors: Selma Sen, Aynur Cetinkaya and Aysel Cavuslar

Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much?

Alcohol use is prevalent in the United States. Given that a substantial portion of the drinking population is of reproductive age, it is not uncommon for couples who are attempting conception, or for women who...

Authors: Kristin Van Heertum and Brooke Rossi

Fertility preservation training for obstetrics and gynecology fellows: a highly desired but non-standardized experience

Despite a large body of data suggesting that delivery of fertility care to cancer patients is inconsistent and frequently insufficient, there is a paucity of literature examining training in fertility preserva...

Authors: Elizabeth J. N. Miller, Lisa M. Cookingham, Teresa K. Woodruff, Ginny L. Ryan, Karen M. Summers, Laxmi A. Kondapalli and Divya K. Shah

Ovarian morphology is associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a cross sectional study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common disorder well known to be associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disease. Insulin resistance is likely involved in the promotion of the PCOS reproduc...

Authors: Sara Pittenger Reid, Chia-Ning Kao, Lauri Pasch, Kanade Shinkai, Marcelle I. Cedars and Heather G. Huddleston

Cardiovascular risk factors among women with self-reported infertility

Amongst women with certain types of ovulatory disorder infertility, the studies are conflicting whether there is an increased risk of long-term cardiovascular disease risk. This paper evaluates the association...

Authors: Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Fangui Sun, J. Jojo Cheng, Erika T. Chow, Kathryn L. Lunetta and Joanne M. Murabito

“I am anxious and desperate”: psychological experiences of women with infertility in The Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Research has shown that infertility affects millions of couples worldwide. Infertility is considered one of the most difficult life experiences and can result in psychological consequences for couples, especia...

Authors: Ernestina S. Donkor, Florence Naab and Deborah Y. Kussiwaah

Discrete survival model analysis of a couple’s smoking pattern and outcomes of assisted reproduction

Cigarette smoking has been associated with worse infertility treatment outcomes, yet some studies have found null or inconsistent results.

Authors: Jose C. Vanegas, Jorge E. Chavarro, Paige L. Williams, Jennifer B. Ford, Thomas L. Toth, Russ Hauser and Audrey J. Gaskins

Tablet terminals: a useful tool to explain in vitro fertilization treatment

Explanations that involve medical care treatment take time. This also applies to explanations of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the field of infertility treatment. This is because the cause of infertility dif...

Authors: Atsushi Yanaihara, Shirei Ohgi, Kenichirou Motomura and Takumi Yanaihara

Preconception consultations with Maternal Fetal Medicine for obese women: a retrospective chart review

Obesity is associated with impaired fertility and pregnancy complications, and preconception weight loss may improve some of these outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and effectiven...

Authors: Charlotte M. Page, Elizabeth S. Ginsburg, Randi H. Goldman and Chloe A. Zera

Polycystic ovary syndrome and risk of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancer: a systematic review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder with an estimated prevalence of 4–21% in reproductive aged women. The altered metabolic and hormonal environment among women with PCOS may incre...

Authors: Holly R. Harris and Kathryn L. Terry

A simple, less invasive stripper micropipetter-based technique for day 3 embryo biopsy

Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is an important procedure for in vitro fertilization (IVF). A key step of PGS, blastomere removal, is abundant with many technical issues. The aim of this study was to c...

Authors: Luciano Cedillo, Azucena Ocampo-Bárcenas, Israel Maldonado, Francisco J. Valdez-Morales, Felipe Camargo and Esther López-Bayghen

Successful pregnancy with donor eggs in-vitro fertilization after premature ovarian insufficiency in a tertiary hospital in a low-income setting: a case report

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is classically defined as 4–6 months of cessation of menses (amenorrhea) in women under 40, associated with menopausal level of serum gonadotropins FSH > 40 IU/L and hypo-...

Authors: Thomas Obinchemti Egbe, Carine Youta Wafo, Berthe Bebey Bollo, Christian Pany, Monique Jong Onomo and Guy Sandjon

Lifestyle and in vitro fertilization: what do patients believe?

Patients have many beliefs regarding lifestyle factors and IVF outcomes.

Authors: Brooke V. Rossi, Leah Hawkins Bressler, Katharine F. Correia, Shane Lipskind, Mark D. Hornstein and Stacey A. Missmer

Efficiency of metaphase II oocytes following minimal/mild ovarian stimulation in vitro fertilization

An inverse relationship between oocyte efficiency and ovarian response was reported in conventional IVF. The purpose of this study was to report metaphase II (MII) oocyte efficiency according to oocyte yield i...

