Seminal Fluid Improves Fertility in Women and Improves IVF Pregnancy Rates

Posted on October 26, 2017August 25, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Seminal fluid is often viewed as simply a vehicle to carry sperm to fertilize the female egg, but a more complex function in influencing female reproductive physiology is now evident.

Remarkably, seminal fluid contains special signaling agents that interact with the female reproductive tract to prime the immune response, with consequences for fertility and pregnancy outcome. This research isn’t new and we have spoken about this in previous posts.

But we now know a bit more about how sperm may assist in implantation for, especially for IVF.

See my other post https://drandreworr.com.au/sex-around-the-time-of-embryo-transfer-increases-the-likelihood-of-successful-early-embryo-implantation-and-development/

Recent studies demonstrate a key role for seminal fluid in enabling embryo implantation and optimal placental development. In particular, seminal fluid promotes health immune responses which facilitate embryo implantation by suppressing inflammation, assisting uterine circulation and blood supply and also protecting the embryo.

There is emerging evidence where seminal fluid provokes an adaptive immune response in the cervical tissues after contact at intercourse, and spermatozoa accessing the higher tract potentially affect the endometrium directly. Research has now shown that sperm and seminal fluid actually help with endometrial receptivity, which is needed to create the right environment for a healthy embryo to implant.

These biological responses may have clinical significance, explaining why

[1] intercourse in IVF ET cycles improves the likelihood of pregnancy

[2] inflammatory disorders of gestation are more common in women who conceive after limited exposure to seminal fluid of the prospective father

[3] preeclampsia incidence is elevated after use of donor oocytes or donor sperm where prior contact with conceptusalloantigens has not occurred.

Research like this is important to define the mechanisms through which seminal fluid interacts with female reproductive tissues, to provide knowledge that may assist in preconception planning and infertility treatment.

It also bring attention to the fact that couples still need to be engaging in regular intercourse during IVF cycles to help not only with implantation, but to increase pregnancy rates through optimisation on the endometrial lining through contact with seminal fluid.

Regular intercourse also promotes connection and bonding for the couple as well and this is something that is very much overlooked.

My clinic offers a comprehensive Fertility Program where couples are educated on important factors such as this… and more

If you would like to find out how you could improve your chances of having a baby, please give my clinic a call and ask about my fertility program that has assisted over 12,500 babies (and counting) into the world may be able to assist you as well.

For more information on my fertility program, see also https://drandreworr.com.au/fertility/fertility-program/

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert

-The International Fertility Experts

Facts About Sperm Health and Their Lifespan

Posted on October 25, 2017August 25, 2019 by Andrew Orr

There is a lot of misinformation with regards to facts about sperm health and their lifespan.

Typically, millions of sperm cells are produced in the testicles every day. During this time, many things can affect their formation and interfere with their quality and maturity.

It takes around 90-120 days for a sperm to become motile

From a tiny sperm cell it can take between 90-120 days before a sperm is fully mature. The sperm eventually develops a head and tail, so that its cells start to resemble the shape of a tadpole.

The head contains all of the DNA, or genetic material, and the sperm uses the tail to help it move. A sperm doesn’t reach full motility until it actually reaches the egg, where when touching the egg it creates a reactions that causes “super motility” to give it the final power to push inside the egg. This is called the acrosome reaction.

There has been lots of debate about the actual time it takes for a sperm to mature and become fully motile, but general consensus is that it will take somewhere between 90-120 days.

This is why it is important that men look after their health long prior to conception, because the sperm they ejaculate today was created around 90-120 days ago and what they did to their bodies at that time, will influence how healthy those sperm are.

A man’s lifestyle affects his sperm quality

So if a man had a poor diet, was drinking, smoking, had heaps of stress and goodness knows what, this can all have an impact of the maturing sperm and this can result in poor sperm quality and damage to the DNA of the sperm, which will then be carried onto his offspring, should the sperm be successful in fertilising an egg. This is why the couple need to be healthy prior to conception, not just the female.

Biology 101 tells us it take a sperm and an egg to make a baby, not just an egg. Sperm quality issues make up a big part of fertility issues and they can also be a big part of miscarriage issues too. I have spoken about this many times in previous posts. Up to 85% of miscarriage issues can be related to chromosomal and DNA factors related to poor quality sperm and this is often very much overlooked.

What factors impact on sperm health?

There are always many factors that can affect the sperm formation process and interfere with sperm quality and the DNA of the sperm.

