The Zika virus — an infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that is related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus — is all over the news. And while symptoms of the virus are typically mild and the virus is fairly rare in the United States (approximately 1,000 cases per year), the risk for women who are pregnant is very high.
During this time of year, the flu shot is all over the news, and this year has been no exception. The flu season typically occurs during the winter, but there can be flu outbreaks as early as October and as late as May, most often peaking between December and February. Getting the flu vaccine is the most effective way to protect against the flu.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women and girls. The hormonal imbalance causes symptoms such as irregular menstrual periods, a very large number of follicles (fluid filled sacs) on the ovaries, absence of ovulation, unwanted hair and acne.
For many patients, integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, with Western Reproductive Medicine may help improve their fertility or increase their chances of success with in vitro fertilization (IVF).
More research is indicating that IVF implantation failure can be caused not only by problems with the quality of the embryo (most often genetic errors), but because of problems with the endometrial lining — the tissue on the inside of the uterus that prepares each month for the arrival and implantation of an embryo. This can lead to an unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) due to implantation failure, even with a genetically healthy embryo.
This year, I am once again honored to be named as one of America’s Top Doctors® by Castle Connolly, along with my colleague at Fertility Centers of Illinois, Dr. Edward Marut. We have shared in this honor together for 16 years now, placing us among the top 1 percent of fertility doctors in the nation.
The embryo transfer is the part of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process that may be the most nerve-wracking for the patient. Many women worry that if they do something wrong, the embryo won’t attach or will fall out. Try to relax.
Over the past few months, there has been much ado in the media about egg freezing for young women because of two developments in modern culture. First, young, career-oriented women in New York and California are being invited to “chill” and learn about the procedure over cocktails at egg-freezing parties. Then, in mid-October, Silicon Valley companies Facebook and Apple announced they would cover egg freezing as a benefit. The debate has been intense over whether women were being “sold” on the procedure and whether businesses offering egg freezing as a benefit were offering the next step in reproductive freedom or corporate control.
On the evening of Wednesday, August 6, I will be speaking at an event put on by the American Fertility Association entitled “Gay Women’s Gathering — An Evening about Lesbian Pregnancy.” This is an excellent opportunity for gay women couples to discover the pros and cons of different methods of becoming pregnant.