Basal body temperature charting (BBT) relies on two factors that change in response to female sex hormone levels. Temperature is one, and the other is changes in the cervix and the mucus it produces. Recording them gives a good indication of sex hormone levels and when ovulation probably occurred. The “golden rules” for taking BBT temperatures...
Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) is an autoimmune condition with abnormally high levels of antibodies that target the genetic material in cells. These antibodies are quite normal in low concentrations, but in about 5% of the population, they’re elevated. For roughly half of these people, an autoimmune disease gets triggered, which causes the...
Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are a significant cause of blood clotting in pregnancy, and clotting disorders are one of the leading causes of miscarriage. Pregnancy makes the blood of all women get thicker, but how much it thickens varies between women and can differ between pregnancies. If blood gets too thick, the bonds between the blood...
Anti-sperm antibodies (ASAb) are a major cause of infertility, and they’re found in 9-36% of infertile couples. They’re caused by an immune response to sperm that can affect one or both partners. i Men tend to have ASASb more than women, and it’s a lot easier for men to get checked for anti-sperm antibodies with an extension to sta...
Cytokines are a group of immune-modulating agents (they alter the body’s immune response) with similar actions to hormones. However, they’re not classed as hormones because they don’t come from discrete glands. A variety of cells (including white blood cells) produce cytokines, and they’re often spread around the body. ...
Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) are small peptide proteins on the surfaces of all cells, and their function is to identify each cell as “self” to the immune system. Foreign cells (germs, viruses or parasites) don’t carry a person’s HLA on their surfaces, and the immune system sees them as “non-self”. The imm...
The immune system and fertility The immune system is essential for maintaining health and offering the possibility of creating a new life. It protects the body from invaders or rogue cells that can cause disease, as well as enables growth and development. The immune system needs to be relatively balanced between seeking unhealthy cells (aggres...
The immune system The immune system is essential to keeping healthy and being able to make the changes needed for a new life. It protects the body from invaders or rogue cells that can do harm, and if it’s a bit “lazy” unwanted cells can avoid detection. However, if it’s too aggressive then healthy tissue can be removed...
There are a variety of IVF protocols, which are appropriate for different situations, and IVF costs vary considerably worldwide. In most countries, IVF is paid for by patients or their health insurance, and while health insurance cover varies, it usually includes diagnosis but not treatment costs. The average cost for an IVF cycle in the US is...
IVF Drugs are an integral part of over 99% of IVF treatments in the USA, and the stimulation they provide increases the number of eggs that can be collected from a menstrual cycle. The drugs don’t increase the number of eggs in the ovaries for a particular cycle, as each cycle started several months before (eggs and follicles), but stimulation...
