Publications by authors named "Sara Somers"

Article Synopsis
  • The 2024 Australian evidence-based guideline offers recommendations for diagnosing and treating unexplained infertility in couples, tailored specifically for the Australian healthcare context and approved by national health authorities.
  • The guideline contains 40 evidence-based recommendations, addressing areas such as defining infertility, diagnosing various factors contributing to infertility, and treatment options, with a focus on improving patient care.
  • Key updates include a refined definition of unexplained infertility and a more comprehensive assessment process, integrating considerations of evidence quality, safety, and practicality for implementing these guidelines in Australia.
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Purpose: In the past decades, a positive attitude towards having children has been reported in young people. The current generation of adolescents is increasingly concerned about environmental cataclysm which may have an impact on their desire for children. The purpose of this study is to depict the current attitudes in Flemish adolescents towards having children.

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This study aims to determine the test-retest reliability and to confirm the domain structures of the Dutch version of the modified polycystic ovary syndrome questionnaire (mPCOSQ) and the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Quality of Life Scale (PCOSQOL) in Dutch and Flemish women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS patients were contacted with a request to complete both questionnaires (including additional demographic questions) online in their home environment on T0 and on T1. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Erasmus Medical Centre and of Ghent University Hospital.

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Background: Up to 2018, the Belgian law stated that transgender people who wanted to change their legal sex had to undergo physical gender affirming treatment. This included gonadectomy to a medically possible and justified extent, which entailed that they had to accept the fact that they could no longer reproduce. However, research has shown that many transgender people desire to have children.

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Research Question: Ovarian stimulation during IVF cycles involves close monitoring of oestradiol, progesterone and ultrasound measurements of follicle growth. In contrast to blood draws, sampling saliva is less invasive. Here, a blind validation is presented of a novel saliva-based oestradiol and progesterone assay carried out in samples collected in independent IVF clinics.

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A lot of attention has been given to the quest of parents, children and donors to find donor siblings (= half siblings who share the same donor gametes but who are born in different families). However, literature is scarce about the use of the same sperm donor for subsequent children in the same family. This study included 68 lesbian and heterosexual (aspiring) parents, recruited at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of Ghent University Hospital (Belgium).

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Objective: To describe the decisions lesbian couples make when creating a family through donor insemination [DI] and to explore the negotiations between the biological and the non-biological mother.

Methods: We included 18 lesbian parents (9 biological and 9 non-biological mothers) with at least one child (7-10 years old) conceived through anonymous DI. We conducted in-depth semi-structured couple interviews at the participants' homes or at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of Ghent University Hospital (Belgium) where participants were treated in the past.

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Introduction: Controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation for in vitro fertilization or intra cytoplasmatic sperm injection necessitates close monitoring using ultrasound and estradiol measurements. Monitoring is also important to prevent or limit the severity of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome, an iatrogenic and potentially life-threatening complication. Self-operated endovaginal telemonitoring has been shown to offer an attractive and less costly alternative to classic consultation and saliva estradiol measurements could be a stress-free and practical alternative to serial blood determinations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study compares a family/community-focused program (PABICOP) with standard care for children with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and their families.
  • Parents with more than 10 contacts with PABICOP showed significantly higher ABI knowledge, while those with fewer contacts reported better improvements in their children's competence.
  • Overall, PABICOP may be more effective in increasing ABI knowledge and community integration for families over a year compared to standard methods, with the level of service received impacting results.
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