Content Warning: mentions of infertility, pregnancy loss
We’re coming at you with not one, not two, but THREE whole episodes on IVF (in vitro fertilization) and other forms of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) over the next several weeks. Our first episode in this series starts things off with a broad examination of infertility over space and time. We take a closer look at headlines claiming infertility is on the rise, leading us to ask how we assess and measure infertility and whether those headlines take into account the changing meanings of the concept of infertility over human history. After our voyage through the social history of infertility, we explain what to expect when you go in for fertility testing, covering some of the most common causes of infertility and what “unexplained infertility” means as a diagnosis. But perhaps the most important part of this episode and the rest of this series are the firsthand accounts contributed by listeners who share some of the most intimate and emotional parts of their lives. We are forever indebted to all of you. Tune in today for part one of this series!
| History | Biology |
| Davis, Gayle, and Tracey Loughran, eds. The Palgrave handbook of infertility in history: approaches, contexts and perspectives. Springer, 2017. | Habbema, J.D.F., Collins, J., Leridon, H., Evers, J.L., Lunenfeld, B. and teVelde, E.R., 2004. Towards less confusing terminology in reproductive medicine: a proposal. Human Reproduction, 19(7), pp.1497-1501. |
| Marsh, Margaret, and Wanda Ronner. The pursuit of parenthood: reproductive technology from test-tube babies to uterus transplants. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019. | Davies, M.J., Delacey, S.L. and Norman, R.J., 2005. Towards less confusing terminology in reproductive medicine: clarifying medical ambiguities to the benefit of all. Human Reproduction, 20(10), pp.2669-2671. |
| Ferber, Sarah, Nicola J. Marks, and Vera Mackie. IVF and Assisted Reproduction. Springer Singapore, 2020. | Hurt, K.J., Guile, M.W., Bienstock, J.L., Fox, H.E. and Wallach, E.E., 2012. The Johns Hopkins manual of gynecology and obstetrics. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. |
| Asplund, Kjell. “Use of in vitro fertilization—ethical issues.” Upsala journal of medical sciences 125.2 (2020): 192-199. | Jungwirth, A., Giwercman, A., Tournaye, H., Diemer, T., Kopa, Z., Dohle, G., Krausz, C. and EAU Working Group on Male Infertility, 2012. European Association of Urology guidelines on Male Infertility: the 2012 update. European urology, 62(2), pp.324-332. |
| Bavister, Barry D. “Early history of in vitro fertilization.” REPRODUCTION-CAMBRIDGE- 124.2 (2002): 181-196. | Cooper, T.G., Noonan, E., Von Eckardstein, S., Auger, J., Baker, H.G., Behre, H.M., Haugen, T.B., Kruger, T., Wang, C., Mbizvo, M.T. and Vogelsong, K.M., 2010. World Health Organization reference values for human semen characteristics. Human reproduction update, 16(3), pp.231-245. |
| Biggers, John D. “Walter Heape, FRS: a pioneer in reproductive biology. Centenary of his embryo transfer experiments.” Reproduction 93.1 (1991): 173-186. | Sunkara, S.K., Kamath, M.S., Pandian, Z., Gibreel, A. and Bhattacharya, S., 2023. In vitro fertilisation for unexplained subfertility. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9). |
| Biggers, John D. “IVF and embryo transfer: historical origin and development.” Reproductive biomedicine online 25.2 (2012): 118-127. | Cissen, M., Bensdorp, A., Cohlen, B.J., Repping, S., de Bruin, J.P., van Wely, M. and Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group, 1996. Assisted reproductive technologies for male subfertility. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016(2). |
| Cobb, Matthew. “An amazing 10 years: the discovery of egg and sperm in the 17th century.” Reproduction in Domestic Animals 47 (2012): 2-6. | Chih, H.J., Elias, F.T., Gaudet, L. and Velez, M.P., 2021. Assisted reproductive technology and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analyses. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 21, pp.1-20. |
| Inhorn, Marcia C., and Daphna Birenbaum-Carmeli. “Assisted reproductive technologies and culture change.” Annual Review of Anthropology 37 (2008): 177-196. | Pandey, S., Shetty, A., Hamilton, M., Bhattacharya, S. and Maheshwari, A., 2012. Obstetric and perinatal outcomes in singleton pregnancies resulting from IVF/ICSI: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Human reproduction update, 18(5), pp.485-503. |
