This book provides andrologists and other practitioners with reliable, up-to-date information on all aspects of male infertility and is designed to assist in the clinical management of patients. Clear guidance is offered on classification of infertility, sperm analysis interpretation and diagnosis. The full range of types and causes of male infertility are then discussed in depth. Particular attention is devoted to poorly understood conditions such as unexplained couple infertility and idiopathic male infertility, but the roles of diverse disorders, health and lifestyle factors and environmental pollution are also fully explored. Research considered stimulating for the reader is highlighted, reflecting the fascinating and controversial nature of the field. International treatment guidelines are presented and the role of diet and dietary supplements is discussed in view of their increasing importance. Clinicians will find that the book’s straightforward approach ensures that it can be easily and rapidly consulted.

Infertility: Psychological Issues and Counseling Strategies is a valuable reference for mental health professionals who treat individuals and couples grappling with the psychological and emotional strains of infertility and its treatment. Drawing upon their professional experiences as well as the current literature in the field, leading practitioners consider the differences in how women and men react to a diagnosis of infertility and describe strategies for helping individuals deal with the anxieties, feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem that can follow such a diagnosis. These experts examine the effects of infertility on love, sex, and other facets of a relationship and detail methods for helping couples resolve conflicts about infertility. They explore the latest findings on pregnancy-related stress and its possible somatic effects, and they describe effective stress management techniques. They offer practical guidelines for helping patients to cope with failed fertility treatments and manage the grief of a miscarriage. And they examine a wide range of clinical issues surrounding alternative routes to parenting, including adoption.

This new volume in the Reproductive Medicine for Clinicians series focuses on the practical clinical impact of problems linked to infertility, discussing topics such as luteal support in ART cycles, ovulation induction using pulsatile administration of GnRH, how to deal with the metabolic changes in PCOS, treatment to restore fertility in endometriosis and how to improve implantation, which are common aspects of daily clinical practice. It also addresses significant novel areas like the biological clock in human reproduction, reproduction at advanced parental age and medical and social egg freezing, offering valuable insights for patients and their doctors. Further, the book covers various areas of growing importance, such as how to access the uterine cavity; the future of imaging in reproduction; non-invasive prenatal testing; ART and male infertility; as well as breast cancer and fertility preservation. Last but not least, it examines the medical, ethical and legal aspects of a number of challenges for current and future reproductive medicine, including uterine transplantation and human genetic modification. Bringing together updates on some of the most important problems in reproductive medicine and also covering ethical and legal bases, this book offers an overview of potential treatments for infertility. As such, it is a valuable resource for gynecologists, obstetricians, endocrinologists and all specialists dealing with reproductive health.

This book explores the arguments, appeals, and narratives that have defined the meaning of infertility in the modern history of the United States and Europe. Throughout the last century, the inability of women to conceive children has been explained by discrepant views: that women are individually culpable for their own reproductive health problems, or that they require the intervention of medical experts to correct abnormalities. Using doctor-patient correspondence, oral histories, and contemporaneous popular and scientific news coverage, Robin Jensen parses the often thin rhetorical divide between moralization and medicalization, revealing how dominating explanations for infertility have emerged from seemingly competing narratives. Her longitudinal account illustrates the ways in which old arguments and appeals do not disappear in the light of new information, but instead reemerge at subsequent, often seemingly disconnected moments to combine and contend with new assertions. Tracing the transformation of language surrounding infertility from “barrenness” to “(in)fertility,” this rhetorical analysis both explicates how language was and is used to establish the concept of infertility and shows the implications these rhetorical constructions continue to have for individuals and the societies in which they live.

One in every six United States couples experiences infertility but Catholic couples face additional confusion, worry, and frustration as they explore the medical options available to them. Filling a major void in Catholic resources, The Infertility Companion for Catholics is the first book to address not only the medical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of infertility, but also the particular needs of Catholic couples who desire to understand and follow Church teaching on the use of assisted reproductive technology. Authors Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría offer the support and wisdom gained in their own struggles with infertility. They describe the options that Catholic couples can pursue in seeking to conceive, many of which are not ordinarily presented by the medical community. In an encouraging and non-judgmental tone, they address both husbands and wives and help them recognize the emotional impact of infertility on their relationship. The Infertility Companion for Catholics presents a variety of spiritual resources including prayers, devotions, and the wisdom of the saints and provides suggestions for further reading of reference materials, Catholic documents, and Catholic blogs about infertility.

Written and edited by leading, internationally recognized clinicians and scientists in reproductive medicine and related fields, this unique text is a practical and comprehensive review of the clinical and scientific significance of unexplained male and female infertility and its management. The book is divided into thematic sections to ensure the most useful presentation of topics, opening with definitions and epidemiology of unexplained infertility, including discussion of the WHO’s cutoff values for human semen characteristics and its ramifications. Sections covering male and female reproductive pathophysiology follow respectively, covering biological, genetic and environmental causative factors, with a subsequent section on evaluative techniques for male and female patients. Expectant, medical and surgical treatment strategies comprise the fifth section of the book, where active interventions and outcomes of each treatment modality are carefully considered. The final section discusses assisted reproductive techniques to manage unexplained infertility, such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization, as well as future perspectives. Thoughtful and enlightening, Unexplained Infertility: Pathophysiology, Evaluation and Treatment will be an invaluable resource for all clinicians and scientists working in the fields of reproductive medicine and infertility.