Zika: Now What?
How does the Zika virus affect Canadian fertility patients? For now, it doesn’t have to. Today, Zika is not endemic to North America, so if neither you nor your partner travel outside of Canada, there...
View ArticleNews: Zika Virus and the Risk to Pregnant Women
Zika is a viral illness that is spread by mosquito bites. Up to 80% of infected people do not exhibit symptoms. Those who do generally present with mild symptoms such as fever, joint pain, rashes, and...
View ArticleMy fertility struggle is taking the pleasure out of my sex life. What can I do?
Despite some early reports, fertility doesn’t improve if the female partner orgasms. Sex doesn’t have to be emotionally or physically satisfying in order to conceive. Sexuality and fertility don’t have...
View ArticleI’m researching test results & hormone levels, but some sources use different...
When you’re researching your own fertility, you may come across numbers and data you’ve gleaned from the web, or from your own personal results. It can be helpful to empower yourself with information,...
View ArticleHow do I find a therapist/psychologist in Toronto who specializes in...
Fertility struggles can put an immense strain on your emotional well-being and your relationships. But many of us don’t realize how badly we needed some extra support…until we’ve finally received it. I...
View ArticleWhen is the optimal age (medically and financially) to freeze my eggs?
Many women are curious about freezing their eggs — preserving their fertility because they aren’t ready or able to start a family, but want to keep the option open for the future. This Chatelaine...
View ArticleDo I need to worry about Zika?
Concern about Zika — the fast-spreading West Nile-like mosquito virus linked to possible birth defects / microcephaly in the babies of some pregnant women who contract it — has been dominating the news...
View ArticleAlberta health document supports publicly funded IVF
I’m a strong proponent of funded healthcare for infertility. Under Dr. Ellen Greenblatt’s direction, and with the support of the provincial government of Ontario, we will soon have access to public...
View ArticleI’m trying to conceive or already pregnant. Should I get the H1N1 flu vaccine?
Yes, you should — in fact, receiving the vaccine is even more important for you. It’s our recommendation, and the Canadian National Advisory on Immunization, Motherisk, Mount Sinai hospital, World...
View ArticleReceive email alerts about OHIP-covered IVF in Ontario
Because we’re a national blog, we don’t want to overwhelm patients outside Ontario with frequent updates about OHIP. So we’re going to slow down on the Ontario IVF news, but we encourage Ontarians...
View ArticleImportant announcement: OHIP-covered IVF cycle to launch December 2015
The Ontario government has finally announced its plans for OHIP-funded IVF. In summary, starting in December 2015, the government will fund one cycle of IVF for women under 43 years of age. The...
View ArticlePanel advises excluding women over 42, severely obese women, from...
OHIP-covered IVF was expected to roll out in Ontario months ago. To meet the province’s expectation of launching in 2015, things are going to have to develop quickly. And we’re already seeing that...
View ArticleIt’s September 2015, what’s the status of OHIP-covered IVF in Ontario?
17 months ago, the Ontario provincial government promised to extend OHIP coverage to cover one round of IVF for eligible patients. This change was expected to occur in 2015. However, many questions...
View ArticleMy TSH is low. Should I be worried? What should I do?
We received this excellent question from a woman whose email address seemed to have a typo in it, so we were unable to respond directly to her — we hope she’s reading this! The most common reason for a...
View ArticleHypothyroidism and Fertility
The thyroid is a gland that sits in your lower throat and secretes a hormone called thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is a condition that results when the gland does not produce enough of this hormone....
View Article3 situations where you’ll want to consider IVF
Nobody wants to do IVF. Whenever a couple or individual arrives at a fertility clinic, the strong goal is to work as naturally as possible to maximize the chances for pregnancy. My suspicion is that...
View ArticleWhat is DNA Fragmentation?
The DNA Fragmentation is one of several elements of semen quality used to assess the male fertility potential. Sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg is dependant on healthy DNA. But some sperm are...
View ArticleWhat are the guidelines for known sperm donation?
Health Canada does not support known-donor, fresh-sperm insemination. The rationale is to protect the health of women involved. Guidelines are clear that couples must be having sexual intercourse...
View ArticleWe’re considering using an anonymous sperm donor. How does it work in Canada?
Health Canada has guidelines in place to allow women to have safe access to donor sperm. However, there are some logistical challenges limiting choice. There is only one Canadian sperm bank: ReproMed,...
View ArticleWhat can I do about pain during procedures?
“I am scheduled for an Echovist HyCoSy test as part of my fertility diagnostic process. I have serious concerns about the pain I will experience during the procedure given the scar tissue on my cervix...
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