sperm

Men suffering from fertility problems have been given renewed hope after a team of scientists were able to grow sperm in a laboratory. In a world's first, scientists have successfully grown mouse sperm in a lab dish and are now hoping they would be able to produce human sperm too.

Researchers may be able to produce sperm from stem cells in the battle against infertility.
If you know just one thing about embryonic stem cells, it’s probably that they have the potential to grow into any type of cell in the body. That, of course, is why scientists find them so valuable.

But having the potential to become any type of cell is not the end game -- research groups around the world are trying to figure out the precise recipe for turning those stem cells into specific types of cells that would be useful for studying or treating various diseases.

Low sperm counts and reduced male fertility may be making it even harder for couples to conceive and be contributing to low birth rates in many countries, reveals a new European Science Foundation (ESF) report launching at a meeting in Paris.
More than 10% of couples worldwide are infertile, contributing to the growing demand for assisted reproduction techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for which Robert G. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in Medicine last month.

Millions of men are putting their reproductive health at risk by balancing their laptops on their knees, experts have warned.
Researchers from the State University of New York asked 29 young men to work on computers placed on their laps. They then measured the change in temperature in their genital area. Study leader, Professor Yelim Sheynkin, said: 'Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range.

Canada - Alot going on in Canada this past week, including interesting issues being presented in the "sperm donor" case. Case in now in the hands of the judge - not sure on timeline for decision.

Alberta - definition of parenthood:

New legislation in Alberta, Canada looks to change the legal definition of parenthood. An update to the law would “make sure child support orders can be enforced in cases where children are born using assisted reproduction.”

The Sperm and the Embryo - Doesn't quite sound right? Yes, I know, it is normally referred to as the sperm and the egg, but in these cases, we have mix-ups of a different sort.

In Connecticut, a clinic is being sued by a woman who alleges that her two fertilized embryos were mistakenly implanted into another woman. No word on the birth of any child.

Connecticut faces a $2 million potential lawsuit from a woman whose only two fertilized embryos were mistakenly implanted in another woman at a private clinic affiliated with the University of Connecticut Health Center.

You will be hard pressed to find a greater advocate for reproductive choice than me. But as tragic as this case may be, I believe Ms. Evans needs a therapist, not a gestational carrier: