Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fertility

frequent masturbation and sperm count

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:40:24 -0800

Male fertility question -- does excessive masturbation reduce sperm count? I've googled this but I don't think the resources I've found answer my question. In general masturbation does not lower sperm count and in fact clears out sperm with low motility, but, for example, what if before the ejaculation in question (as a result of intercourse) the man has been masturbating at a frequency of 2-3x per day for the past week (including the day in question)? Will this have an effect on sperm count?

Is there a gadget that's good enough for birth control?

Gucky — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:19:07 -0800

Can I use a Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor as birth control as well? Is there another device I can use? Back in the '90s, I had friends rave about getting little "fertility machines" in France that helped them keep track of their cycles in order to not get pregnant. To the point that they scheduled trips to France to get the little test strips. None of them got "in the family way" before they were ready to.

Googling around, it sounds almost exactly like the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor. But, the fertility monitor in all its marketing material rates its effectiveness on how fast you get pregnant and is covered in pictures of babies.

I'm assuming that's an FDA-approval or marketing choice, not a functionality thing, but I am not an expert on such matters.

Am I missing something? Is there a good reason that I couldn't use this fertility monitor for the rhythm method/fertility awareness method? Is there another device *even better* for such a use that I can get in The States? (Also, $200 and you can only use it for trying to get knocked up seems a bit pricey.)

Question about insurance and male fertility

Anonymous — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:31:18 -0800

Me and my wife have been trying to get pregnant for over a year with no success. She has had tests and found out she might have trouble getting pregnant. She wants me to get my sperm tested for fertility, as well. The problem is that she has insurance, but I do not. What are my options for testing, and how much are they likely to cost? If we both go to a fertility doctor, is it possible that her insurance will cover getting me tested?

From needle to baby

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:56:30 -0800

Pros and cons of egg donation? I'm in my mid-20's, young, well-educated, and about to be broke. I'm thinking about doing egg donation as a way to put aside a little money while I'm looking for a job in the new economy. I'm not remotely bothered by the "selling your body" part of it, but I have a few questions -- would appreciate any feedback from people who have done this before, or who have experience in this area.

Logistical questions: (on procedures)
1. The process for donation lasts about a month? What can I expect on a day to day basis?
2. How long does the screening process take? (How early should I start applying?)
2. I'm looking at going through an infertility program, not a private broker (so medical costs will be covered). How does insurance work for this? Will my medical insurance cover if something goes wrong, or do I sign some sort of temporary policy with them?

Selection questions: (on eugenics?)
1. For selection purposes, do they care about things like employment history? SAT scores? GRE's? I'm a standard humanities type - which means I can't do math, thank you very much. Is this going to be a problem?
2. Family history: Like I said - I'M OK with this, but my family isn't, and I'd rather not discuss it with them. Are they going to need family history / medical records on paper, or is this something that can be covered in the interview process?
2. Awhile back, I was going through a rough patch in school, diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and put on a very low dose of Prozac. I'm now off the medication and doing much better, but am not sure how this affects my selection for something like this. Should I even bother applying, or is this going to put me out of the running?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Have you grown your family through surrogacy?

bunnycup — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:27:39 -0800

Calling all experiences with surrogate pregnancy - on any side of the equation. I am considering having a child through a surrogate mother, and wondered if anyone had any anecdotes, experience, advice, warnings, etc. I (very) recently lost a child and am physically unable to become pregnant again. In considering whether to adopt or to pursue surrogacy, I am in search of any Mefiverse collective thoughts or experiences on surrogacy. I have read some online resources and will be shortly pursuing a meeting with a lawyer who handles surrogacy, but in the short term, your anecdotes may be helpful. I am particularly concerned about what the experience is REALLY like (for both sides, for Moms, for Dads, etc.), and the ways in which I might be manipulated (emotionally, financially, etc.) by surrogacy and conception clinics. As an example, one promises to match a carrying mother and intended family within 14 days - that seems ridiculously short and somewhat suspect. The issue is not so much the time, but that seems like a "hook" promise designed to prey on me, somehow.

PLEASE: The loss of my child is recent. I AM seeing a grief and family support counselor, weekly. I do NOT intend on rushing through this process too quickly, but see no reason to delay getting educated. I am also considering adoption, but this question is NOT "adoption versus surrogacy". I appreciate that surrogacy is medically and legally complicated, all will of course be pursuing the appropriate channels of guidance, should I take this path. Thank you.

Red States vs Blue Pills

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:25:05 -0800

Dumb birth control pill question: why don't I need to use a backup method while taking the sugar pills? I started the pill a week ago. The brochure states that if I miss more than two days of the pill, I MUST USE A BACKUP METHOD OF BIRTH CONTROL OR I MIGHT GET PREGNANT (It really is in all caps). But during the "period" week, when you're missing seven days of active pills, no backup method is necessary. Why? What's the difference, especially when I'm supposedly allowed to reschedule the inactive week anyway?

I'm on Ortho-Cyclen, so there's no funny business with varying levels of hormones - all the pills are the same, except Week 4.

What got me wondering about this is that I inadvertently began taking the pill a week before my actual period, because I was spotting and mistook it for Day 1 (my cycle is super irregular, which I'm hoping to correct with the pill). So now, my actual period is here (I'm still taking the active pills), and I was thinking about putting off the sugar pill week for four weeks so I don't have to deal with this again so soon.

But when I take the sugar pills, how is that different from just missing pills? Are they assuming you won't have sex while you're bleeding?

I really, really, really, really, really don't want to get pregnant.

(Anonymous due to the hysterics that would ensue if by some hiccup of the cosmos my mother were to find out that her 27-year-old daughter is having premarital sex.)

Help me get knocked up 2008-style: woman seeks info and advice on getting pregnant non-traditionally.

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:17:22 -0800

Help me get knocked up 2008-style: woman seeks info and advice on getting pregnant non-traditionally. Hey, so, the web is so big and the info is so vast that I turn to you guys to help me home in on what I need to find in order to knock myself up without a husband/partner/friend.

I'm looking for either your OWN experiences/advice/info (here or at clseace@gmail.com), or help finding stuff online.

Here's what I'd like help with:

- websites/forums on the web about the actual process of artificial insemination - the real nuts and bolts - step one, step two, step three, etc. I really don't know where to start (and I'm in Seattle if it helps).

- Info on costs of AI (the sperm, the doctor visit, etc - I am insured but my HMO doesn't offer this service so it may be totally out of pocket).

- advice on any ideas about how to go about this without a sperm bank involved and without a potential donor (in other words, finding someone to have sex with for this purpose). Craigslist? Seriously, I'd love to hear your ideas and warnings about advertising for someone to help me do this the old fashioned way without them being involved with the potential kid.

- Anything you'd like to share about your experiences and what knowledge you gained from either AI or having a "donor" with whom you worked flesh-to-flesh not test-tube-to-beaker.

This is broad, but I can't seem to find anything helpful right now online (I'm finding a lot of "i'm 15 and pregnate any guys still like girls with babby?").

If it helps: 38, single, unknown fertility status, never pregnant (and anonymous at clseace@gmail.com, I will respect your anonymity, too)

Bowlers in Bolivia and Peru

tellurian — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:30:01 -0800

There are two different stories about how bowler hats came to Bolivia and Peru. I'm looking for some original sources for the stories that bowler hats are "worn by Quechua and Aymara women in Peru and Bolivia since the 1920's when supposedly a shipment of bowler hats was sent from Europe to Bolivia via Peru for use by Europeans who were working on the construction of the railroad. The hats were found to be too small and were distributed to locals." -OR- It is a result of an over-order and an enterprising salesman who supposedly convinced them that the wearing of the hats would increase their fertility.