Health and lifestyle factors

Recreations drugs, medications or alcohol use
job, or occupation
tobacco use, or smoking in general (including recreational drugs)
stress
overheating the testicles (spas, saunas, bike riding)
excess weight gain and excess body fat
Trauma
Bike riding (due to heat and trauma through the seat of the bike)
Poor diet and nutrition
Excess sugars and additives
Preservatives and artificial colours and artificial sweeteners

Environmental causes

exposure to industrial chemicals
heavy metals
radiation or X-rays

Medical reasons

infection of the testicles
cancer of the testicles
swelling of the veins (varicoceles etc) that drain blood from the testicle
hormone imbalances
physical problems in the tubes that carry sperm through the reproductive system
chromosomal or genetic disorders (such as Kleinfelters syndrome)
certain medications
surgery involving the pelvis, abdomen, or reproductive organs

How long do sperm live inside the female body?

There is always a huge misperception about how long sperm can survive outside the man’s body and when they enter into the female reproductive tract. Many women are told all manner of untruths of sperm lasting for weeks at a time. The truth is that sperm cannot survive for long once they are released.

Precisely how long they can survive depends on the environment that they are released into and how quickly the fluid surrounding the sperm cells dries up.

Sperm lifespan inside the female body

After ejaculation, sperm may be able live inside the female body for several days, but that is dependent on many varying factors once they enter a woman’s body. To be honest, most of the 300-500 million sperm are dead with an hour. That is a fact.

The fluid in a woman’s reproductive tract, especially the fallopian tubes, has all of the nutrients that sperm need for their survival during that time. But while the woman’s body can help sperm on their way to meet the egg, it can also hinder it their survival as well.

An egg has 24 hours to be fertilised, otherwise it dies

But even so, sperm really only have about 24 hours to fertilise an egg once it is released. After 24 hours, if the egg isn’t fertilised it will die, so really, it doesn’t matter how long the sperm can survive for if the egg has already died.

Poor sperm have to contend with many things when they enter a woman’s body. A woman’s vagina is coated in acids, to protect her from infections and bacteria, but it is also lethal to sperm. This is why within minutes and hours, most of the 300-500 million sperm that set off in search of the egg will be dead. Only a few million will survive to swim through cervix.

Climax helps with getting sperm into the uterus

A woman’s body can help to get the sperm going up into to the cervix though. Through climax (orgasm) contractions are created that can help pull sperm up and into the uterus. Through these contractions the cervix is dipped time and time again into a pool of waiting sperm and this then helps carry the sperm up into the second stage of their journey through the uterus and then up into the tubes.

Only a small number is sperm survive the journey

Once inside the female reproductive tract, the sperm cells must swim through the cervix and into the uterus to reach the fallopian tubes and then on to find the female egg. It is a very long journey for sperm to make and very few survive. Many get lost inside the uterus and some are attacked by the woman’s immune system along the way. By the time the survivors make it to the fallopian tubes to have a rest, there will only be less than 20 or more left to make the final journey.

After the sperm have a rest in the tubes and actually feed off some of the nutrients in the tubes many more will die, or be lost inside the tubes and by the time the final sperm reach the egg, there will be less than 10 single sperm left. Only one may then go on to fertilise the egg and an embryo is then started to be created.

All men should have there sperm quality tested

This is why all men need to have their sperm quality checked by a proper andrology lab and some men will need further testing of the DNA (DNA fragmentation analysis) and further genetic testing if the semen results are poor.

This should all be done prior to trying to conceive, as 50% of fertility issues are related to men. If a man has any of these risk factors, he should try to change them at least 3-4 months before trying to conceive, since that is how long it takes for sperm to fully mature. Some men may need longer than this, depending on what is causing their sperm to be of poor quality.

I will discuss some more myths and facts around sperm and what the most important parameters are to look at with sperm, in some later posts.

Regards

Dr Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The International Fertility Experts

Period Pain “Is Not” Normal and Doctors in Australia and The Rest of The World Need to Start Listening

Posted on September 9, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Millions of women around the world are told that period pain is normal and then go on to endure years of suffering and even infertility because it. Some women have endured so much pain and been “missed” and “dismissed” by so many healthcare professionals so many times that they have taken their own life because of it. It just should not happen and it needs to stop.

One of the major causes of period pain is Endometriosis, or its sister disease Adenomyosis. This crippling disease can cause period pain, pelvic pain, joint pain, pain with bowel movement, irritable bowel syndrome, pain with ovulation, swollen painful belly (known as endo belly), chronic fatigue, anaemia, heavy painful menstrual flow and can lead to infertility. Some women will quite literally not even be able to work due to debilitating symptoms of this disease.

