The AFA Blog

Preventing Infertility at the Prom

by Merry Armentrout

April is an exciting month.  For me, it's a reward for surviving the long New Hampshire winter.  I'm now able to walk outside without wearing fifty layers of clothes, and I swear I'm starting to see the grass in my front yard once again.  My 17 year-old neighbor has been looking forward to April for months, but it has nothing to do with the weather.  April is prom season.  I know from prior experience it's all about "the dress" and "the date".  She has both.  I had the privilege of helping her shop for "the dress", but I'm thankful my responsibilities end there.  It's now her parent's turn to talk to her about "the date".  

We all know the prom can sometimes include other activities besides dancing.  Some teens will opt to become sexually active to varying degrees during this time of their lives.  While that is a personal choice that hopefully will be guided by the teen's individual maturity level and belief systems, all teens should be made aware that April is STD Awareness Month .  This is a great time to talk with the young men and women in your life about the importance of practicing safe sex, for a multitude of reasons, including preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) which can be linked to infertility later on in life. The American Fertility Association is working hard to educate the public about infertility prevention.

There is a connection between sexually transmitted diseases and infertility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 19 million new STDs and also STI's (sexually transmitted infections) occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.  It has also been reported that by the age of 24, one in three sexually active people will have one or more STIs, and over the course of a lifetime up to 75 percent of sexually active women and men will get an STI of some kind. 

Dr. Jacqueline Gutmann with Reprodutive Medicine Associates of Philadelphia says, "STIs can also cause infertility, in part because they often display few, if any visible symptoms. Because women and men are frequently unaware that they have an STI, they do not to seek treatment, which further threatens their fertility."

Dr. Gutmann recently published a fact sheet for The AFA on the effect of STDs on infertility where she breaks down the disease for both men and women. In women, chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as other bacteria, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is an infection that travels upward from the vagina through the cervix to the uterus and fallopian tubes.  This infection can lead to scarring and blockage of the fallopian tubes.  PID can occur in up to almost half of untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea infections.  Over one million women each year seek treatment for PID in the United States; more than 100,000 women become infertile because of this disease, and the vast majority are unaware of the that it is happening.

In men, chlamydia and gonorrhea can travel upwards from the urethra all the way to the testicles. This can cause permanent sterility in men in a number of ways.  The scarring from the infection can block the passage of sperm.  In addition, injury to the testicles from an infection can interfere with sperm production and function.  Approximately 15% of male infertility is from STIs.

Dr. Mark Trolice of Fertility C.A.R.E in Winter Park, Florida says, "If hypertension is considered the silent killer then acquiring an STIs, particularly Chlamydia trachomatis, should be considered the silent killer of reproduction because of its damaging effects to the fallopian tubes.  Following an STI, ectopic pregnancy (a serious and life-threatening complication) increases from a baseline of 2% to 8%.  The incidence of tubal factor infertility increases 7-fold, 16-fold, and 28-fold, following one, two, and three STIs to the fallopian tubes (salpingitis), respectively.  Healthcare providers performing aggressive screening and prompt treatment of STIs may reduce the damage to reproductive potential."

The bottom line is, young men and women aren't thinking about preserving their fertility whether they're going to a prom, are starting freshman year at college or just entering the workforce, but they should.  Dealing with infertility is an emotional and physical battle, and The AFA wants to help as many people as possible avoid such a fate. 

The AFA Stands With Planned Parenthood. Do You?

The American Fertility Association Stands with Planned Parenthood

U.S. House of Representatives Jeopardizes Women’s Healthcare

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday to bar Planned Parenthood health centers from all federal funding, including birth control, cancer screening, HIV testing and other essential care.  The American Fertility Association (The AFA), a national family building not-for-profit organization, vehemently opposes this action, which puts the health of underserved Americans, particularly women, at great risk. 

“The AFA is dedicated to helping all people build healthy families.  This biased action by the House of Representatives is clearly an orchestrated attack on those who depend on these services the most, including rape victims who have nowhere else to turn, teenaged women who have no familial support that they can count on and tens of thousands of low income families nationwide.  This large group of American citizens will now be without access to cancer screenings, STD testing or family planning support,” states Ken Mosesian, Executive Director of The AFA.