Balls? Check. Ovaries? Not anymore...

junkbox — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:53:53 -0800

Help me understand the methaphor/mythology behind female sci-fi characters losing their ovaries (slightly spoilery for Alias, X-Files, and S2 of Battlestar Galactica). I just watched the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Farm," in which Starbuck awakens during her recovery from a gunshot wound to discover a mysterious scar over one of her ovaries. It reminded me of a similar scar Sydney Bristow received in S3 of Alias, as well as the fertility saga of Dana Scully in the X-Files.

Strong, ass-kicking female character has her ovaries stolen by an unknown but powerful group because she is somehow "special" or "chosen." Further plot developments usually include the discovery of hybrid "children" created from the harvested eggs, and the emergence of powerful maternal feelings that had previously been dormant/repressed. Both Dana Scully and Sydney Bristow were ultimately able to conceive and bear children of their own, although Scully gave hers up while Sydney got to live happily ever after. Not sure what will happen to Starbuck's ovaries, but no further spoilers, please.

As a woman with ovaries of my own, I have ambivalent feelings about this storyline, especially now that I'm about to watch it play out for the 3rd time. I think I'm bothered by how it subtly reinforces the idea that women who carry guns and fight bad guys must be disconnected from their maternal side (their ovaries), and that the only way they can develop as characters is to discover their repressed maternal instincts, recover their stolen ovaries and bear children of their own.*

So: are there essays or books (fan-produced okay, if they're quality) analyzing the lost-ovaries storyline and the different ways it works metaphorically? Can the Hive Mind offer a different viewpoint on why strong women in sci-fi keep misplacing their reproductive parts? Bonus points if you or your resource can identify the original lost ovaries in sci-fi or earlier mythology.

* I was a huge X-Files fan, and I'm confident that Battlestar Galactica will do something awesome with Starbuck's storyline. Not trying to pick on these shows, just trying to better understand what they're doing with these characters.

Epidydimitis and fertility/conception?

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:07:07 -0800

About a year ago I was diagnosed with epidydimitis, which has become a chronic (but low-level) pain. I am now interested in having a child (to be precise: being a sperm donor for a close friend; not via a clinic). I know that there is some chance of decreased fertility with this disease, but is there any chance the sperm themselves will be weird, mutated, or otherwise unsuitable for fertilizing an egg? I am 45 years old. Initially, the acute stage was treated with three courses of cipro and anti-inflammatories over about 4 months. The pain has receded to a dull, but relatively constant ache in the eight subsequent months. It is unilateral, on the left side. It was never diagnosed as bacterial, viral or just inflammatory. I have had an ultrasound, which was unremarkable. My doctor indicated quite clearly that there was no communicable infection risk. I've read this lengthy piece (PDF). I can't find any information on whether this disease could damage the sperm or contraindicate pregnancy in any way. I realize sperm are not produced in the epididymis, yet the fact that reduced fertility is not uncommon suggests that there is some influence on the sperm. I realize this is a fairly specific question and I will ask my doctor if necessary, but it seems likely there is a simple answer and it is probably "no".

Gemstones for Fertility

Ynoxas — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:39:41 -0800

Are there any gemstones/crystals that are traditionally tied to increasing fertility? A friend is struggling with fertility issues. I realize rocks are not magic. I am not asking what gemstones will actually make a friend get pregnant. I am asking what gems traditionally have been associated with fertility or increasing the likelihood of bearing children.

I don't have any cultural preference, anything from eastern to african to native american, any would be welcome. The more background the better.

I have googled but it seems to be all over the place, with practically every gem being mentioned somewhere as "for fertility".

I would be most interested in responses from people with some sort of interest in gemstones or crystals.

Diseases which affect gender ratio of births

Burger-Eating Invasion Monkey — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 05:12:38 -0800

Hepatitis B causes mothers to give birth to fewer girls. Are there are any other diseases that affect births in a gender-specific way?

What's your take on "Taking Charge of Your Fertility"

dial-tone — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:10:08 -0800

What's your take on "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," especially to prevent pregnency without birth control?

