A Mixed-Methods Study to Evaluate Family Planning Desires and Barriers to Building Families Among Gay, Bisexual, and Lesbian Cisgender Military Service Members.

Introduction: Barriers to seeking infertility care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, and asexual (LGBTIQA+) individuals are well documented in the literature. However, little is known about military LGBTIQA+ service members seeking infertility care within the Military Health System. Approximately 6.

Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experience of Reproductive and Pediatric Health Care in the Military Health Care System.

Introduction: Persistent inequities exist in obstetric and neonatal outcomes in military families despite universal health care coverage. Though the exact underlying cause has not been identified, social determinants of health may uniquely impact military families. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the potential impact of social determinants of health and the lived experiences of military individuals seeking maternity care in the Military Health System.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Infertility Posts on X: Insights on a Misinformation Pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate misinformation surrounding infertility and the COVID-19 vaccine on X (formerly known as Twitter) by analyzing the prevalence and content of this misinformation across a sample of posts on X.

Methods: This study is a retrospective review of posts on X (formerly known as tweets) from the COVID-19-TweetIDs dataset from July 2021 and November 2021. Included posts were from crucial time points in the COVID-19 vaccine discourse and contained at least one word related to COVID-19 vaccination and fertility.

Fertility Knowledge and Educational Experiences of Graduating Medical Students: A Multi-Institution Survey.

Our goal was to assess the fertility knowledge and educational experiences of graduating U.S. medical students to evaluate areas of improvement for future educational interventions.

Barriers to Family Building Among Physicians and Medical Students.

Importance: Physicians and medical students who desire to build families face significant barriers due to the structure and culture of medicine.

Objective: To understand the barriers and facilitators to family building for all people in medicine-not only individuals who can become pregnant-through an open-ended, qualitative analysis of survey responses.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study used a survey conducted in April and May 2021 with a broad sample of physicians and medical students.

Racial disparities in uterine fibroids and endometriosis: a systematic review and application of social, structural, and political context.

Importance: Uterine fibroids and endometriosis are 2 of the leading causes of morbidity among reproductive-aged women. There are significant racial disparities in disease prevalence, incidence, age of onset, and treatment profile in fibroids. The data on endometriosis are less clear.

Probability of Pregnancy With Mono vs Multiple Folliculogenesis in Women With Unexplained Infertility.

Context: Ovarian stimulation (OS) increases pregnancy rates but can cause multiple folliculogenesis and multiple pregnancy.

Objective: To determine whether the probability of pregnancy differs in OS cycles with mono- vs multifolliculogenesis in women with unexplained infertility (UI).

Design: Secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial: Assessment of Multiple Intrauterine Gestations from Ovarian Stimulation with 3 treatment arms: gonadotropins, clomiphene, or letrozole, combined with intrauterine insemination.

Prospectively assessed perceived stress associated with early pregnancy losses among women with history of pregnancy loss.

Study Question: What is the association between perceived stress during peri-conception and early pregnancy and pregnancy loss among women who have experienced a prior pregnancy loss?

Summary Answer: Daily perceived stress above the median is associated with over a 2-fold risk of early pregnancy loss among women who have experienced a prior loss.

What Is Known Already?: Women who have experienced a pregnancy loss may be more vulnerable to stress while trying to become pregnant again. While prior research has indicated a link between psychological stress and clinically confirmed miscarriages, research is lacking among a pre-conceptional cohort followed prospectively for the effects of perceived stress during early critical windows of pregnancy establishment on risk of both hCG-detected pregnancy losses and confirmed losses, while considering important time-varying confounders.

Getting the word out: Methods of learning about research and motivations for participation in a study focusing on a reproductive-aged Latina/x population.

Background: Although one of the fastest-growing populations in the USA, Latinx individuals remain underrepresented in research. In this study, we aimed to identify how Latina/Latinx participants of the Environment, Leiomyomas, Latinas, and Adiposity Study (ELLAS) learned about the research study and what motivated them to participate.

Materials And Methods: Using a standardized survey tool, bilingual staff interviewed participants and asked them, 1) how they heard about ELLAS and 2) to identify and rank their top three reasons for participating in ELLAS.

Racial and Ethnic Variation in Genetic Susceptibility: Are Disparities in Infertility Prevalence and Outcomes more than Black and White?

Race, as a social construct without a clear genetic underpinning, is frequently referenced in medicine as predictor of multiple diseases including that of infertility. The authors will discuss how systematic racism can have downstream consequences ranging from overt physician bias to use of medical algorithms that may potentiate the same disparities they attempt to narrow. Then, the authors explore the utility and pragmatic use of genetic ancestry to estimate disease prevalence, instead of racial categories.

Factors contributing to persistent disparate outcomes of in vitro fertilization treatment.

Purpose Of Review: Disparate healthcare outcomes are ubiquitous and occur across all fields of medicine, specifically for racial and ethnic minorities. Within reproductive health, minority women face disparate access to care, particularly infertility services, poor outcomes of fertility treatment, alarmingly higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as higher rates of preterm birth, lower live birth rates when they conceive spontaneously or when they conceive with assisted reproductive technology. The objective of this review is to highlight factors contributing to the persistent racial/ethnic disparities in in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.

