Research question Does donor sperm improve IVF outcomes after first oocyte donation failure? Design A retrospective, multicenter study included couples undergoing oocyte donation cycles using autologous or donor sperm after a failed first attempt. Male partners were further characterized as normozoospermic or oligoasthenoteratospermic, i.e., less than 5 million motile progressive spermatozoa in the

Research Question What is the gene expression pattern of prolactin receptor (PRLR) in human pre-implantation embryos and what are its functions during the embryonic development and adhesion process? Design A total of 405 discarded human vitrified oocytes and embryos donated for research by consenting couples were used in this study. The oocytes and embryos were used to analyse PRLR expression and to

Research question How do cumulative live birth rates (CLBR), cumulative multiple live birth rates (CMLBR) and drop-out rates over six complete IVF/ICSI cycles change over time? Design A prospective longitudinal cohort of 16 073 patients who started a first fresh ART cycle between January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2016 with follow up until December 31, 2017 included 48 946 cycles. Comparison of outcomes

Research Question To study the effects of oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTR antagonist) nolasiban on uterine contractions, endometrial perfusion and endometrial mRNA expression. Design Increased uterine contractions during embryo transfer (ET) are negatively correlated with pregnancy rates, and endometrial blood flow was shown to be an important predictor for endometrial receptivity. OTRs are expressed

Research question Does repeated cryopreservation process affect embryo implantation potential and neonatal outcomes of human embryos? Design This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Reproductive Medicine Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. All assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles were carried out between January 2014 and

The objective of this guideline from the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society is to synthesize the evidence on preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) using trophectoderm biopsy and 24-chromosome analysis and to provide clinical recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. To date, randomized controlled trials have

Research Question : Does an association exist between ovarian reserve, ovarian response, and embryonic euploidy in female patients under age 35? Design : A retrospective analysis of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles among patients enrolled in Bahceci Fulya IVF Center between January 2016 and November 2019. One hundred thirty-three

Research question : How does the number of oocytes used affect the cumulative live birth rate in endometriosis patients who had their oocytes vitrified for fertility preservation (FP)? Design : Retrospective observational study including data from 485 women with endometriosis who underwent FP from January 2007 to July 2018. Survival curves and Kaplan-Meier plots were used to analyse the cumulative

Research question Does endometriosis increase obstetric and neonatal complications, and does assisted reproductive technology (ART) cause additional risk of maternal or fetal morbidity? Design A nationwide cohort study (2013–2018) comparing maternal and perinatal morbidities in three groups of single pregnancies: spontaneous pregnancies without endometriosis; spontaneous pregnancies with endometriosis;

Research question : Wilson's disease (WD) is a disorder of copper metabolism that can cause hormonal alterations. The impact of WD and its therapies on fertility is not well defined. Aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian reserve and sperm parameters in long-term treated WD patients with hepatic onset. Design : WD patients with hepatic onset treated for at least 5 years were compared to healthy

Research Question : What is the association between serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and the number of utilizable embryos obtained per stimulation cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection(ICSI) in Poseidon groups 3 and 4? Design : This is a retrospective cohort study of 412 cycles. The patients with POSEIDON groups 3 and 4 underwent complete IVF/ICSI treatment

Reproductive medicine is imbued with debates over the results of key trials. This has resulted in heterogeneity in clinical practice and a disconnect between researchers and the patient group they aim to treat. The criticisms of trials originate from the nature of reproductive health conditions and limitations imposed in designing trials to assess effect in a patient group with heterogenous pathologies

Research Question : Progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced image analysis offers unique opportunities to develop novel embryo assessment approaches. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that such technologies can extract and harness novel information derived from cytoplasmic movements of the early human embryo to predict development to blastocyst. Design : In a proof-of principle

This systematic review aimed to assess variations on the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of patients with PCOS belonging to different ethnicities. A search was performed for studies comparing various clinical aspects of PCOS in two or more different ethnic groups. After the screening of 2264 studies, 35 articles were included in the final analysis. In comparison with White women with PCOS

