Pride Angel

Infertility is a growing issue in North America, one that’s often seen as only a women’s problem. We had the chance to speak with Dr. Victoria Maizes, the executive director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Be Fruitful, The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child, about surprising ways women (and men) may be able to boost their fertility. And though we know there’s no quick-fix, we hope these ideas will provide a bit of insight into boosting your chances:

1. Switch to whole milk
Put down the skinny decaf lattes and order yourself a whole milk one instead. "When women consume whole milk products, they are more fertile and more likely to conceive and less likely to have what's called ovulatory infertility, the most common cause of infertility, than when they do non- or low-fat," says Dr. Maizes. Why? One reason Dr. Maizes explains in her book is, "To prepare low- and non-fat dairy, whole milk is spun at high speeds to separate the fat from the water. Hormones separate differently according to their preference for fat. Estrogen and progesterone prefer fat, so that when milk is being separated, those hormones go into that layer. Androgens, insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1), prolactin, and male hormones prefer the watery layer - hence a glass of low-fat milk gives you more male hormones and fewer female hormones."

If you're not a milk drinker however, whole milk cheeses, yogurts and ice creams can also be an option.

2. Get your man to take a multivitamin
Been taking your multivitamin with folic acid? Good work. But how about your partner?

"About one third of the fertility problems are male, about one third are female and about one third are the combination of men and women," notes Dr. Maizes. "But it turns out men are four times as likely to impregnate their partner if they're taking a multivitamin."

According to Be Fruitful, in a 2010 meta-analysis looking at 34 studies of more than 2,800 couples in fertility treatment, those men who took antioxidants were not only four times more likely to impregnate their partners but the rate of live birth was also five times higher. She notes that the antioxidants used in the studies included vitamins C and E, zinc, folic acid, and selenium.

3. Consider yoga…or swimming, or walking
"With physical activity, you really have to be moderate," she says. "We have data from a number of very large trials that shows that if you are are vigorously exercising, it's going to reduce your ability to conceive a child. This is a time to take it back a notch and walk instead of run or try a more restorative, rather than vigorous yoga." She notes in the book: "A survey of almost four thousand women showed that increasing the frequency, duration, or intensity of physical activity was associated with increased difficulty in conceiving. Women who exercised on most days had a 3.2 times higher risk of being infertile, while women who at any point exercised to exhaustion had a 2.3 times increased risk. These findings were independent of age, smoking, or BMI, and suggest that intensive exercise can interfere with a woman's fertility."

4. Lose weight
However, if you're obese (Health Canada characterizes obesity as having a body mass index or BMI over 30), exercise could increase your fertility. "Obese women have more trouble conceiving and exercise is helpful in regulating insulin levels and helping reduce obesity. As women lose weight, their fertility increases," says Dr. Maizes.

Noting the mixed messaging, Dr. Maizes writes: "The relationship between women's fertility and exercise is complicated. Moderate exercise is recommended, and probably helps; extreme exercise could impair conception. For an overweight woman, exercise is particularly important as part of her weight-loss plan and enhances fertility."

5. Measure your alcohol
While there are mixed results looking at alcohol and fertility, Dr. Maizes notes that in the Nurses' Health Study - a study of 238,000 nurses that began in 1976 and was then later expanded in 1989 - "showed a positive association of ovulatory infertility in women who drank one or more drinks a day; less than one drink per day had no negative effect. One drink is defined as 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. This is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, 8 ounces of malt liquor, or 1.5 ounces or a ‘shot’ of 80-proof distilled liquor."

Article: 23rd May 2013 www.ca.news.yahoo.com

Read more about boosting your fertility at www.prideangel.com

Testosterone supplements are touted as a cure for low libido, but men who take them may reduce their odds of fathering a child, new research suggests.

Many men who sought infertility treatment at two U.S. clinics reported taking prescription testosterone supplements, according to a new study. And in most cases their sperm counts skyrocketed after they stopped taking the male hormone.

The study, limited to a pair of clinics in Alabama and Kansas, looked at the years 2005 to 2011. The researchers don't know if testosterone supplements, which continue to gain popularity, are contributing to even more cases of infertility now. Nor is it clear whether the hormone is harming fertility across the nation.

