Correlation of IVF outcomes and number of oocytes retrieved: a UK retrospective longitudinal observational study of 172 341 non-donor cycles.

Objective: How do numbers of oocytes retrieved per In vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle impact on the live birth rate (LBR) and multiple gestation pregnancy (MGP) rates?

Design: Retrospective observational longitudinal study.

Setting: UK IVF clinics.

Population: Non-donor IVF patients.

Global inequality in sub-fertility treatment needs safer, cost effective, evidence-based and economically viable choices for patients and stakeholders.

The global increase in subfertility diagnosis and treatments and the rise of private equity investors concentrating on high profits based on in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments raise profound societal and economic questions for stakeholders and patients. The question remains as to whose benefits will ultimately be greater when promoting high margins treatment options resulting from cross-border mergers and acquisitions of IVF clinics.This paper covers wide-ranging issues from the erroneously constructed UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) guidelines on treatment choices, the cost-effectiveness of treatments, the promotion of IVF, and add-ons where evidence remains minimal, the commercial size of the fertility industry.

IUI needs fairer appraisal to improve patient and stakeholder choices.

Information supporting IVF at the expense of intrauterine insemination (IUI) has become commonplace, but it lacks critical analyses. Data from poorly practiced IUI, without an equivalent comparison to IVF, has been generalised to recommend a total abandonment of IUI in favour of IVF treatment. Our intention with this paper is to reappraise and balance arguments so that patients and stakeholders can have an unbiased informed choice.

Adverse outcomes in SAR-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and SARS virus related pregnancies with probable vertical transmission.

The global severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on all aspects of daily life and healthcare. Information on the infection risks for pregnant women and their offspring have so far been limited to small case series, until a large UK report on 427 SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women was published. Previous SARS epidemic experiences were drawn upon.

SARS-CoV-2: diagnostic and design conundrums in the context of male factor infertility.

The question of whether SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2], leading to the COVID-19 infection) can be harboured in the testes and/or semen is currently unanswered. It is essential to understand the limitations of both antibody and real-time PCR tests in interpreting SARS-CoV-2 data in relation to analyses of semen and testicular tissue without appropriate controls. This article critically analyses the evidence so far on this, and the possible implications.

Growing body of evidence supports intrauterine insemination as first line treatment and rejects unfounded concerns about its efficacy, risks and cost effectiveness.

IUI has been practiced for five decades but only three unconvincing trials attempted to demonstrate the superiority of IUI over sexual intercourse (SI). In the absence of evidence of its effectiveness, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended IVF over IUI after 2 years of unprotected SI. High-quality recent data in well-constructed studies suggest that biases against IUI procedures and in favour of IVF are invalid.

A New Dawn for Intrauterine Insemination: Efficient and Prudent Practice will Benefit Patients, the Fertility Industry and the Healthcare Bodies.

This review addresses the misplaced facts about the IUI procedure within a lucrative fertility industry. Evidence suggests IUI must be a first-line treatment option for most couples except in cases of bilateral tubal blockage and severe oligozoospermia. We introduce the concept of using 'consecutive ejaculation' in men with subfertility and one which can radically alter the male infertility definition, thereby providing a new approach to examining and managing male factor infertility.

Factors Leading to Pregnancies in Stimulated Intrauterine Insemination Cycles and the Use of Consecutive Ejaculations Within a Small Clinic Environment.

Introduction: Understanding and improving IUI pregnancy rates has enormous global appeal and application. This pilot study goes one step further by utilising consecutive ejaculates from men with oligozoospermia and comparing with normozoospermic male group.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 117 IUI-stimulated treatment cycles in a small fertility clinic in North Middlesex University Hospitals Trust, UK, within a NHS setting.

Pandora's box: ethics of PGD for inherited risk of late-onset disorders.

Until recently, the primary use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been the selection of embryos to avoid lethal or debilitating gene mutations or abnormal chromosome complement. PGD can be used to reduce the risk of transferring to the uterus an embryo with Down syndrome, and parents who are carriers of severe genetic diseases may choose to avoid having children with these debilitating genetic conditions. The use of PGD is now being extended to include gene mutations that increase the risk of late-onset disorders such as breast and ovarian cancer.

Parliamentary proposals for liberal approaches to assisted conception.

This paper summarizes the 2005 report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which considered the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in the light of new developments in IVF and embryo research. It considers the report's recommendations as to future legislation concerning the legal status of the embryo, and regarding which forms of embryos should be used for reproductive purposes. It discusses the suggestion that the current obligation to consider the welfare of the child is unhelpful and that the case has not been made against using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for sex selection.

Cytogenetic and Y chromosome microdeletion screening of a random group of infertile males.

Objective: To assess whether to perform routine cytogenetic and Y chromosome microdeletion screening on all infertile male patients.

Design: A cytogenetic and Y microdeletion study of a random group of infertile men.

Setting: University department.

Cancer patients, gametes, gonadal tissue, and the UK legal status.

With advances in reproductive technologies, there are new opportunities for preservation of fertility potential for cancer patients receiving damaging treatment regimens. These include cryopreservation of gonadal tissue and maturing germ cells. These developments were not envisaged in the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Definitions of human fertilization and preimplantation growth revisited.

Assisted reproductive techniques and the science of embryology have advanced rapidly over the last decades. The fact that social and moral objectives vary from country to country has resulted in differences not only in legislation, but also in the definition of embryological terms. Among the latest additions to the field has been nuclear transfer technology, which has led to concerns about the possibilities of human cloning.

Pregnancy and miscarriage rates in 3978 donor insemination cycles: effect of age, parity and partner's infertility status on pregnancy outcome.

The effects of age, parity and male infertility status on pregnancy outcome were studied in a cohort of 720 women receiving donor insemination (DI) treatment. Twenty-two percent of women failed to complete the treatment, leaving 562 women receiving 3202 cycles of DI for assessment. Of the 321 of pregnancies achieved, 57 (17.