It is estimated to affect 176 million worldwide and affect one in ten women, but that is only the ones diagnosed, so those figures are grossly understated. The facts around the disease are also grossly understated and poorly understood by many and why so many women are “missed” and “dismissed” by all the so called healthcare professionals they have seen.

The other issue for a significant portion of women with the disease, is that they are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms) and do not even know that have it. Many of them may never be diagnosed unless they are having problems falling pregnant, and even then many of them are not investigated properly to see if endometriosis is the cause of their long-term struggle to have a baby. It really is disgusting on so many levels. There is no other way to put it.

Of those one in ten women actually diagnosed many of them have taken up to ten years, or more, to be diagnosed and have their disease “missed” and been “dismissed” by multiple healthcare professional during their debilitating journey to find an answer for their sufferings. It is a nightmare of epic proportion for women world wide and the nightmare needs to end and healthcare professionals and everyone else needs to become educated and start listening to women and getting the message out there that “Period Pain IS NOT normal”.

So many women worldwide are suffering from period pain, pelvic pain, pain during sex, or infertility and endometriosis is the first thing that needs to be ruled out.

Young women in particular have trouble convincing people they are having more than just bad period pain. So many young women (and older ones) are told just to “Suck it Up”, or “Deal with it”. Many mothers will even tell their daughters “This is just normal”, or “This is just what happens”, or “I have to put up with this, so you need to as well”, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Teenagers are not too young to have the disease and have it diagnosed and investigated either.

Early intervention, diagnosis and management is crucial when it comes to endometriosis. The longer the disease is left, the harder it is to treat and manage, and left untreated can cause a woman years of debilitation and misery in every aspect of her life, years of surgery, years of pain killers and opiates, even after the best medical treatment.

Healthcare providers and women around the world need to know that the longer it takes to diagnose, the longer the disease is there and the more damage it can do inside the body. Some women will have their lives crippled by not having early intervention. Some women have got to the point that they can no longer put up with the disease and being dismissed and have either attempted taking their own life, or have succeeded in doing so. It is just so wrong that women get to this point.

The other issue that women face, once they are diagnosed, is that many of them end up seeing the wrong specialist to do their surgery. While most gynaecologists can do investigative surgery, many of them are ill-equipped to surgically remove the disease and actually do not specialise in the disease, or the excision of the disease properly. Many women are under managed surgically, which then leads to further complications and the need for multiple surgeries later on.

So many women have not seen the right specialist, who has not investigated and managed the disease properly and then left women to deal with the consequences of this inadequacy in their scope of practice.

Women and healthcare providers need to be educated that women who potentially have endometriosis, or have a high likelihood of the disease, need to see an Advanced Trained Laparoscopic Surgeon, who has had extra specialised training in the excision of the disease and who has had extra specialised training in the management and treatment of the disease as well.

Just because someone is a gynaecologist, or specialist, does not mean they are a specialist in the disease. This is also a huge misunderstanding when women require diagnosis and management of the disease and why so many are still left with crippling pain and symptoms, even after medical intervention. Quite simply, they have just seen the wrong person for the job and this also needs to be addressed in education and training around this disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England has released the first ever guidance on managing this horrible disease that affects millions of women worldwide. They are hoping it will not only help GP’s and healthcare providers in the UK, but also GP’s and healthcare providers here and around the rest of the world too.

NICE is calling for GP’s in Australia and the rest of the world to stop overlooking symptoms of this disease, such as bad period pain, so that women are not “missed” and “dismissed” for up to a decade or more. NICE are asking for endometriosis to be taken more seriously than it presently is and while that is starting happen here in Australia and the rest of the world, the changes have still been too slow. It really is just not good enough given that so many women are suffering from this debilitating disease worldwide. The Australian government is listening, and much has been achieved, but the action plan has been slow to implement and there needs to be more done. Other countries need to follow suit too.

One of my motto’s is that “Period Pain IS NOT Normal” and I will continue to say this forever and a day and it is great to see national health care bodies like NICE actually backing that up and trying to get healthcare providers to do the same. While others are slow on the uptake, I will never stop in my quest to get women the help they need for this disease and will do my best to stop women being “missed” and “dismissed” and get them the help, care and attention they need and hopefully be a part of one day bringing an end to this debilitating disease.

Let’s hope governments and all healthcare providers finally start listening to the facts about endometriosis too. Let’s end the silence and get this information out there to everyone.