Authors: John J. Zhang, Mingxue Yang and Zaher Merhi

Promoting the use of elective single embryo transfer in clinical practice

The transfer of multiple embryos after in vitro fertilization (IVF) increases the risk of twins and higher-order births. Multiple births are associated with significant health risks and maternal and neonatal c...

Authors: Tamara Tobias, Fady I. Sharara, Jason M. Franasiak, Patrick W. Heiser and Emily Pinckney-Clark

Fertility is below replacement in Harar Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Harar HDSS), Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia

Population growth is determined by fertility, mortality and migration rates. Fertility is the prime determinant of population growth, which is highly associated with family planning, literacy, urbanization, an...

Authors: Nega Assefa and Agumasie Semahegn

Heavy menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhea are improved by Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) of adenomyosis

To assess reduction in heavy menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhea following MRI guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) of focal and diffuse adenomyosis up to 12 months post-treatment a retrospective cohort ...

Authors: Ramya Jayaram, Kalpana Subbarayan, Sridurga Mithraprabhu and Mirudhubashini Govindarajan

Factors associated with uterine fibroid in Ghanaian women undergoing pelvic scans with suspected uterine fibroid

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumours affecting premenopausal women and are often associated with considerable hospitalization and morbidity. Literature shows virtually no study concerning the qu...

Authors: Benjamin Dabo Sarkodie, Benard Ohene Botwe, David Nana Adjei and Eric Ofori

Selective use of percutaneous testis biopsy to optimize IVF-ICSI outcomes: a case series

Sperm quality may degrade during transit through the male reproductive tract in some individuals. In this setting surgically retrieved testicular sperm may outperform ejaculated samples for use with in vitro f...

Authors: Russell P. Hayden, Diane L. Wright, Thomas L. Toth and Cigdem Tanrikut

Satisfaction with in vitro fertilization treatment: patients’ experiences and professionals’ perceptions

This paper investigates patients’ satisfaction with various aspects of fertility care and seeks to determine to what extent fertility specialists are able to assess patient satisfaction. Patients’ experiences ...

Authors: Limor Dina Gonen

Fertility Research and Practice reviewer acknowledgement 2015

The editors of Fertility Research and Practice would like to thank all of our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in Volume 1 (2015).

Authors: Elizabeth Ginsburg and Danny Schust

Clinical vignettes and global health considerations of infertility care in under-resourced patients

The ability to receive standard of care for a diagnosis of infertility is a factor of one’s financial state and educational level, which are often correlated. Providing infertility care in an under-resourced t...

Authors: Erika Tiffanie Chow and Shruthi Mahalingaiah

Candidate gene analysis in a case of congenital absence of the endometrium

Primary amenorrhea usually result from a genetic or anatomic abnormality. We present the first reported patient with the absence of endometrium and lumen in a small bicornuate uterus in a patient with primary ...

Authors: Serap Simavli, Ana Paula Abreu, Mary R. Kwaan, Robert G. Dluhy, Elena H. Yanushpolsky, Colleen Feltmate, Sandra R. Cerda, Rona S. Carroll, Ursula B. Kaiser and Wendy Kuohung

Transferring embryos with indeterminate PGD results: the ethical implications

In vitro fertilization (IVF) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) are becoming increasingly common techniques to select embryos that are unaffected by a known genetic disorder. Though IVF-PGD has high ...

Authors: Iris G. Insogna and Elizabeth Ginsburg

In-vitro fertilization and spontaneous pregnancies: matching outcomes in Douala, Cameroon

Couples are considered infertile if they do not conceive over a 12-month period of unprotected intercourse. Studies have shown that female causes accounted for between 25 to 37 percent of infertility worldwide...

Authors: Thomas Obinchemti Egbe, Guy Sandjon, Clovis Ourtchingh, André Simo, Eugene Belley Priso and Jean-Louis Benifla

Comparison of uterine and tubal pathology identified by transvaginal sonography, hysterosalpingography, and hysteroscopy in female patients with infertility

The causes of female infertility are multifactorial and necessitate comprehensive evaluation including physical examination, hormonal testing, and imaging. Given the associated psychological and financial stre...

Authors: Catherine H. Phillips, Carol B. Benson, Elizabeth S. Ginsburg and Mary C. Frates