Still, the research suggests that testosterone spells trouble for many American men who want to have children, said study co-author Dr. Peter Kolettis, a professor of urology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "This has become a preventable cause of infertility."

Use of testosterone supplements -- or "T" -- is rapidly rising in the United States, and some observers think usage will remain inflated as more men see it as a possible cure for fatigue and flagging sex drive. Critics, however, question whether testosterone treatment is being prescribed to men who don't need it.

"More men are coming into [doctors'] offices asking for testosterone because they've seen the advertisements, and it looks like the fountain of youth: It will reduce fat, make them look sexier," said Dr. Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist and chief of medicine service at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, who was not involved in the study.

But testosterone can cause side effects such as male breast growth and blood clots. And "very few physicians are warning that it will turn off their sperm production," Anawalt said.

Adding testosterone to the body through supplementation spurs a process that impedes sperm production, Anawalt said. "Men struggling with fertility should not be on testosterone," he said. "[But] this is not something that most physicians or patients are thinking about." The study, presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in San Diego, aimed to find out how many infertile men take the supplements despite the risks.

The researchers examined medical records of more than 1,500 men with an average age of 35 who sought fertility treatment at the two clinics. Seven percent of the men were taking supplemental testosterone prescribed by a physician. The study focused on 34 men who agreed to stop using the hormone supplements.

Overall, the sperm counts of most patients bounced back. Average sperm concentration in semen jumped from 1.8 million per milliliter to 34 million per milliliter after supplemental testosterone was discontinued.

But the sperm counts of six of the 34 patients didn't recover. Testosterone treatments normally don't hurt fertility permanently, and it's not clear if they played a role in the men's continued infertility. The study also did not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship between testosterone supplements and lowered sperm count.

Anawalt said it typically takes between one and six months for a man's sperm count to recover after he stops using a testosterone supplement. Kolettis, the study co-author, said certain men should avoid testosterone supplements. "I tell men not to take it until they're done having their own biological children," he said.

The supplemental testosterone in question is prescription-only, and unrelated to over-the-counter supplements marketed to increase testosterone production. Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Article: 10th May 2013 www.men.webmd.com

Test your sperm count using Fertilcount Male Fertility Test at www.prideangel.com

"What should I eat in order to boost my fertility?" It's one of the first questions asked by many women hoping to get pregnant:

A new study offers up one possible answer, claiming that women who ate a diet rich in protein and low in carbohydrates while undergoing in vitro fertilization had higher pregnancy rates than those whose ratio of protein to carbs was the inverse.

But the findings, while provocative, are highly preliminary.

"Protein is essential for good quality embryos and better egg quality, it turns out," study researcher Dr. Jeffrey Russell, director of the Delaware Institute for Reproductive Medicine, said in a statement. His research was released at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' annual clinical meeting in New Orleans on Monday.

Patients whose protein intake represented 25 percent or more of their daily diet, and whose carbohydrate intake was 40 percent or less, had pregnancy rates four times higher than those who ate less protein and more carbs while undergoing in vitro fertilization (the joining of a woman's egg and a man's sperm in a laboratory before transferring the resulting embryo to her womb).

Researchers asked 120 women undergoing IVF to keep a three-day nutritional journal before they had an embryo transfer. Forty eight women had an average daily protein intake greater than 25 percent, while 72 had an average intake under 25 percent. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is generally recommended that people get between 10 and 35 percent of their daily calories from protein.)

There were no differences in body mass index (a measure of weight relative to height) between the two groups, and because of that, the researchers concluded that improving fertility may be linked to specific nutritional components in a woman's diet, more than to her overall BMI.

But Dr. Kathy Hoeger, Director of the Strong Fertility Center at the University of Rochester, N.Y., said that other factors might have affected the outcomes among the high-protein, low-carb group. Hoeger did not work on the new study.

"We don't have enough information about other factors," she told The Huffington Post.