Infertility is a chronic condition commonly accompanied by psychological and emotional distress (Clifton et al. 2020). A significant contributor to infertility treatment discontinuation is the psychological burden of treatment. Many individuals experiencing infertility report high levels of depression and anxiety (Pasch et al. 2016; Grunberg et al. 2020). Unfortunately, barriers to traditional individual

Research question : Does the association of basal FSH and AMH levels with post ICSI/IVF live birth change with maternal age? Design : 2003 ICSI/IVF patients were stratified according to basal FSH/AMH in concordant favourable (CF; AMH>1 ng/mL and FSH≤10 IU/L), concordant unfavourable (CU; AMH≤1 ng/mL and FSH>10 IU/L), discordant with favourable AMH (DFA) and discordant with favourable FSH (DFF) groups

Research question Several studies investigated the reproductive outcomes following surgical treatment of colorectal endometriosis, mainly segmental colorectal resection. This study examines pregnancy and live birth rates of women with rectosigmoid endometriosis not treated by surgery. Design A retrospective analysis of data collected between May 2009 and January 2020 related to 215 women affected by

Research question:The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive outcomes of women over 43 years of age undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment using their own eggs. Design:This retrospective study analyzed a total of 833 patients, data of all woman ≥43 years old undergoing their first IVF/ICSI using autologous oocytes at a tertiary referral

Research question : What are the incidence and risk factors for poor ovarian response (POR) during repeat in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)? Design : A retrospective analysis of 1224 consecutive patients who underwent at least two IVF stimulations in a single centre during a 6-year period was undertaken. Risk factors from the initial treatment were assessed for association with POR during repeat IVF using

Research Question Are discordances in niPGT-A results attributable to the technique used for chromosomal analysis? Design A prospective blinded study was performed (September 2018-December 2019). In total 302 chromosomal analyses were performed: 92 TE-PGT-A biopsies and their corresponding spent embryo culture medium (SCM) evaluated by two methods (n=184), negative controls (n=8) and finally, TE and

Research Question : What are the risks associated with cryopreserved semen collected during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave in Wuhan, China? Design : We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving young adult men who were qualified sperm donors at the Hunan Province Human Sperm Bank (China) during the pandemic wave (January 1, 2020, to January 30, 2020) and after

Research question: We aimed to assess whether the incidence of placental disorders of pregnancy decreases with increasing parity in repeat in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies, in similar to spontaneous pregnancies. Design: This was a retrospective cohort of deliveries between November 2008 and January 2020, in a single university-affiliated medical center. We included women with only IVF attained

Research Question : Do multiple cryopreservation-warming cycles, coupled with blastocyst biopsy, negatively impact IVF outcomes? Design : Patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with homologous single embryo transfer, and who underwent trophectoderm biopsy for PGT-A from 2013 through 2017, were divided into 3 groups based on degree of embryonic micromanipulation: once-biopsied, once-cryopreserved

The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the incidence of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) after triggering of final oocyte maturation with gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist) in high risk women. The pooled incidence of severe OHSS in high risk women who did not receive any form of luteal phase support was 0% (95% CI: 0.0 to 0.0, I2=0%

The freeze-all strategy is gaining popularity worldwide as an alternative to the conventional fresh embryo transfer (ET) approach. The freeze-all strategy consists of cryopreservation of the entire embryo cohort, and performance of the ET in a subsequent cycle that takes place separately from the ovarian stimulation. Initially performed as a “rescue” strategy, in case of a high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation

Research Question Despite the increasing use of Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) for aneuploidy and monogenic diseases, for children conceived using PGT there is limited follow up beyond two years of age. We examined the health, wellbeing and development of school-aged children (aged 5-8 years old) conceived following PGT. Design Retrospective cohort study of children conceived after in-vitro

Research question What is the evolution of adenomyosis on MRIs after a three-month treatment course of daily 5 mg doses of ulipristal acetate (UPA) for symptomatic fibroids? Design This study was a monocentric prospective pilot study on patients who underwent a three-month treatment course of UPA for symptomatic fibroids between January 2014 and December 2017. Patients underwent pelvic MRIs shortly

