Cancer Patients Gain Fertility Hope

Jessi Klein is 35, but not desperate

(NEWSER) - Jessi Klein is 35 and childless, which meant it was time for that “horribly clichéd sad-woman moment” at her gynecologist’s office: The moment her doctor asked if she wanted some “literature” about freezing her eggs. At that moment, “I decided I didn’t want the literature. And I don’t ever want the literature about anything related to the world of Fertility. It’s my big thirty-fifth birthday present to myself,” Klein writes on the Daily Beast . More»

(NEWSER) - A British fertility clinic implanted the wrong embryo into a woman who aborted it as soon as she found out, dashing another couple's hopes of having their second baby, reports the Telegraph. When a lab assistant informed the couple, they "held each other and sobbed," said the woman. “I remember thinking: ‘That’s our last hope gone—we will never have another child.’" A rash of recent mistakes has resulted in calls for more regulation of the fertility industry. More»

Sometimes parental desires clash with those of authorities

(NEWSER) - “Parental neglect” is a tricky term that may indicate just the opposite: devoted parents who care for their children, but in a way authorities oppose, Kate Dailey writes in Newsweek. It’s a paradox illustrated by two moms who fled with their sons this week, one to prevent him from receiving chemo—she prefers holistic healing—and the other perhaps too poor to hire a doctor for her 555-pound son. More»

Offers $350 check-up of biological clock; some docs skeptical

(NEWSER) - Women wondering how much time is left on their biological clocks have a new option, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new test called Plan Ahead, on the market for $350, claims to measure how many high-quality eggs a woman has remaining and thus some indication of childbearing potential. But some doctors are leery of offering it, saying the test could be unreliable, and doesn’t predict actual fertility. More»

Docs want to cut number of multiple births from fertility treatment

(NEWSER) - Fertility doctors are beginning to wonder whether they're too successful. With in vitro fertilization prompting a 70% increase in the rate of multiple births since 1980, some are espousing a switch to single-embryo transfer. The procedure lowers the success rate but also lowers the rate of multiple births, with their attendant health risks, the New York Times reports. More»