"The question about high protein, low carb is still very uncertain with regard to fertility," Hoeger added, explaining that good scientific research on the links between diet and fertility is scant. Much of what is known has been extrapolated from preliminary animal studies, and the mechanisms that link nutrition and egg quality are not well understood.

But the desire for more information is there, evident in the numerous books, blog posts and articles on the topic. "As a practicing fertility doctor, probably the first question every one asks me is, 'What should I be eating?'" Hoeger said. "Clearly this is something on people's minds."

Perhaps the most scientifically rigorous information available comes from a 2007 study, led by researchers at Harvard University, that used data from more than 18,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study, one of the longest-running investigations into women's health in the U.S. Those findings were detailed in the much-hyped book "The Fertility Diet," which offered dietary guidelines for preventing and reversing ovulatory infertility (but not infertility resulting from issues like blocked fallopian tubes).

According to the Harvard researchers, women should avoid trans fats and focus on the quality of the carbohydrates they eat, opting for fiber-rich foods and avoiding simple sugars rather than restricting the quantity of carbs. Researchers also found that women who had more full-fat dairy products in their diets were less likely to have problems getting pregnant than those who opted for skim or low-fat options.

Article: 6th May 2013 www.huffingtonpost.com

Read more about nutrition and boosting fertiliy at www.prideangel.com

For men who are trying to conceive a baby the ideal environment in which to store their little swimmers is one cooled to a temperature slightly below core body heat.

So now one forward-thinking Morocco-based man (who has suffered fertility problems of his own) has invented a pair of men's underpants that keep things downstairs chilly in order to maximise the chances of conceiving. American Josh Shoemake's patented 'Snowballs' pants come with a special integrated pocket that cools a man's nether regions in effort to boost his sperm count.

Shoemake, 38, a full-time writer who was headmaster of The American School of Tangier for 5 years, himself spent lots of money and suffered endless heartache going through the 'fertility factory' with his wife. Originally from Virginia, Shoemake came up with the idea for Snowballs after a friend of his was told by a doctor to cool his genitals in order to help him conceive a baby.

On his Kickstarter webpage - through which he is attempting to net US$20,000 (£13,361) of funding before 4 April in order to produce and market the underpants - Shoemake explains how he and his friend became obsessed with the idea of how heat affects male fertility.

He says: 'It was my friend and his wife who really provided the breakthrough. It had been a painful year. There had been a silent miscarriage after two years of trying, and the best doctor that money could buy had said that their chances were now zero.'

Shoemake continues: 'They ignored his advice and saw another doctor, and then another, until finally one gynecologist took the time to sit down with them and listen carefully.

'Almost immediately, he had a new plan. First, my friend should begin icing his balls. Huh? And then he should have himself tested for a varicocele. Again, huh?'

Varicoceles are enlarged veins in the scrotum that bring more blood and raise scrotal temperatures. When Shoemake's friend began icing his testicles, he and his wife conceived a daughter.

Speaking to MailOnline, Shoemake said: The studies showing that icing works are pretty recent, and we're just starting out, but there is no doubt that heat kills sperm, and that icing prevents that.

'I imagine we'll have some additional testimonials pretty soon, but in fertility science, like in most science, it's difficult to isolate any one factor. 'As we say on the site: "We believe in miracles, but don't count on Snowballs to work 'miracles'. They should increase both sperm quality and quantity, and they should give you a better chance to conceive at minimal cost, but fertility science is complex, and you'll also want to consult with a urologist (for varicoceles), as well as your fertility specialist.'

If Shoemake accrues enough funding, each order of Snowballs will include three pair of specially designed underwear, three unique SnowWedges™, and a guide to what else you can be doing to maximize your chances at fatherhood.

Market price will be somewhere between $65 and $80 (£43-£53), and those who donate on Kickstarter will receive a discount.

Article: 13th March 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

Test your sperm count using our Fertilcount Male Fertility Test

Young men who watch TV for just three hours a day have half the sperm count of men rarely found in front of the box, warn researchers. For the first time, a study shows falling sperm quality is linked to lower levels of physical activity. Men who are mostly sedentary lose out to those who are moderately active, says the Harvard University study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Experts say the effect could be due to lack of exercise, or to overheating of the testicles caused by prolonged sitting. Men wanting to father a child are currently urged against wearing tight underpants to improve sperm quality, while drivers and cyclists may also be at risk.