If you do want to find out more about the facts about period pain and this disease, you can visit my webpage, or you can also visit Endometriosis Australia at www.endometriosisaustralia.org.

I have a special interest in the treatment and management of this disease and spend countless hours researching and presenting education to both practitioners and public alike. I also see the consequences of this disease in my practice daily and have been assisting women with endometriosis for many years. I want every woman on the planet to know that Period IS NOT Normal and that there is help out there too.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-“No Stone Left Unturned”

-“Period Pain IS NOT Normal”

-The Endometriosis Experts

Women with PCOS Have Four Times Higher Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

Posted on August 31, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

One of the hardest things I find that is hard to get through to women with PCOS, is their risk factors for type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and their increased risk of cardiovascular disease. They just aren’t being educated about it either.

It has long been known that the major driving factor behind PCOS is insulin resistance and this also increases the risk factor of developing diabetes for those with this endocrine/reproductive disorder.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine/reproductive disorder that affects millions of women of reproductive age worldwide, and a new study has shown that it also put these women at a significant risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

PCOS is also the leading cause of female infertility and many women with this condition are often misdiagnosed, or do not know that they have it. PCOS is also a risk factor for miscarriage too. Please see my other posts about signs and symptoms of PCOS. (Click Here)

All women with PCOS will have insulin resistance, either hereditary insulin resistance, or purely caused by diet and lifestyle choices. Insulin resistance is a condition wherein the muscles, fat, and liver do not respond properly to the hormone, so the body keeps producing more of it.

Excessive insulin production is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. This is why it is so important for women with PCOS to follow a modified low GI/low inflammatory/ style diet and that the number one treatment for assisting PCOS (as recommended by the World Health Organisation) will always be diet and lifestyle changes.

Young women with PCOS at risk

This new study investigated 54,680 women in total and found that younger women with PCOS are now more at risk of developing diabetes than older women with the disease. The study found that the risk factor for developing diabetes is four times greater for younger women. This is probably due to poor diet and lifestyle choices that many young women are choosing these days.

The increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes is an important finding and this is something that women with this disease should know, especially those who are obese and have PCOS as well. But it is important for women that are of normal weight, or even underweight to know that they are also at an increased risk as well. Just because you are underweight, or of normal weight, doesn’t mean you cannot have PCOS, or be at risk of diabetes.

This new research was carried out by Denmark-based scientists and the findings were published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

If you do need help with managing PCOS and dietary and lifestyle changes, then please call my friendly staff and book in for a consultation with me.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Crusader

-“No Stone Left Unturned”

-The Women’s Health Experts

What is Implantation Bleeding?

Posted on August 3, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Implantation bleeding: Causes and symptoms

Implantation bleeding occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of a woman’s uterus to start the growth process of pregnancy. Some women’s lining can be more affected and be more prone to bleeding during a pregnancy. It is a normal occurrence in pregnant women, yet many women are completely unaware of what it is. Obviously it can be a bit worrying for anyone when they are bleeding during a pregnancy and I will discuss this later.

Some women may confuse the bleeding with spotting from menstruation, as the two can appear similar. What women also need to know is that getting a menstrual cycle, or the appearance of what looks like a menstrual bleed, does not mean you aren’t pregnant. You can have a bleed and still be pregnant.

Usually when it is implantation bleeding. The bleeding is very light and will usually require no medical attention. In some cases, however, implantation bleeding may require a visit to your specialist, midwife, or healthcare provider

What is implantation bleeding?

Implantation bleeding can just before the expected menstrual cycle, or around the early stages of pregnancy. It can also happen again when the embryos is growing and impacting on the lining of the uterus. Again this is a normal part of pregnancy for many women. Some women may not get any bleeding, or signs of implantation either.

The process of implantation starts shortly are fertilization. Once a sperm has fertilized an egg, it is called an embryo. The embryo travels through the fallopian tube towards the uterus. During this time, the embryo multiplies, becoming a blastocyst, which usually takes about 5-6 days to reach this stage.

About 1-2 days after an embryo reaches blastocyst stage, it will then attach itself in the wall of the uterus and this is called implantation. During this implantation stage, the embryo can cause disruption the uterine wall and this then cause what we know as implantation bleeding.

As the embryo and growing foetus grows even bigger, it can then cause further bleeding later on in the first trimester as well. While this is considered normal, it can cause distress for women and any bleeding should be checked by your healthcare provider.