Approximately 98% of all Planned Parenthood services are for contraception, STI/STD testing, cancer testing and screening, and pregnancy, prenatal, midlife and infertility treatments for women. Approximately 2% of all services are for abortions. 

This is, by far, the most dangerous legislative assault on women's health in recent history, and it cannot go unanswered. Please join The American Fertility Association in standing with Planned Parenthood and with the millions of women, men, and teens they serve, who are now at risk of losing access to basic care.  Planned Parenthood has drafted an open letter to every single representative in the House who voted for this inexcusable bill, and to every senator who still has a chance to stop it.  Visit Planned Parenthood’s website http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ to sign the open letter, and take a stand for those most in need.  

Media Contact:

Merry Armentrout

Director of Communications, The AFA

205-470-9406 or [email protected]

About The AFA:

The American Fertility Association, a 501 (c) (3) national not-for-profit organization is a lifetime resource for infertility prevention, reproductive health and family building. The AFA's services and materials are provided free of charge to consumers and available to everyone without reservation. These services include an extensive online library, high-definition videos, telephone and in-person coaching, a resource directory, a daily blog, and a toll-free support line.

Contact us at [email protected], visit www.theafa.org or call 888.917.3777.

Leading experts bring infertility prevention awareness to University of Colorado

DENVER, Feb. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Fertility Association (The AFA), a national family-building non-profit organization, is heading to college campuses around the country to educate young men and women about infertility - a disease affecting one out of 6 couples in the U.S. The 2011 College Tour Series kicks off on March 4th at the University of Colorado in Boulder with a presentation entitled "Why Mother Nature Wants You To Get Laid Right Now". Students will learn about preventing infertility by avoiding certain environmental toxins, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) prevention, and about the realities of the biological clock. Brenda Strong, The AFA's national spokesperson, board member, and Desperate Housewives actress, will be on hand to talk about the benefits of yoga to help alleviate stress, which can affect fertility. She will also lead a yoga demonstration for the students. Though The AFA's goal is to prevent infertility whenever possible, sometimes infertility can't be avoided. Dr. Mark Bush, a reproductive endocrinologist with Conceptions Reproductive Associates in Denver, will speak at the event so students are aware of savvy treatment options.  Executive Director Ken Mosesian and Program Director Corey Whelan will discuss infertility prevention for men and women, environmental toxin avoidance, and STI (sexually transmitted infection) avoidance.

Later that night, The AFA will honor Dr. Mark Bush with the Joyce M. Vargyas, MD, Visionary Award at the Illuminations Denver cocktail party. Dr. Bush has extensive experience in all aspects of reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and assisted reproductive technologies. He has published numerous scientific and clinical papers in the field of women's health. Recently, Dr. Bush has taken a serious interest in elective single embryo transfer in order to avoid multiple births. The AFA strongly supports the use of single embryo transfer when possible for the safety of the patient and the child.

This year's Illuminations Denver will focus on The AFA's work, empowering young men and women to take control of their fertility. Illuminations Denver will be held at Palazzo Verdi at Fiddler's Green, and special guests will include Brenda Strong, Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald from Comedy Central and Animal Planet and pianist Joseph Eisele with the prestigious Young Musicians Foundation of Colorado. The event is designed to raise much-needed funds to support the educational outreach work of The American Fertility Association.

The media is welcome, and encouraged, to attend both events. The AFA would like to thank all of our sponsors who are helping to make both of these events a huge success, including our Platinum Event Sponsors, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Conceptions Reproductive Associates, and our Gold Event Sponsor EMD Serono. Special thanks to Disney / ABC Television Group for their support as the Charter Sponsor of our 2011 College Tour. If you're interested in sponsoring Illuminations Denver or purchasing tickets, please contact Corey Whelan at 718-853-1411.

Press Contact: Merry Armentrout Director of Communications, The AFA 205-470-9406 [email protected]

The American Fertility Association, a 501(c)(3) national non-profit organization, is a resource for infertility prevention, reproductive health and family-building. AFA services and materials are provided free of charge and without reservation. These services include an extensive online library, resource directory, hosted message boards, daily fertility news and a toll-free support line. http://www.theafa.org or 888.917.3777

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE American Fertility Association

Read more: Preventing Infertility and the Future of Fertility Treatments - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/coloradocorporatestatements/ci_17442679#ixzz1EdBw9Rec
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Making a Difference for Men - and Women

by Ken Mosesian

Monday the 13th of September is going to be a very special day for me. The American Fertility Association took the lead in bringing together an amazing group of individuals committed to bettering male reproductive health in the United States. And we're about to see the result of our actions.