In the latest study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), healthy young men who watched more than 20 hours of TV each week had a 44 per cent lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV. Men who exercised for 15 or more hours weekly at a moderate to vigorous rate had a 73 per cent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week. Mild exercise did not affect sperm quality.

Study leader Dr Audrey Gaskins said ‘We know very little about how lifestyle may impact semen quality and male fertility in general so identifying two potentially modifiable factors that appear to have such a big impact on sperm counts is truly exciting,’ The researchers analysed the semen quality of 189 men between the ages of 18 to 22 participating in the Rochester Young Men’s Study during 2009-2010 at the University of Rochester.

The men were asked about their physical activity and how much time they spent watching TV, DVDs or videos over the previous three months, in addition to health issues that may affect their sperm quality, such as diet, stress levels, and smoking. Over half the men were of normal weight, and levels of diagnosed infertility were low. The amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity taken each week ranged from five to 14 hours, while weekly TV screen time varied from four to 20 hours.

Those who watched most TV, 20 hours or more, had a sperm count almost half that of men watching the least, and TV viewing seemed to cancel out the benefits of exercise. Jorge Chavarro, senior author of the study and assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, said: ‘The majority of the previous studies on physical activity and semen quality had focused on professional marathon runners and cyclists, who reach physical activity levels that most people in the world cannot match.

‘We were able to examine a range of physical activity that is more relevant to men in the general population.’ However, he added, while a reduced sperm count has been linked to lower fertility, it does not necessarily ruin a man’s chances of fathering a child.

Men who exercise were found to have much higher sperm counts than those who shirk physical activity Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology, University of Sheffield, said ‘The results are intriguing and suggest that men who do regular exercise have higher sperm counts than men who watch a lot of television.

‘On the face of it, this seems like a well conducted study albeit with a relatively small number of participants. ‘Having said that, the authors appear to have used good methodology and have attempted to control for all of the obvious variables that might differ between the two groups of men (e.g. diet, smoking, Body Mass Index).

‘Their conclusions are plausible, and I would agree that there is evidence to suggest that moderate exercise could change men’s physiology sufficiently to improve testicular health. ‘Similarly, we already know that testicular heating through sedentary jobs or tight underwear can decrease sperm counts and so arguably the same effect might be seen in men who spend too many hours on the sofa watching television.

‘However, it remains to be seen if coaxing a TV watching couch potato into doing some regular exercise could actually improve his sperm count. 'Or whether there exists an unknown fundamental difference between men who like exercise and those who do not which might account for the findings.

‘This should be a relatively easy study to perform, but before all worried men hunt for their sports bag it’s important to note that other research suggests that doing too much exercise can be harmful to sperm production and this study did not examine the type and intensity of exercise their participants were undertaking.

‘My advice would be everything in moderation - and that includes time in the gym as well as watching TV, or perhaps both at the same time!’

Article: 7th February 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

How's your sperm count? get it tested using a simple male sperm count test.

Recent article talks about how to improve fertility naturally and talks about the benefit of using sperm friendly lubricant for helping you conceive.

In a 2012 article published in journal Human Reproduction, researchers estimated that the current infertility rate in Canada ranged from 11.5% to 15.7%. Both of these estimates represented an increase in current infertility prevalence in Canada when compared with previous national estimates. A new review paper entitled "Overcoming Vaginal Dryness and Improving your Fertility – Naturally" by Dr. Judith Fiore, N.D., Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Natural Fertility Expert in Toronto, is now available for free download to help couples trying to conceive.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) November 30, 2012

In a 2012 article published in the journal Human Reproduction, researchers estimated that the current Canadian infertility rate (measured as greater than 12 months trying to conceive) ranged from 11.5% to 15.7%. Both of these estimates represented an increase in current infertility prevalence in Canada when compared with previous national estimates.

