Good practice in laboratory diagnostic andrology: Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists guidelines 2024.

These guidelines update and clarify items relating to diagnostic andrology in the 2012 Association of Biomedical Andrologists Laboratory Andrology Guidelines for Good Practice Version 3. The main change separates diagnostic and therapeutic andrology into individual documents; post-vasectomy semen analysis still references the 2016 guideline. These guidelines seek to incorporate and clarify internationally agreed methodology following the World Health Organization Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen 6th edition and publication of ISO 23162:2021. Significant updates include: requiring four-category grading for motility (A, rapidly progressive; B, slowly progressive; C, non-progressive; D, immotile); a four-part morphology assessment (head, midpiece, tail, cytoplasmic droplets) as essential for quality assurance (even if only the percentage of 'normal' is reported); and specifying sperm toxicity testing procedures for diagnostic andrology. These guidelines include a section on haematospermia, an observation requiring rapid onward referral. An Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS) working group wrote these guidelines, with review by ARCS members. The aim is to guide good practice in laboratories but they are not intended as a tool to judge the practice of centres within the UK or beyond.

Use of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic adult-onset conditions: an Ethics Committee opinion.

Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases for adult-onset conditions is ethically permissible for various conditions, including when the condition is fully penetrant or confers disease predisposition. The Committee strongly recommends that a genetic counselor experienced with both preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic diseases and assisted reproductive technology therapies counsel patients considering such procedures.

The use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy: a committee opinion.

The use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) in the United States has been increasing steadily. Moreover, the underlying technology used for 24-chromosome analysis continues to evolve rapidly. The value of PGT-A as a routine screening test for all patients undergoing in vitro fertilization has not been demonstrated. Although some earlier single-center studies reported higher live-birth rates after PGT-A in favorable-prognosis patients, recent multicenter, randomized control trials in women with available blastocysts concluded that the overall pregnancy outcomes via frozen embryo transfer were similar between PGT-A and conventional in vitro fertilization. The value of PGT-A to lower the risk of clinical miscarriage is also unclear, although these studies have important limitations. This document replaces the document of the same name, last published in 2018.

Fertility drugs and cancer: a guideline.

Methodological limitations in studying the association between the use of fertility drugs and cancer include the inherent increased risk of cancer in women who never conceive, the increased risk of cancer because of factors (endometriosis and unopposed estrogen) associated with infertility, the low incidence of most of these cancers, and that the diagnosis of cancer is typically several years after fertility drug use. On the basis of available data, there does not appear to be an association between fertility drugs and breast, colon, or cervical cancer. There is no conclusive evidence that fertility drugs increase the risk of uterine cancer, although women with infertility are at higher risk of uterine cancer. There are insufficient data to comment on the risk of melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma associated with fertility drug use. Women should be informed that there may be an increased risk of invasive and borderline ovarian cancers and thyroid cancer associated with fertility treatment. It is difficult to determine whether this risk is related to underlying endometriosis, female infertility, or nulliparity.

The use of hormonal contraceptives in fertility treatments: a committee opinion.

The use of hormonal contraception can be considered to aid in the timing of assisted reproductive technology cycles, reduce the risk of ovarian cysts at in vitro fertilization cycle initiation, and optimize visualization before hysteroscopy.

Improving rigor through gender inclusivity in reproductive psychiatric science.

Accurately defining the individuals that research involves and generalizes to is critical for rigorous and reproducible science. In reproductive psychiatry, which historically focuses on the impact of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause on mental health, this means moving beyond characterizing samples and relevant populations as "women" in favor of language that precisely identifies the physiological characteristics pertinent to the research being conducted and accurately reflects the varied genders represented in those populations. Concrete recommendations are provided for precise use of sex and gender terminology and gender inclusivity throughout the scientific process, including study conceptualization, etiquette in research environments, recruitment, methods, and dissemination. Recommendations are discussed in depth and presented in a checklist format for ease of use by research teams. Suggested items for assessing gender and relevant sex-related physiology in the context of reproductive psychiatry are also provided.

Where has the quest for conception taken us? Lessons from anthropology and sociology.

Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, was born more than 40 years ago in England. For Louise Brown's infertile mother, Lesley, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was the 'hope technology' which allowed her to overcome her tubal infertility after 9 years of heart-breaking involuntary childlessness. Since then, IVF has travelled to diverse global locations, where millions of individuals and couples have embarked on technologically assisted 'quests for conception'. After 40 years of IVF, where has the quest for conception taken us? This article outlines seven major global trajectories - namely, that the quest for conception has become more: (i) technological, because of a profusion of IVF-based innovations; (ii) masculine, because of men's eager uptake of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, their own 'masculine hope technology'; (iii) stratified, due to persistent race- and class-based barriers in IVF access; (iv) transnational, as infertile and other involuntarily childless people search across borders to overcome restrictions in their home countries; (v) selective, as IVF-based reprogenetic technologies eliminate genetic disease while exacerbating sex selection; (vi) moral, as religious sensibilities both accommodate and curtail the possibilities and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART); and (vii) extended, as new cryopreservation technologies prolong the reproductive lifespan and extend reproduction to the transgender community. The article concludes with thoughts on where future quests for conception might take us, and why IVF and other reproductive technologies are 'good to think with' in both the anthropology and sociology of reproduction.

Reprint: Where has the quest for conception taken us? Lessons from anthropology and sociology.

Louise Brown, the world's first test-tube baby, was born more than 40 years ago in England. For Louise Brown's infertile mother, Lesley, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was the 'hope technology' which allowed her to overcome her tubal infertility after 9 years of heart-breaking involuntary childlessness. Since then, IVF has travelled to diverse global locations, where millions of individuals and couples have embarked on technologically assisted 'quests for conception'. After 40 years of IVF, where has the quest for conception taken us? This article outlines seven major global trajectories - namely, that the quest for conception has become more: (i) technological, because of a profusion of IVF-based innovations; (ii) masculine, because of men's eager uptake of intracytoplasmic sperm injection, their own 'masculine hope technology'; (iii) stratified, due to persistent race- and class-based barriers in IVF access; (iv) transnational, as infertile and other involuntarily childless people search across borders to overcome restrictions in their home countries; (v) selective, as IVF-based reprogenetic technologies eliminate genetic disease while exacerbating sex selection; (vi) moral, as religious sensibilities both accommodate and curtail the possibilities and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART); and (vii) extended, as new cryopreservation technologies prolong the reproductive lifespan and extend reproduction to the transgender community. The article concludes with thoughts on where future quests for conception might take us, and why IVF and other reproductive technologies are 'good to think with' in both the anthropology and sociology of reproduction.

Reproductive Science for High School Students: A Shared Curriculum Model to Enhance Student Success.

The lack of a national reproductive biology curriculum leads to critical knowledge gaps in today's high school students' comprehensive understanding of human biology. The Oncofertility Consortium developed curricula that address the basic and clinical aspects of reproductive biology. Launching this academy and creating easy-to-disseminate learning modules allowed other universities to implement similar programs across the country. The expansion of this informal, extracurricular academy on reproductive health from Northwestern University to the University of California, San Diego, Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of Pennsylvania magnifies the scope of scientific learning to students who might not otherwise be exposed to this important information. To assess the experience gained from this curriculum, we polled alumni from the four centers. Data were collected anonymously from de-identified users who elected to self-report on their experiences in their respective reproductive science academy. The alumni survey asked participants to report on their current academic standing, past experiences in the academy, and future academic and career goals. The results of this national survey suggest the national oncofertility academies had a lasting impact on participants and may have contributed to student persistence in scientific learning.