Signs and symptoms

Implantation bleeding is one of the earliest easily identifiable signs of pregnancy. It is also a normal part of pregnancy and all women should be aware of this. As explained before, women can still have a normal menstrual bleed and still be pregnant. It is usually a lighter bleed, but some women can actually have quite heavy bleeds and still maintain a pregnancy. About 1 in 4 women actually have a bleed during their pregnancy.

Despite all that, there are some distinct signs and symptoms to help women identify implantation bleeding:

Early bleeding: Implantation bleeding will often occur a few days before the expected menstruation cycle. This is not always the case, however, and many women confuse the two. As discussed, it is not uncommon for women to actually get their normal menstrual bleed and still be pregnant. Never think that just because you get a period, that you cannot be pregnant.
Unusual coloured bleeding, or discharge: Implantation bleeding produces an unusual discharge that varies in colour from pinkish to very dark brown or black.
Very light bleeding: Bleeding and discharge caused by implantation will usually not last no more than about 24 hours. It can last a bit longer for some women though. Many women experience just a few hours of spotting or one spot or streak of discharge. Obviously any bleeding should still be checked by your healthcare provider.
Cramping: Implantation can also cause mild and temporary cramps. Some women who are doing IVF may also be on progesterone gels that can also cause bleeding and cramping too. Cramping and bleeding does not always mean a miscarriage. If you do experience this and are worried, please always consult with your healthcare provider.

Other signs

As implantation is an early sign of pregnancy, a woman may also experience other pregnancy-related symptoms. Early signs of pregnancy can vary from woman to woman and may include:

Mood swings
Fatigue and tiredness
Dizziness
Headaches and Migraine’s
Tender, swollen breasts
Nausea and vomiting
Changes to the bowels (constipation, or loose bowels)
Heightened sense of smell
Food cravings and aversions
Increased body temperature

Treating implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding is a normal sign of pregnancy and is not usually dangerous. Because of this, there is no need for treatment. As I have stated before, if you are unsure, you should always consult with your healthcare provider.

Bleeding caused by implantation usually clears up within a couple of days with no treatment necessary. Abnormally heavy bleeding may be a sign of menstruation or a pregnancy complication.

As I have previously shared, some women who are doing IVF, may be on progesterone gels and other medications, which may also cause some bleeding and cramping.

Some women with signs of abnormal bleeding may need the same medications to help with hormonal levels. Some bleeding could be a sign of something more serious so please consult your healthcare provider.

If you are experiencing heavy bleeding along with pain, please present to your nearest emergency centre as this may be signs of a miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy.

Complications of implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding is not usually a cause for concern most of the time. It is just a sign of embryo implanting into the lining of the uterus.

Women who are still uncertain about whether they have experienced implantation bleeding should consult their healthcare provider and take a blood test to see if they are pregnant, or not.

Please do not rely on home pregnancy tests as these can be inaccurate in the early stages of pregnancy. The most accurate way to determine pregnancy is to do a blood test. This is very important for women undergoing IVF treatment too.

Too often women will do a home pregnancy test and think they are not pregnant, when in fact they are. The issue is that the home pregnancy tests won’t pick up pregnancy hormone in the urine if it is too early. This can cause a woman much distress at the time and then when she finds out later on through the blood test, that she is actually pregnant. Please never rely on urine based home pregnancy tests.

Please note that if you experiencing heavy bleeding during any stage of pregnancy that this can be a sign of a complication and women should seek medical attention.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Crusader

“No Stone Left Unturned”

-The International Fertility Experts

The Facts About Period Pain & Endometriosis- “What Women Need To Know”

Posted on July 25, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Every day I hear stories about women being told their symptoms are normal, or they have been missed and dismissed for many years. Some of the things I hear women get told gets me angry sometimes.

Many of you have also been told utter BS (bullshit… sorry for swearing) and it just gets me so upset to hear this BS continues in both the public arena, closed groups and by other healthcare professionals. When are women going to get the support they need and get the health system to start listening?

When I have to talk to men about this topic, usually partners of women who have endometriosis, or who suffer bad period pain and other symptoms, I explain it like this. I explaint that if guys had pain in their testicles daily and couldn’t walk, were curled up on the bedroom floor, had vomiting from the pain, had to ingest copious amounts of pain killers etc to just function, then governments would rewrite the health system, laws would be made, research would be done and those testicles would endure pain no longer. Well.. that is what I think anyway.

The biggest problem for women is that many of you believe that period pain is normal, because that is what you have been led to believe. Then some healthcare professionals reinforce it and you are basically made out to be neurotic when you try and tell anyone that you can’t handle it any longer.

