Fertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), 7th Edition

Written for clinicians, public health officials, women’s health experts, scientists, students, scholars, and other interested individuals, this book encompasses theoretical, research, policy, and clinical practice aspects of fertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) healthcare. The book features the diverse contributions of multidisciplinary researchers, scholars, and clinicians from eight countries who explore contemporary health care perspectives regarding individuals and families dealing with infertility and fertility challenges including such advanced technologies as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination, and oocyte preservation. An electronic search of the literature from multiple disciplines yielded a large number of studies of psychosocial aspects of infertility. Early studies on the relationship between psychological factors and fertility, rather than reproductive function, generally focused on female personality characteristics and ambivalence for motherhood as the cause of medically unexplained infertility. Many investigators examining the effect of stressors on fertility focus on research participants’ survey responses regarding self-reported perceptions of stress and/or the number of stressful events an individual has experienced. Childlessness and infertility care are neglected aspects of family planning in resource-poor countries although the consequences of involuntary childlessness are much more dramatic and can create more wide-ranging societal problems compared with Western societies, particularly for women. By simplifying the diagnostic and IVF, laboratory procedures and by modifying the ovarian stimulation protocols for IVF, assisted reproductive techniques can be offered at affordable prices.