Research Question What is the optimal number of oocytes retrieved where the maximum live birth rate is observed after fresh autologous assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles for women of different ages? Design This retrospective cohort study included all fresh autologous ART aspiration cycles (n=256,643) undertaken in Australia and New Zealand between 2009 and 2015. The primary outcome measure

Research Question: What are the implications of the gender based prohibitions relating to human germline genome editing in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 1990, as amended in 2008? Design: A three-phase primary research design consisting of a mixed-methods online public survey of 521 UK citizens aged 16-82 years, 13 semi-structured interviews with experts and professionals involved

Research Question Does the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression relate to adenomyotic fibrosis and determine the correlation between fibrosis with adenomyosis-associated dysmenorrhoea? Design The protein and mRNA expression of CTGF was detected by western blots and qRT-PCR in the endometrium of the control group and the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of the ADS group. Afterward, collagen

Fertility services were significantly curtailed or suspended as an initial response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, following guidance from European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) as well as a General Direction (GD0014) issued by the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA). It is difficult to argue with

Research question Are children born from vitrified-warmed oocytes physically or mentally different from naturally conceived children? Design Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) into vitrified-warmed oocytes was performed in 282 patients (307 cycles) from August 2000 to March 2020. Long-term follow-up of children born from vitrified-warmed oocytes was performed via a questionnaire that was sent

In recent years, some countries and fertility preservation networks have started adopting 24-hour transportation schedules for ovarian tissue, a practice that has the potential to spread very fast due to the high costs and bureaucracy involved in establishment of ovarian tissue cryobanks. While pregnancies and live births have been reported after such long periods of transportation, this remains an

Research question : Is there a relationship between endometriosis and placenta previa (PP)? Design To investigate if there is a relationship between endometriosis and PP a retrospective study was carried out, using prospectively recorded data from two different data-bases from Cruces University Hospital. Two different populations were included in the study. The ART (assisted reproduction techniques)

Research Question What is the difference of endometrial transcriptomics between women with normal and low mid-luteal progesterone during the implantation window? Design An endometrial biopsy and serum progesterone level were taken from participants during the mid-luteal phase (LH+7 to LH+9). A total of 12 participants were recruited. The participants were categorised into two groups based on their

Research Question To propose a design for the evidence-based implementation of a novel commercially-available continuous IVF culture medium in compliance with an efficient quality-management-system. Design A practical example is provided via a non-interventional study on sibling oocytes. All ICSI cycles with ejaculated-sperm performed by women <42yr collecting 4-8 oocytes were included. Sibling oocytes

Research Question Is the interval length between an early pregnancy loss and the following treatment cycle a predictor for achieving clinical pregnancy among IVF patients? Design This retrospective cohort study of 257 women who reinitiated treatment after first-trimester IVF pregnancy loss was conducted at a tertiary, university-affiliated medical centre from 1/1/2014 to 1/1/2018. Women 18-40 years

Research question What do Danish and Israeli students of both sexes know about age in relation to fertility and gamete preservation, and what are their concerns and intentions for the future in this regard? Design A cross-sectional comparative study of male and female Danish and Israeli students was conducted between November 2018 and April 2019. A total of 1010 students, 508 from Denmark and 502 from

Research question How does follicle distribution evolve in the human ovarian cortex between the ages of 20 and 35? Design Fragments of ovarian cortex from women who underwent unilateral oophorectomy for fertility preservation were obtained for quantitative histological assessment, including recording of the two-dimensional coordinates of follicles. Data were analysed using spatial statistical methods

RESEARCH QUESTION: Determine the impact of low body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) on live birth rates and obstetric outcomes in infertile women treated with IVF and fresh embryo transfer. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of infertile patients in an academic hospital setting who underwent their first oocyte retrieval with planned autologous fresh embryo transfer between 01/01/2012-12/31/2018. The primary

Research Question : Ovarian stimulation (OS) during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles involves close monitoring of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and ultrasound measurements of follicle growth. In contrast to blood draws, sampling saliva is less invasive. Here, we present a blind validation of a novel saliva-based E2 and P4 assay performed in samples collected in independent IVF clinics. Design