Suck it up they say. Take some painkillers they say. Have a baby they say. Take the pill they say. There are so many BS things said to you all and all of them are wrong. There are so many other things wrong with everything from support groups sprouting misinformation, GP’s telling people misinformation, specialists telling people misinformation and people now relying on “Dr Google” as the gospel for their healthcare diagnosis. This is where the problem all starts and in many ways ends.

So how do we fix this?

Well, education is the first step. This is not just to the public, but to healthcare professionals as well. We also need to start educating women at a young age that “Period Pain IS NOT normal” and neither are other menstrual irregularities that could be the signs of other gynaecological conditions.

Early intervention and treatments and management it always going to be the key to any disease state. Thousands of years ago in China, the Yellow Emperor had a classic saying “To treat a disease once it has already started and been expressed in to the body is like trying to forge arms once a war has already started, or trying to dig a well once one if already thirsty”.

Trying to treat any disease once it has been expressed is hard work and for some diseases, nearly impossible. Prevention is the key and like any disease, we need to find ways of preventing endometriosis too. But if the disease is expressed, we need proper education to know the signs, know the symptoms and get early intervention and treatments and management as soon as possible.

Endometriosis can be managed, just like any other disease. I have asthma and I am symptom free because I manage it properly and have the training and education and proper treatments to manage it. I still have the disease, but I have learnt to manage it and be symptom free most of the time. Doesn’t mean I don’t get the odd flare though.

The same can be for endometriosis if you see the right people and get the right treatment and health management. Let’s be real about this, even with the best management, sometimes you will still just have a bad day, or a few bad days, despite what you do. This is the reality of living in chronic disease state.

Finding the right people to listen and to do the right investigations and management can be hard and we also need people to listen and do the treatment too. We do need people to take some ownership in their health too. I mean this is a caring way when I say this.

Having had a debilitating and life threatening disease I know how hard it can be just to function, both physically and emotionally. I also know hard it was for me to find the right people to help me too. So I get it. But we still need to talk about this and be honest about ownership too.

Please don’t buy into the diagnosis and the label if you know what I mean. Doing that can eat you up, make you angry/mad and then makes things worse. I know because I have been there. I now teach people to rise up, ditch the label and be the best they can be daily. But, it can be hard work, as many of you know. I get it.

So, lets start with looking at the facts around Endometriosis first and in the next lots of posts I’ll talk about the management and treatments to get women their lives back

The Facts about Endometriosis

1. Period Pain IS NOT Normal- You are not meant to get period pain. Some slight heaviness, or mild discomfort maybe, but pain you should not get at all. Pain is not normal and we need to stop saying it is.

2. A significant portion of women with Endometriosis are asymptomatic– A significant portion of women DO NOT get pain, or any symptoms at all. Just because you do not have pain, does not mean you do not have endometriosis.

3. Symptoms DO NOT correlate to the extent of the disease– As mentioned previously, some women with relatively small amounts of endometriosis will have significant pain, have lots of symptoms, while some women who are riddled with it may have no symptoms at all. This is why i do not like the staging system (1-4) because it really does not accurately describe a women’s symptoms, or have it correlate to the extent of the disease.

4. The only way to diagnose Endometriosis definitely is via surgical intervention– Scans, blood tests etc do not diagnose endometriosis. You cannot have a scan to diagnose endometriosis and you cannot have a blood test to diagnose endometriosis.

The definitive diagnose IS and ALWAYS WILL BE via a laparoscopy/laparotomy, along with a biopsy and tissue taken to examine. A laparoscopy is the goal standard investigation of examining the pelvis and for investigating gynaecological disorders such as endometriosis.

The laparoscopy also need to be done by what we call an Advanced Trained Laparoscopic Surgeon, who has extra years of surgical training, and who specialises in this disease and specialises in the excision of endometriosis. It can’t just be done by a regular gynaecologist and this is where many go wrong. They just haven’t seen the right surgeon first up who has the proper skills to deal with it effectively. Many women have been under-serviced surgically previously and this is a big issue. It just means that they may get some relief, but it will not be long lasting.

The first surgery should always be your best surgery and early intervention and management of this disease is crucial. The longer it is there, the worse it can become. But, please know that surgery does not cure endometriosis. It is just the first stage in the management of the disease and endometriosis needs ongoing care and a multimodality approach to treat if effectively. It needs a team to manage it properly.

5. There is NO cure for Endometriosis– At present there is no cure for endometriosis. Just as I mention my asthma before and it having no cure, the same applies to endometriosis. Once it is expressed into the body, it will always be there. Even if someone becomes asymptomatic, the disease it still there. But while there is no cure, the disease can be managed and women can become asymptomatic with the right help, right treatments and right management. I see this is practice daily.