When trying to conceive naturally many couples are unaware that there are actions they can take themselves to complement any therapeutic approach. A new review paper entitled "Overcoming Vaginal Dryness and Improving your Fertility – Naturally" by Dr. Judith Fiore, N.D., Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Natural Fertility Expert in Toronto is now available at the Canadian Zestica Fertility website for free download.

In the paper Dr Fiore shares her insights and experience on what has helped many couples achieve "baby making" success. Her insight and tips for natural ways to increase a couple's chances of conceiving include advice on what to look for in a sperm-friendly personal lubricant to overcome vaginal dryness and help sperm motility, and what it really means to follow a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Dr Fiore also covers the importance of sleep, exercise and stress management as well as sharing her thoughts on timed lovemaking. The paper can be downloaded from the www.zesticafertility.ca homepage

Article: 30th November 2012 www.sfgate.com

Read more about how Zestica products can help you, available to buy here.

Fertility monitor which accurately measures basal body temperature is a success in the UK, helping many couples have a baby.

Most entrepreneurs care deeply about their businesses but they’re not usually reduced to tears by a successful sale. For Oriane Chausiaux, of Cambridge Temperature Concepts, which provides fertility monitoring for couples struggling to have a baby, the early successes of the business had as much emotional impact as financial. “After the thirtieth pregnancy I managed to stop crying when I heard the news,” says Dr Chausiaux.

The company makes a monitor called DuoFertility. This is a small sensor worn by a woman under her armpit, which sends signals about body temperature and sleep patterns throughout the day and night to an analytics centre in Cambridge, using wireless technology. These signals build up a picture about when she is most fertile, because the presence of different hormones affects body temperature. Users can call up the centre at any time to discuss the results with a fertility expert.

The device is not cheap – it sells for about £500 in the UK, through the company’s website, Boots online and Pride Angel, but includes all the analytics and communications with the company, which offers a guaranteed refund to women who don’t fall pregnant within 12 months. The price is cheap compared to IVF treatment, which costs between £5,000 and £7,000 per cycle in the UK.

The monitor is only suitable for couples who don’t have medical issues that mean IVF is the only way they could conceive but, because about a third of patients who have IVF in the UK suffer from “unexplained infertility”, there is still a large market to go for, says Dr Shamus Husheer, chief executive.

The monitor had an unconventional birth. It was the brainchild of Dr Husheer when he was a nuclear and structural chemistry PhD student, working in a particle accelerator in France. He was inspired by the difficulty his parents had in conceiving him and by new battery technology which generated power from the body.

He recruited Dr Chausiaux, who is now the head scientist, and four other Cambridge PhD students to help him build a prototype and come up with a business plan. What they developed was a medical device that, in its first form, was “a shoebox full of electronics which you strapped to your body”.

The idea won the scientists £1,000 and then £20,000 in competitions run by Cambridge University. They used the money to pay for filing a patent and building a prototype. At the end of 2007, they raised £250,000 from angel investors in the Cambridge area, to develop the DuoFertility monitor. Even when they were still at the shoebox stage, they were contacted by couples wanting to pay to have a monitor built for them. Dr Chausiaux says: “That showed us the need really was there.”

Dr Husheer adds: “We also didn’t appreciate how huge the mental and psychological side was when we started off. The couples were always on the phone to us to talk about their condition and we realised we were providing a service that was not available to them anywhere else.” After being screened to check their fertility issues are within the limits the monitor can help with, Cambridge Temperature Concepts says couples who use it for six months have the same chance of getting pregnant as someone of the same age on a cycle of IVF.

While growth in the past four years has been “spiky”, Dr Husheer admits, the firm now has 2,000 customers and expects turnover to rise to £2.5m in 2012-13. However, growing through UK retail has been slower and trickier than the pair anticipated and the founders are in the middle of a £1m fund-raising to help to pay for plans to expand in the US. They are hoping that American doctors will recommend the product to patients.