Research question : Is the profile of miRNAs altered in cumulus cells (CCs) of infertile women with early (EI/II) and advanced (EIII/IV) endometriosis? Design : In this prospective case-control study, a miRNA profile including 754 targets was evaluated in samples of CCs from infertile women with endometriosis (5 EI/II, 5 EIII/IV) and infertile controls (5IC, male and/or tubal factor) undergoing COS

Research Question : Can premature luteinisation of granulosa cells (PLGC) act as a novel parameter of premature luteinisation (PL) and impact in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes? Study Design : Infertility patients undergoing fresh IVF cycles from January 2006 and December 2016 at Reproductive Medicine Center in Tongji Hospital was conducted in this retrospective cohort study. A total of 42,468 cycles

Research question Is live birth of patients with excessive slow (no blastocyst on day 5) and fast mitotic rate (full blastocyst development on day 4) comparable to a matched control standard (blastocyst formation on day 5)? Design In this retrospective matched (age and AMH) case-control study rates of fertilization, blastulation, implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth were compared in couples

The association between the number of oocytes retrieved and fresh live birth rate (LBR) or cumulative LBR (CLBR), and whether an optimal number of oocytes are retrieved when LBR or CLBR are maximized, are highly relevant clinical questions; however published results are conflicting. A systematic review of all eligible studies (n = 16) published until January 2020 on MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL

Research Question : To examine the motivations, life circumstances, and parenthood aspirations of a cohort of women who underwent planned oocyte cryopreservation (POC) at a Canadian academic IVF centre. Design : This was a single-site, cross-sectional, anonymous quantitative study using a study-specific questionnaire administrated via SurveyMonkey®. Of the 224 women who completed at least one POC cycle

Research question Can luteolysis-targeted drugs, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant), mifepristone, and letrozole, administered separately or in combination, prevent the progression of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in a rat model? Design 36 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including control group; OHSS group, ovarian hyperstimulation-induced OHSS;

Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a plasma glycoprotein that binds androgens and oestrogens, and regulates their bioavailability to target tissues. To date, several human SHBG gene polymorphisms have been identified. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders, and hyperandrogenism has been considered to be a hallmark of PCOS. Many studies have examined the association

Research question What is the relationship between uterine volume prior to frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) and reproductive outcomes among adenomyosis patients. Design Clinical characteristics and outcomes of adenomyosis patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and FET in a tertiary academic hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Only first blastocyst transfer cycles were included. The

Research question Whether melatonin can provide non-invasive ovarian protection against damage caused by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) and preserve fertility for female cancer patients? And what is the possible mechanism if it is the case? Design Athymic BALB/c-nu nude tumor-bearing female mice were employed to exclude the antagonistic effect towards cisplatin-based anticancer therapy and

Research question Are obstetric and perinatal complications associated with morphokinetic parameters of embryo development? Design This proof-of-concept pilot study included a retrospective analysis of embryo morphokinetic parameters of 85 live births following day 5 single blastocyst transfer. Kinetic variables included time interval (hours) from time of pronuclei fading (tPNf) to: time of 2 cells

The transfer of cryopreserved blastocysts is increasing in IVF centres. However, little is known about the long-term perinatal and obstetric outcomes of this procedure. In the attempt to further elucidate these issues, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing cryopreserved transfer with fresh blastocyst embryo transfer. The results show that the risk of both preterm (OR 0.89, 95%

Research Question We sought to determine why women facing poor prognoses for success in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) choose to pursue treatments using their own eggs, despite receiving information that their chances for success are very low. Design A cross-sectional study based on an anonymous questionnaire distributed to female patients aged 43-45, undergoing ART using their own oocytes

Research Question: Whether or how triglyceride fatty acids (FAs) in the follicular fluid (FF) are associated with either FF phospholipid FAs or in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes? Design: In a prospective cross-sectional study, 70 women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection were recruited. FF phospholipids and triglycerides were separated by thin-layer chromatography. FAs were measured using