6. Having a baby will not cure endometriosis– Many women are told to go away and fall pregnant and have a baby as this will fix their period pain and cure their endometriosis. This is a load of rubbish. Having a baby will not cure endometriosis. It may stop you having period pain for 9-10 months because you won’t be getting your menses, but you can still get other symptomatic pains and referral pains etc. Pregnancy does not fix endometriosis. The reason why women are told to go and have a family as soon as possible is because endometriosis can make it harder to fall pregnant, for some people.

7. Endometriosis may cause Infertility– While it may make it hard to fall pregnant for some women, other women with it may have no trouble falling at all. But women do need to be educated that it could affect your fertility and one of the major reasons women end up seeking help for fertility services.

8. Endometriosis is Estrogen Driven, Not caused by Estrogen dominance– Estrogens do drive endometriosis. This could be from oestrogen’s in our diet, in our environment, from hormones, drugs, plastics, abdominal fats, body fats and any small amounts of circulating oestrogen’s. Estrogens do not have to be in excess, or be dominant to drive endometriosis.

9. The Pill, or Contraceptives DO NOT fix endometriosis– While the pill and contraceptives can help with hormonal regulate and in some cases even stop the period, they do not fix endometriosis. In many cases the Combined pill can actually make it worse because of the oestrogen’s in it. Plus it then masks the symptoms of endometriosis and then when a woman comes off it, the endo is still there and for some women it could lead to them being infertile. The pill masks endometriosis and many other gynaecological issues. It does not fix them

10. You can have Endometriosis at a Young, or Older Age– Endometriosis does not discriminate age. Young girls can have it and older ladies can have it also. It can present at almost any age once the menses has started and can continue even when the menses has stopped. The symptoms may get less with menopause though.

11. Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis– Hysterectomy does not fix endometriosis because many times endometriosis is not in, or on, the uterus and it can present anywhere in the body. It has been found in the joints, in the brain, around the heart, on the retina of the eyes, around the bowel and in nearly every part of the body. So removing the uterus does not cure endometriosis in many cases.

12. Endometriosis requires a multi modality approach– Like many diseases we all face, there is never one particular miracle cure, or miracle treatment for endometriosis. It requires a multi modality approach to manage it properly. This is how you diagnose, treat and manage endometriosis properly

13. Endometriosis IS NOT an autoimmune disease– Endometriosis is not an autoimmune disease. It is an autoimmune like disease because it is made worse by inflammation in the body, but it cannot be classed as an autoimmune disease.

14. There Are Hereditary and Genetic links– While we do not know the exact cause of endometeriosis, we do know that it does run in families and it there is genetic and hereditary links.

15. Endometriosis can cause many other issues in the body– Like any inflammatory disease, endometriosis can cause issues with moods, interfere with hormones, disturb sleep, cause fatigue, cause depression, exacerbate mood disorders, cause muscular pain, cause skeletal pain, have pain refer down your legs, make your joints ache, cause bowel movements to be difficult, cause loose bowels and IBS like symptoms, cause UTI like symptoms, cause bladder pain, nocturnal urination, pain with sex, pain and bleeding with exercise, ovulation pain and so many other symptoms not mentioned.

It can cause many issues both physically and emotionally and people need to be aware of this. Some women are at the point of suicide and recently we have seen women take their lives, because they just have not been listened to and it has all become too much.

There is probably a few more things I need to add in here. Please feel free to add comments to add in more. But, this is a start and hopefully people can learn from this and we can start educating people on the facts around this horrible disease. Please know there is always help.

Please know the disease can be managed with the right people on board helping you. Please know there are some really good support groups out there too.

Please know there are some amazing women ( and some men) out there trying to be your voice and get people to listen. Hopefully one day we will get a cure and women will get the treatment and management of this disease that they so desperately deserve. Sorry for the long post. But we need to get this out there.

Take care amazing people. Keep your chins up and know that there are people who will listen too.

If you would like to book in a consultation with me, please call my friendly staff, or using the automated emails system on the website.

Let me hold your hand and care for you and assist you in every step of the way to better health and a better way to live daily.

Regards
Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-Period Pain is not normal

Why Sperm Is The 51st Shade of Grey

Posted on June 25, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Sperm is something that is very little talked about and why sperm is the 51st shade of grey. Men always think they are born with super sperm, when in fact it is the complete opposite now. Many fertility clinics are letting men use substandard sperm and are not holding men accountable for their sperm health. No wonder so many couples are failing to fail pregnant.