| Oren-Magidor, Daphna, and Catherine Rider. “Introduction: Infertility in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine.” Social History of Medicine 29.2 (2016): 211-223. | Hurt, K.J., Guile, M.W., Bienstock, J.L., Fox, H.E. and Wallach, E.E., 2012. The Johns Hopkins manual of gynecology and obstetrics. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. |
| https://www.vox.com/policy/2024/3/26/24104638/abortion-ivf-duckworth-regulation-reproductive-technology | Maheshwari, A., McLernon, D. and Bhattacharya, S., 2015. Cumulative live birth rate: time for a consensus?. Human reproduction, 30(12), pp.2703-2707. |
| von Schondorf-Gleicher, A., Mochizuki, L., Orvieto, R., Patrizio, P., Caplan, A.S. and Gleicher, N., 2022. Revisiting selected ethical aspects of current clinical in vitro fertilization (IVF) practice. Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 39(3), pp.591-604. | |
| Lacey, L., Hassan, S., Franik, S., Seif, M.W. and Akhtar, M.A., 2021. Assisted hatching on assisted conception (in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3). | |
| Sciorio, R. and Dattilo, M., 2020. PGT‐A preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies and embryo selection in routine ART cycles: Time to step back?. Clinical Genetics, 98(2), pp.107-115. | |
| Simopoulou, M., Sfakianoudis, K., Maziotis, E., Tsioulou, P., Grigoriadis, S., Rapani, A., Giannelou, P., Asimakopoulou, M., Kokkali, G., Pantou, A. and Nikolettos, K., 2021. PGT-A: who and when? Α systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 38(8), pp.1939-1957. | |
| El Tokhy, O., Salman, M. and El-Toukhy, T., 2024. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine. | |
| Kuliev, A. and Rechitsky, S., 2017. Preimplantation genetic testing: current challenges and future prospects. Expert review of molecular diagnostics, 17(12), pp.1071-1088. | |
| Sunderam, S., 2022. Assisted reproductive technology surveillance—United States, 2018. MMWR. Surveillance Summaries, 71. | |
| Malizia, B.A., Hacker, M.R. and Penzias, A.S., 2009. Cumulative live-birth rates after in vitro fertilization. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(3), pp.236-243. | |
| Osterman, M.J., Hamilton, B.E., Martin, J.A., Driscoll, A.K. and Valenzuela, C.P., 2024 . CDC National Vital Staistics Reports 73(2) Births: final data for 2022. | |
| Bhattacharjee, N.V., Schumacher, A.E., Aali, A., Abate, Y.H., Abbasgholizadeh, R., Abbasian, M., Abbasi-Kangevari, M., Abbastabar, H., Abd ElHafeez, S., Abd-Elsalam, S. and Abdollahi, M., 2024. Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet. | |
| Kushnir, V.A., Smith, G.D. and Adashi, E.Y., 2022. The future of IVF: the new normal in human reproduction. Reproductive Sciences, 29(3), pp.849-856. | |
| Te Velde, E., Habbema, D., Nieschlag, E., Sobotka, T. and Burdorf, A., 2017. Ever growing demand for in vitro fertilization despite stable biological fertility—a European paradox. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 214, pp.204-208. | |
| Zaninovic, N. and Rosenwaks, Z., 2020. Artificial intelligence in human in vitro fertilization and embryology. Fertility and Sterility, 114(5), pp.914-920. | |
| Human Fertilisation and Embrylology Authority, UK . Treatment add-ons with limited evidence . https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/treatment-add-ons/ | |
| Jewett, A., Mardovich, S., Zhang, Y., Sunderam, M., DeSantis, C., Cofie, A., Yartel, A., Hannon-Hall, L., Buxton, C. and Kissin, D.M., 2022. 2020 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinic and National Summary Report. | |
| Davis, D.A., 2020. Reproducing while Black: The crisis of Black maternal health, obstetric racism and assisted reproductive technology. Reproductive Biomedicine & Society Online, 11, pp.56-64. | |
| Galic, I., Negris, O., Warren, C., Brown, D., Bozen, A. and Jain, T., 2021. Disparities in access to fertility care: who’s in and who’s out. F&S Reports, 2(1), pp.109-117. | |
| Malvasi, A., Signore, F., Napoletano, S., Bruti, V., Sestili, C. and Di Luca, N.M., 2017. 2014-2017. How medically assisted reproduction changed in Italy. A short comparative synthesis with European countries. La Clinica Terapeutica, 168(4), pp.248-252. | |
| Zegers-Hochschild, F., Dickens, B.M. and Dughman-Manzur, S., 2013. Human rights to in vitro fertilization. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 123(1), pp.86-89. | |
| CDC ART Success Estimator: https://www.cdc.gov/art/ivf-success-estimator/ | |
| ESHRE Factsheet on ART Nov 2023. https://www.eshre.eu/Press-Room/Resources/Fact-sheets | |
| Jiang, Z. and Shen, H., 2022. Mitochondria: emerging therapeutic strategies for oocyte rescue. Reproductive Sciences, 29(3), pp.711-722. |
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