As I've written about before, it all began with a conversation between me and Dr. Lee Warner from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nearly two years ago at a conference in San Francisco. From that conversation was born the Male Reproductive Health Alliance, a group of dedicated men and women who have been meeting faithfully - first every other week, then every week - since the Spring of 2009.

Representatives from The AFA, Mens Health Network (MHN), the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (SSMR - part of the American Urological Association) and CDC hashed out a mission, key questions, key objectives, a draft public awareness campaign, and created the reason why the 13th is such a special day: we'll be meeting with nearly 80 national and international stakeholders at CDC for one-day conference. The title "Advancing Men's Reproductive Health in the United States: Current status and future directions"

The title still causes me to pause and take in what got created out of a conversation between two people. I still am awed by the generosity of time and talent the committee members have given and continue to give. I can attribute it to nothing other than the fact that everyone on the committee is focused on advancing the goal of the Alliance. Maybe that's why the calls have been drama-free and ego-free. It is a testament to the quality of the people involved:

From MHN - Scott Williams. From SSMR - Dr. Stan Honig and Dr. Ajay Nangia. From CDC - Dr. Lee Warner, Dr. Maurizio Macaluso, Dr. Steven Schrader, Renee Brown-Bryant MSW, Nina Larsen MSPH, and Harriett Jett JD, and from AFA - me! 

Thanks also go out to those who sat in on the two expanded meetings we had to ensure we were on track: Drs. Bob Brannigan, Larry Ross, Natan Bar-Chama, and Peter Kolettis.

Thanks to Ajay's work, we've already got a website going.

So why does all this matter? Because men play a part in 40% of all infertility cases. We've known that for a long time, but infertility still carries with it the stigma that the female partner is "the cause." This conference will give us an opportunity to raise awareness about this issue, to harness the tremendous wisdom that will be in the room, and to move forward with a pilot program to reach young men with age-appropriate messages that will resonate with them. And, hopefully, to make a real difference in how they view themselves and their bodies. 

Can unprotected sex lead to infertility?

By Michelle Sobel

 We’re all very aware that one mistake can lead to an unwanted pregnancy.  But that same night of unprotected sex can actually lead to unwanted infertility.  What if just one mistake could cost you your ability to become a mother or father?

As scary as it sounds, it’s a very real situation. And it’s a situation too many people ignore by not getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

One in four Americans will get an STD in their lifetime. Of the estimated 19 million new STD cases every year, chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common.  And, if left untreated, the most common consequences of these two STDs are infertility and/or pregnancy complications.

This can be particularly devastating for women as both chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection that attacks the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to the possibility of infertility or life-threatening pregnancies.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 4 out of 10 untreated chlamydia cases will turn into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). And it’s estimated that 100,000 women become infertile each year due to PID.

These two diseases can also be very dangerous for pregnant women as they are among the leading causes of prenatal pneumonia and pink eye, according to the CDC. These problems can lead to infant blindness or even death.

Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause serious problems for men as well, spreading to the penis, prostate and testicles, causing pain and inflammation. In more rare cases, they can spread to the epididymis (the tube that caries sperm), causing pain, fever and even sterility.

Although not as common as chlamydia and gonorrhea, syphilis is another STD that can cause pregnancy problems and even death if left untreated. If a mother has had the disease during the four years before pregnancy, there is a 70% chance that the fetus will be infected with congenital syphilis, which can lead to the infant’s death.

Unfortunately, these STDs often have no warning signs so those infected simply live a normal life, likely spreading it to others unwittingly.   The good news is that chlamydia and gonorrhea are curable with antibiotics.  If you haven’t been tested for STDs, it’s easy and fast.  You can ask your doctor, go to a clinic, or use a private online service. 

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are hidden epidemics.  Very few people realize all the consequences of one night of unprotected sex, but now you do.  So get smart and make sure that you practice safe sex each and every time.  And, today, get an STD test.  You’ll be glad you did. 

Michelle Sobel is the co-founder of Analyte Media and publisher of STD Test Express. She also regularly discusses sexual health issues on her blog, Unzipped.