The opportunity in the US, where a cycle of IVF can cost as much as $20,000 (£12,500), is an order of magnitude greater than in the UK, Dr Husheer says. “We believe there are 400,000 women in the US a year for whom our product is the right thing.” However, there is also a new opportunity in the UK – the company has been accepted for a trial by the NHS, with the same guarantee that it will reimburse the health service after a year if the patient does not fall pregnant. “There’s a push into payment for outcomes by the Department of Health, so we’re ticking the political boxes too,” says Dr Husheer.

Since the first fund-raising from angel investors, they have raised money “a couple” more times the same way, although they still own just over 50pc of the company. “The main things we need to finance now are some people with deep commercial experience in the US, and staff in the UK to do the fertility analysis,” says Dr Husheer.

The company hopes to be able to provide the same level of support as it does now for 10,000 people after this round of hiring. All the analytics staff will be based in Cambridge, in large part hired from the town’s universities. The DuoFertility monitor has gained the approval of the US medical regulator, the FDA, and the company is marketing it to the obstetricians and gynaecologists American women typically visit rather than GPs.

“Our experience with the FDA was not nearly as bad as some of the rumours suggest,” said Dr Husheer. “They seemed pretty responsive to us because our device is non-invasive and we have a lot of field data from using it in Europe.”

Article: 13th November 2012 www.telegraph.co.uk

Read more about how DuoFertility can help you have a baby, available to buy at Pride Angel's Shop

The Building Families Show 2013 will be bringing together the world’s leading IVF, fertility and surrogacy specialists together under one roof.

Here, they will showcase the variety of methods and cutting edge technologies to make surrogacy and gamete donation work for you. Each year Building Families will aim to hold two or more exhibitions around the world, one in Europe then branching out to the United States, Asia and Australia.

We will also be holding seminars and workshops throughout each show, with leading industry experts taking pole position providing full and informative talks in their chosen specialist field.

Building Families is dedicated to providing its visitors with the highest quality of companies, experts and agencies to showcase their innovative methods which lead to countless successes.

Building Families is an exhibition for anybody, whether a couple or individual that wishes to start or extend their family. “With 1 in 6 couples seeking help in trying for a child, infertility has become an epidemic of our generation”.

The inaugural exhibition will be held on 6th April 2013, at The Hilton, London Metropole in their largest space, The Monarch Suite. The Building Families Show 2013 has already amassed a great amount of support from many of the clinics, agencies, legal firms and media outlets involved within the industry and the headline sponsors of the show, The British Surrogacy Centre, New England Fertility Institute, California Fertility Partners, Dawson Cornwell and The Reproductive Law Centre are some of the world’s foremost pioneers in their fields.

Our seminar programme for the London show has the highest calibre of speakers from around the world, including Barrie Drewitt-Barlow – The British Surrogacy Centre, Dr Gad Lavy – New England Fertility Institute, Dr Susan Treiser – IVF New Jersey and Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE – Dawson Cornwell. They will all be hosting seminars on chosen topics to cover all aspects from immigration, egg & sperm donation, to IVF and fertility treatments.

Amongst our growing list of exhibitors are Pride Angel, IVF New Jersey, DuoFertility, The Essex Sperm Bank, A City Law Firm and Natalie Gamble Associates, along with our headline sponsors.

Our current media partnerships are with Pride Life magazine, GayTimes and Diva magazines, Pink Parenting and Fertility Road magazines, GayNI magazine, along with Gaydar and Gaydio radio stations.

This opportunity is too big to miss out on. You can register online for FREE admission at www.buildingfamilies.co.uk

Click on FREE ADMISSION to register to get your free tickets today. If you have any questions or queries regarding the show please contact David Farr – Director of Events on +44 (0)1621 878 658, or via email david@redcowevents.com

We look forward to seeing you at what is already being described as the largest show of its kind anywhere in Europe.

Article: 22nd August 2012 www.buildingfamilies.co.uk

America's fertility rate, once the envy of the developed world, has fallen to 1.9, below the "replacement rate" of 2.1 at which a population is said to be stable. That drop, now below France's birth rate, seems to have occurred in conjunction with the recession.