Female fertility testing

Go, now. Go! — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:43:13 -0800

Female fertility questions. I'm in my mid thirties and married within the last year. I want to know what my chances of having kids are, but everything I find on the web says you can go to a "fertility clinic" after you have tried to have kids for a while and not succeeded. That's not going to help me, because we're not ready to have kids RIGHT NOW. Also, what are fertility tests for women like? So, is it really hard for a woman to figure out how fertile she is? We need to plan for the future. Maybe it isn't even an option for me at this point. If so, I'd like to know.

Also, I would like to know what fertility tests for women are like. Is it much more painful and/or expensive for women then for men? I understand tests are available for men in the US at, eg., CVS, and that they're not that bad. What exactly do they do with women?

Has anyone else been in this position, and what did you do? Are there any options other than a fertility clinic, and, if a fertility clinic is the only answer, will they test me if we haven't been "trying" yet? And finally, what would any tests be like, and are they expensive?

Thanks very much for your help!

Weed and seed

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:50:24 -0800

If you were a male in your 30's who wanted to father a child, how long before the 'project launch date' would you stop using marijuana? I smoke marijuana about once or twice a week on average. Some time in the next year or so, I'm going to be expected to impregnate a woman. I've done my Google research, and I've found several articles stating that marijuana decreases fertility. Most are rather vague. This one was the most specific I could find, and the study it references was conducted using men who smoked 14 times a week for 5 or more years.

So in the absence of actual research and data, I'm looking for educated guesses from those who know about such things. (ie, doctors, fertility experts, or people who have a solid understanding of how chemicals affect the body, and for how long.)

Would smoking marijuana once or twice a week be likely to impact a man's fertility? After stopping marijuana use, how long would it take for fertility to return to normal?

How to find a genetic donor

pomegranate — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 10:58:53 -0800

Help me write an ad to attract some potential gene donors. My lesbian partner and I have explored various routes to baby-making, and now we're ready to re-try finding a local, live donor. We need a donor or two who will show up month after month and not back out like the others have done. (Reasons so far: "I didn't realize I'd have to sign papers," and "It's too difficult with my new semester schedule," and the real topper, "I was too ashamed to tell my family, so if I'm that ashamed, it's probably wrong and I shouldn't donate after all.") I think it's just a lot of pressure to put on most people, so they flake out.

Rather than continue to rely on friends or people we already know somewhat, I'm thinking of taking out an ad in local college newspapers and going with unknown donors, but what should it say? What do we say to attract smart, happy, relatively attractive and reliable 20-28 year old men who are happy to get a medical exam, donate to a lesbian couple and give up all parental rights/expectations? Of course we're paying, both per-donation and a bonus if I get knocked up. But how do I communicate all that in a way that gets potential donors to make contact?

Blanks or Bullets?

id — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 16:02:10 -0800

ShootingBlanksFilter: I'm a single male in my mid-twenties, whom after taking a long break from the opposite sex, is getting back into the game. However, reading about fertility control issues, and also having first-hand experience with this, I've come to realize that men do not have the same reproductive control options available to them that women do. So now I'm considering a vasectomy. Now, don't be taken aghast yet- we're not talking about ending my ability to have children. My plan is to have my 'stuff' stored in a sperm bank, paying the rent on a very long term basis and ensuring it would be safe. This would allow in vitro fertilization in the future, if I were to get married.

Due to the US's theological influence to reproductive issues, I fear it will be many years before the male 'pill' and other internal options are approved for the general public.

Now, I realize that I may be taking this reproductive control issue to an all-time new level, but this is a very serious topic to me- one that could change my life in ways I may not be comfortable with. Twice in my life I've had pregnancy scares, and my last girlfriend just delivered her baby girl, the father being the guy she dated after me.

So, my multi-part question to AskMeFi is: Is this a viable option for me to be considering? Would my sperm be safe enough in a bank that I know I could rely on it for insemination and permanently end my ability to conceive naturally? Are there any other angles on this that I'm missing?

Thanks much!