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The COVID-19 pandemic in the US has been severe with nearly 50 million cases and 800,000 deaths since 2020. Among women who are pregnant, there have been 150,000 cases and 248 deaths.
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There are no fertility-related reasons for a vaccine exemption.
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The Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation, the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and EMD Serono, Inc. All Offer Grant Funding
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Common language, interactivity, and greater diagnostic options embedded in this updated classification system set a new standard for cross-discipline diagnoses and patient education.
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Marcelle Cedars, M.D., has become President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) effective October 20, 2021. Dr. Cedars is Professor and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco.
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Concerns about the risks of COVID-19 to pregnant women and their fetuses, lack of family support during labor and worries about job security or finances all contributed to decisions to suspend trying to conceive from March 2020 to April 2021.
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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of healthcare and caused a great deal of psychological stress among patients and temporary barriers to traditional care, leading to questions about the impact of the pandemic on fertility and assisted reproductive treatments. However, the results of three studies presented at ASRM’S 2021 Scientific Sessions show that with proper precautions, outcomes before and during the pandemic remained very similar in several aspects of infertility care – including egg retrieval and IVF cycles.
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More than one-third of 12,300 respondents to a survey said they experienced changes in their menstrual cycle and/or changes in menstrual symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also included a Perceived Stress Scale to assess the impact of stress on the respondents in relation to the changes in menstrual symptoms.
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Women with endometriosis have a 36 percent increased risk of stroke later in life, according to the results of a prospective study presented at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress on Oct, 18, 2021.
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In states with comprehensive insurance mandates, new studies find lower numbers of embryos transferred per procedure and higher rates of live births from IVF.
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The use of telehealth increased significantly across the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a safer way for patients to continue care with their providers. That was also true of fertility clinics. The two abstracts below indicate provider and patient satisfaction with telehealth as a means to continue care.
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Compared to white women, Black and Hispanic women were more likely to have their ectopic pregnancies treated with “open” surgery rather than the laparoscopic (minimally invasive) approach from 2010-2019.
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Historically, Black and Hispanic women have been less likely to receive fertility treatment compared to white women, and it was thought that lower income or a lack of insurance coverage may be the reason. However, results of a study presented at ASRM’s 2021 Scientific Congress indicate that even with private insurance coverage and women living in states that mandate coverage for fertility treatment, disparities exist.
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Jared C. Robins MD, MBA has been named as Executive Director of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine effective January 1, 2022.
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Over 60% of couples were able to have at least one further child without additional medical treatment.
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) today announced its major societal awards for 2021. After an organization-wide nomination process, the awardees were selected by the Executive Committee of the ASRM. Presentation of the awards will take place at the President's Gala on Sunday, October 17th, at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.
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The House of Representatives today took a stand for women’s health, voting to advance the ASRM-endorsed Women’s Health Protection Act ( H.R. 3755, WHPA) to the Senate.
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Washington, DC- Yesterday, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), joined by 24 medical organizations, submitted an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case challenging the Mississippi law imposing a ban on the provision of abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy for most individuals.
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NICHD launched its STrategies to enRich Inclusion and achieVe Equity (STRIVE) Initiative to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of its research and workforce. STRIVE, which complements NIH UNITE, focuses on taking action to improve EDI within NICHD and the scientific community, and expand health disparities research to develop solutions that mitigate inequities.
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On September 1, after a refusal by the United States Supreme Court to intervene, the Texas "Heartbeat Bill"—an effective statewide ban of abortion—went into effect. The law, which endangers the health and well-being of countless people by banning abortions at just six weeks and deputizing private citizens to enforce the ban, has been met with international outcry and faces ongoing Constitutional scrutiny.
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Vaccine hesitancy has emerged as an important obstacle to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) flagship journal, Fertility and Sterility leads off its August 2021 issue on the reproductive health experiences of Black patients and Black physicians. Systemic racism has had an impact, and ripple effect, on patients seeking infertility treatments, as well as reproductive health trainees and professionals.
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Current CDC data suggest only 16.3% of pregnant women included in CDC’s Vaccine Safety Data link have received >1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy.(6) This low rate of vaccination is particularly concerning given the known increased risk of adverse outcomes for women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy.
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Senator Cory Booker and Congresswoman and House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro have re-introduced the Access to Infertility Care and Treatment Act, which requires certain insurers to provide coverage for infertility treatment, including fertility preservation services.
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Reports claiming that COVID-19 vaccines or illness cause female sterility are unfounded. In a recent study published in ASRM’s Fertility & Sterility F&S Reports, Randy Morris, M.D. used frozen embryo transfer as a model for comparing the implantation rates between SARS-CoV-2 vaccine seropositive, infection seropositive, and seronegative women. His study concluded that there was no difference found in serum hCG documented implantation rates or sustained implantation rates among the three groups.
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“Given our long-time operational presence in Birmingham, it is quite an honor to have our Chief Education and Science Officer, Chevis Shannon, Dr.PH and our former Chief Executive Officer, Ricardo Azziz, M.D. recognized by the University of Alabama at Birmingham as business leaders. We wish them well during the virtual ceremony this evening.
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This statement addresses "Sperm parameters before and after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination”, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.
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Today, 550 advocates from all 50 states met with and sent thousands of emails to their Members of Congress and congressional staff as part of ASRM’s and RESOLVE’s 2021 Advocacy Day.
