IVF

Progesterone is often referred to as the pregnancy hormone. Produced naturally by the body, progesterone is responsible for thickening the uterine lining to prepare for the fertilized egg (embryo). Progesterone supports pregnancy through the first trimester; it is responsible for a healthy uterine lining, and also prevents the lining from shedding.

by Jennifer Redmond, Editor-in-Chief, April 14, 2010

Nina*, a corporate compliance office from Connecticut, calls this “a love story.” Her 9 and a half-week-old son Max was conceived as the result of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Nine and a half months earlier, her husband William – Max’s biological father – died unexpectedly at age 41. So while this is a story about love, it’s also about assisted reproductive technology.

Years of TTC

Nina and William had been trying to have a baby for five and a half years before they sought fertility treatment for unexplained infertility. Over the course of approximately the next 18 months, Nina underwent nine cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI), all of which failed. IUI was the only infertility treatment procedure her health insurance plan would partially cover. IUI is also a less invasive and less expensive procedure than IVF. “No one goes through nine IUIs if they’re not desperate to conceive,” Nina says. Determined to be parents, Nina and William decided to try IVF, which Nina called a “huge financial sacrifice.”

by Jennifer A. Redmond, Editor-in-Chief, Apr. 2, 2010

Are eggs from certain egg donors worth more than others? And is it ethical to pay more for certain characteristics an egg donor possesses?

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) says no. But a recent study shows that SAT scores, for one, can increase the price some are willing to pay for donor eggs.

Advertising for Egg Donors

Aaron D. Levine, a bioethicist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, looked at advertisements recruiting egg donors on college campuses.