The Environment, Leiomyomas, Latinas, and Adiposity Study: rationale and design.

Background: Uterine leiomyomas, commonly known as fibroids, are benign tumors in postmenarchal females. By the age of 35 years, approximately 30% of females will have fibroids, and by the age of 50 years, the prevalence approaches 70% with some studies reporting >85% prevalence in African American females. Previous studies evaluating the prevalence of fibroids have largely relied on self-reported fibroid diagnoses, which could have falsely underestimated prevalence because many females with fibroids are asymptomatic.

Are higher unintended pregnancy rates among minorities a result of disparate access to contraception?

Abstract: Unintended pregnancy is a major global issue. Women who experience an unintended pregnancy have a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Additionally, these women also experience substantial financial hardships.

Family history of autoimmune disease in relation to time-to-pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and live birth rate.

Several autoimmune conditions have adverse effects on reproductive outcomes, but the relationship between family history of autoimmune disease in women without these conditions and pregnancy is uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between a family history of an autoimmune condition and time-to-pregnancy (TTP), pregnancy loss, and live birth. This was a prospective cohort study from a RCT of 1228 adult women ages 18-40, who were healthy, had no history of infertility, were actively attempting to conceive, and had one or two prior pregnancy losses.

Preconception leptin levels and pregnancy outcomes: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: Obesity has become a major, worldwide public health issue and is associated with a greater risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Leptin, a hormone produced by adipocytes, is elevated in individuals with obesity and may mediate the association between obesity and pregnancy outcomes. Though leptin levels during pregnancy have been associated with pregnancy outcomes, less is understood regarding preconception levels.

Prediction of pregnancy loss by early first trimester ultrasound characteristics.

Background: Pregnancy loss prediction based on routinely measured ultrasound characteristics is generally aimed toward distinguishing nonviability. Physicians also use ultrasound indicators for patient counseling, and in some cases to decide upon the frequency of follow-up sonograms. To improve clinical utility, allocation of cut-points should be based on clinical data for multiple sonographic characteristics, be specific to gestational week, and be determined by methods that optimize prediction.

Dietary Intakes of Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin B-12 and Ovarian Cycle Function among Premenopausal Women.

Background: Riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 are key players in one-carbon metabolism as enzymatic cofactors, and deficiency of these nutrients may influence reproductive outcomes possibly through affecting reproductive hormones.

Objective: The goal was to investigate associations between dietary intakes of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12, and menstrual function among premenopausal women.

Design: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted at the University at Buffalo during 2005 to 2007.

Preconception Leptin and Fecundability, Pregnancy, and Live Birth Among Women With a History of Pregnancy Loss.

Context: With the increase of obesity, it is imperative to understand the neuroendocrine mechanisms, including the neuroendocrine hormone leptin, by which obese or overweight women are at increased risk for subfertility and infertility.

Objective: The objective was to examine associations between preconception serum leptin concentrations, fecundability, pregnancy, and live birth.

Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort among women with prior pregnancy losses.

Preconception Perceived Stress Is Associated with Reproductive Hormone Levels and Longer Time to Pregnancy.

Background: Women who experience pregnancy loss are especially prone to high stress, though the effects of stress on reproductive outcomes in this vulnerable population are unknown. We assessed relationships between perceived stress and hormones, anovulation, and fecundability among women with prior loss.

Methods: One thousand two hundred fourteen women with 1-2 prior losses were followed for ≤6 cycles while attempting pregnancy and completed end-of-cycle stress assessments.

Associations Between Preconception Plasma Fatty Acids and Pregnancy Outcomes.

Background: Although fatty acids are involved in critical reproductive processes, the relationship between specific fatty acids and fertility is uncertain. We investigated the relationship between preconception plasma fatty acids and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We included 1,228 women attempting pregnancy with one to two previous pregnancy losses from the EAGeR trial (2007-2011).

Pilot randomized trial of short-term changes in inflammation and lipid levels during and after aspirin and pravastatin therapy.

Background: Inflammation and elevated blood lipids are associated with infertility. Aspirin and statin therapy may improve infertility treatment outcomes among overweight and obese women with systemic inflammation, but little is known about the short-term effects of statins in this population. We conducted a pilot study of aspirin, pravastatin, or combined treatment among a group of overweight and obese, reproductive-aged women.

Association of preconception serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations with livebirth and pregnancy loss: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, although the association between preconception vitamin D concentrations and livebirth is unknown. We aimed to assess the association between preconception vitamin D and pregnancy outcomes among women with proven fecundity.

Methods: We did a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort from the block-randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled EAGeR trial.

Dietary minerals, reproductive hormone levels and sporadic anovulation: associations in healthy women with regular menstrual cycles.

Although minerals are linked to several reproductive outcomes, it is unknown whether dietary minerals are associated with ovulatory function. We hypothesised that low intakes of minerals would be associated with an increased risk of anovulation. We investigated associations between dietary mineral intake and both reproductive hormones and anovulation in healthy women in the BioCycle Study, which prospectively followed up 259 regularly menstruating women aged 18-44 years who were not taking mineral supplements for two menstrual cycles.