"Conservative Americans like to contrast the vigor and virility of their own country with the decadence and decline of Europe," noted the Economist this week. "Demography is exhibit A in their argument. Mitt Romney, for example, talked about Europe's 'demographic disaster' as he ended his presidential bid in 2008, calling it 'the inevitable product of weakened faith in the Creator, failed families, disrespect for the sanctity of human life and eroded morality.'"

The total fertility rate is a key measure of that so-called virility. But in 2011, America's rate fell below not only replacement level, but also some large European countries, including France and England. The Economist says France's rate is stable, while England's is growing a little.

The decreased rate occurring in lockstep with the faltering economic likely centers on the fact that, absent ample work and bright fiscal prospects, many migrants are choosing to go back to their native countries. Immigrants typically have somewhat larger families. And young couples are putting off starting families, citing economic factors, according to an article in USA Today.

A forecast presented by Demographic Intelligence in July predicted that the birth rate in America will fall to 1.87 this year and 1.86 next year. That's the lowest it has been since 1987, said the Virginia-based company, which provides quarterly birth forecasts to companies that produce products for families, among others.

In a written statement reported earlier in the Deseret News, the demographer group noted that the decline is striking and unexpected, given that the children of baby boomers, a large group referred to as the Echo Boom generation, is of child-bearing age, "which should have led to an increase in the overall number of children born each year. But this baby boomlet has so far failed to materialize because today's young adults are concerned about their current employment status and future economic prospects."

Article: 17th August www.deseretnews.com

Read more about fertility and how to boost your chances of getting pregnant at www.prideangel.com

A new fertility product to help you conceive naturally

How the DuoFertility programme can help you overcome the fertility challenge and take control of an emotional journey.

Lara’s story
Lara heard about DuoFertility from her mum, after she read about it in the paper. ‘DuoFertility was just what I needed. I wanted to be reassured that I was actually ovulating and if possible avoid, or even just identify whether I might need fertility treatment. DuoFertility helped us do this effectively and in the shortest amount of time possible so we didn’t delay.’

DuoFertility kept a close eye on Lara’s cycles and the DuoFertility reports gave her the information she was looking for. ‘It was great to see that I was ovulating every month and this really put my mind at rest, especially because I knew age was a big factor in fertility.’

‘I really liked being able to ring up and speak to someone about my charts too for that extra detail about my cycles. Although I thought I was reading the graphs properly, it was reassuring to talk things through with a fertility advisor to make sure I didn’t come to the wrong conclusions.’ ‘In the end, we didn’t need any treatments because DuoFertility had helped us conceive after only five months into the monitoring programme’

After receiving her kit, Lara quickly found DuoFertility was really simple to use. ‘I do lots of swimming and exercise so at first I was unsure how I would get on with attaching the sensor every day. My bra strap secured the sensor in place and so I felt comfortable wearing it. I soon forgot I was wearing the sensor at all.’

Lara wanted to share her experiences with others to encourage them to consider what DuoFertility can offer. ‘I have talked to colleagues about DuoFertility. They confided in me about their infertility issues after I opened up about my own journey. I knew they could also benefit from the support DuoFertility gave me.’

DuoFertility is an extremely accurate yet simple to use fertility monitoring service. Get the convenience of fertility predictions up to six days in advance of your fertile window, giving you plenty of time to plan ahead.

As well as the fertility predictions, the monitor confirms ovulation actually occurred which is that extra reassurance your cycle is working as it should be. From the comfort of your own home, your plug-in device connects to the DuoFertility Centre via your computer. The team of fertility experts will review any unusual patterns in the menstrual cycle in case there are reasons to follow up on testing or treatment with your doctor – which can help avoid any further delays in conceiving.

The DuoFertility Money back guarantee
Qualifying couples can apply to use DuoFertility on a 12 month programme with the promise of their money back if they don’t manage to conceive naturally

The reassuring element to DuoFertility is that all couples can seek advice from the expert team whenever they have questions. This includes being able to ask the team of advisers whether DuoFertility is suitable in exactly your own situation. Find out if DuoFertility is right for you by using the online tool

Article: 18th August 2012 www.duofertility.com

Buy your Duofertility monitor here