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We remain steadfast in our guidance that to promote safety and protect health, patients and staff should get fully vaccinated, wear masks, and be tested for COVID when necessary. Widespread vaccination will, over time, reduce the need for wearing masks and social distancing.
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Alan Penzias, M.D. will join the ASRM board of directors effective July 1, 2021 as director-at-large. Dr. Penzias is a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Fellowship program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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We are saddened to have learned of the passing of Dr. Paul McDonough on May 8, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. A past president of ASRM (1989-1990) and giant in the field of reproductive medicine, Dr. McDonough leaves a legacy of distinguished work and contributions to the advancement of science.
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For over a year, we have been working to evaluate the latest science around COVID-19 and reproductive health.
As scientists and medical experts conduct and analyze the research, we have refined our recommendations accordingly. As in all our work, we endeavor to help professionals and patients understand the best information available.
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) applauds the decision from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)to continue to allow federally funded researchers to work with tissues and cell lines originally derived from fetal tissue. As we have seen with the development of the COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, the impact of these materials as research tools is broad, and essential.
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Hugh Taylor MD, President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, today announced the resignation of CEO Ricardo Azziz MD, MBA, MPH effective June 30, 2021. Vickie Gamble, ASRM’s long-term Chief Operating Officer, will serve as interim CEO through the remainder of 2021. “We want to thank Dr. Azziz for his skillful leadership during what was certainly one of the most challenging times in our 77-year history”, said Dr. Taylor. “When searching for a CEO in 2019, we did not have “…ability to manage during a global pandemic” in the job description, but that is exactly what Dr. Azziz has had to do.” Dr. Azziz, remarked, “It has been my great honor leading the ASRM, an organization for which I have great respect, during these trying times, all with the goal of making the ASRM a stronger, more sustainable, and more relevant organization.”
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) announced today that embryo transfer simulation produced a 125% increase in physician self-confidence. As part of a two-day education course, fellows practiced more than 20 simulated embryo transfers, better equipping them to be confident and competent in the clinical environment. This finding is published in ASRM’s journal, Fertility and Sterility.
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has named Kurt Barnhart, MD, MSCE as Editor in Chief of its flagship journal Fertility and Sterility. Barnhardt will begin his tenure July 1, 2021.
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The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, the United States’ primary organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is releasing its latest national and clinic-specific ART data, today. The preliminary national data set for 2019 shows 77,256 babies born resulting from 302,998 cycles performed during that year, an increase from the previous year’s number of 74,590 babies born from 279,288 cycles. 361 SART member clinics contributed to the report.
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In the current update, the ASRM Coronavirus/COVID-19 Task Force (the “Task Force”) continues to support both vaccination with currently available vaccines for all individuals, including women who are either pregnant or contemplating conception (see Update #11), and continued strict adherence to its earlier recommended mitigation strategies for disease prevention, including use of social distancing, and rigorous attention to hand washing, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially masking, and quarantines when appropriate (see Update #3). In addition, the Task Force is issuing this update to assist reproductive care specialists in counseling their patients and their communities regarding vaccination, including vaccination in pregnancy, and to provide considerations for relaxing restrictions.
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Sigal Klipstein, MD, Chair of the ASRM Ethics Committee, co-authored an article appearing in the most recent issue of Science. The article entitled, “Human embryo research beyond the primitive streak,” explores the question of whether it is time to rethink the historical prohibition, now 40 years old, of culturing human embryos for research beyond 14 days consecutive or growth, or beyond the development of the primitive streak.
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Even though the decreasing trend in infection rates is encouraging, and 52 million in the U.S. have been vaccinated, CDC guidelines should be strictly followed, and COVID-19 prevention should remain a top priority to reduce the likelihood of the emergence of additional, new SARS-CoV-2 variants. While COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing illness and hospitalization, their effectiveness for prevention of transmission remains unclear. Care centers should continue to maintain usage of masks and double masking, hand washing, avoidance of crowds, and social distancing.
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have had questions about the impact of the virus on their health. Now, as the rollout of the COVID vaccines progresses, patients similarly have questions about whether the vaccine is right for their individual health needs.
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We affirm our continued support of the recommendations of the ASRM COVID Task Force as reported in Update Number 12, dated January 18, 2021: “COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for women who are contemplating pregnancy or who are pregnant in order to minimize risks to themselves and their pregnancy.”
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The Task Force is issuing this update to assist reproductive care specialists in counseling their patients and their communities regarding the long-term effects of having suffered COVID-19, the new variants of SARS-Cov-2 being reported, truths about use of testing and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, when to consider performing surgery after a COVID-19 diagnosis, and information regarding vaccine hesitancy and pandemic-related stress.
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With news of the FDA emergency use authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine, ASRM today released a new statement from its COVID-19 Task Force, and joined with other OB/GYN organizations on a statement.
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The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) newly launched Center for Policy and Leadership has released a groundbreaking new report, targeted to federal policymakers, entitled, Reproductive Health Care: A National Priority that Cannot Wait.
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The American Medical Association (AMA) will present its 2020 Distinguished Service Award to ASRM member, Camran Nezhat, MD, of Palo Alto, CA.
Dr. Nezhat has been called the father of modern-day surgery for inventing and pioneering video surgery, which to this day, continues to replace old techniques of open surgery.