Over the years I have put up some serious posts about sperm and sperm quality and the importance of maintaining sperm health. While my post are intended for people trying to actually have a baby, but many of those not trying for babies loved the posts as well.

It is still good to promote healthy sperm production and reproductive function, even if you aren’t trying to have a baby. Healthy lifestyle promotes health bodies, which then helps promote healthy sexual and reproductive function.

In many of my posts about sperm, I also talk about the importance of regular ejaculation to help with better quality sperm and also healthy reproductive function. These posts always raise a few eye bows, and caused a few giggles, or “There you go dear, I told you we need to have sex more often”.

However, I did see that there were some major misperceptions around the topic of sperm. So, I thought I’d better educate you all on the finer details of sperm

Biology 101 tell us that it takes a sperm and an egg, not just an egg (as many people seem to forget), to make a baby. The trouble is, over 50% of fertility issues are related to poor quality sperm and up to 85% of miscarriage issue are related to men’s defective swimmers. So what do guys do when they hear this?

Well, they bury their heads in the sand and say “My boys are fine, I just know they are” and guzzle some more alcohol, that has their swimmers having two heads, two tails and swimming around like a drunk man in a pool. Guys are shockers when it comes to keeping their sperm healthy and why I will always be in business for fertility services.

But besides the downside of men and sperm, there are some good points to sperm, but most of the time Dr Google has you all believing things that just aren’t true at all.

So lets look at the facts about Sperm.

Sperm can help fight depression in women– Research has shown that have oral sex, or unprotected sex (not that I advocate this unless in a healthy relationship), have less depression, have healthier moods and have healthy immune systems and are happier in general. Sperm helps increase oxytocin, prostaglandins and seretonin in women according the The State University of New York study.
Sperm can make you more fertile – Semen isn’t just vehicle for carrying sperm – it also plays a crucial role in triggering ovulation, according to a new study.Scientists have discovered the protein in the sexual fluid acts as a hormonal signal on the female brain.This triggers the release of other hormones that signal the ovaries to release an egg.
Sperm can help Embryo Implantation– Studies have shown that sperm actually assist in embryo implantation via several chemicals and hormones. Yet many people are told refrain for having sex after IVF. I can tell you that you need to have more sex and not listen to the BS and listen to the research that proves otherwise.
Storing up sperm does not make it better– Research has shown that regular ejaculation improves sperm quality and the resulting transport of seminal fluids. (as was told to you in previous posts). Storing it up, does not make it better, it makes it worse. Regular ejaculation also helps the prostate.
Sperm do not last for days– On ejaculation into a woman, most of the 300-500 million sperm that set off are dead within an hour and only about 5-10 single sperm actually survive the journey to the tubes, where many more half of those die off once more. Sperm are killed by acids,killed by the woman’s immune system, die in the uterus, get lost in the uterus, die on the tubes and so on. Only the fittest survive the race to pregnancy. (The human body series BBC)
You can cook with it– Yep, there are cooking books that use semen to cook recipes with. (Natural Harvest – A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes). Where semen is described as “Semen is not only nutritious, but it also has a wonderful texture and amazing cooking properties. Like fine wine and cheeses, the taste of semen is complex and dynamic” Well there you go, crack open the bottle of grange now.
Sperm is good for your skin– Sperm contains minerals such and zinc, vitamin C, prostaglandins, collagen, vitamins, amino acids and many other health things to help with skin. Bioforskning, a Norwegian company, has synthesized the compounds into a facial cream. According to Bioforskning, the cream Spermine is 30 times more effective than vitamin E and can delay the aging process by 20 percent. However, nature’s most natural facial cream can cost you a whopping $250. I’d like to see them try to market that at Myer 🙂
The first sperm under a microscope– Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the person to view sperm under a microscope. It’s a bright day in 1677, in the city of Delft, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is making love to his wife. But moments after he shudders with orgasm, he hurries out of bed to grab his microscope. After all, he’s not just spending time with his wife: he’s running an important scientific experiment at the request of the Royal Society in London. Sounds like nothing much has changed for some men. Now some are just rushing to watch the footy.

Well, there you go. 8 things Wikipedia can’t tell you about sperm. The good, the bad and the down right outrageous. You heard it hear first. The doc provides you news that other people are to scared to report. I hope all of you have a great up and coming week. Pardon the pun. Life is too short to be serious, about a serious topic.

References

1.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2190863/Semen-good-womens-health-helps-fight-depression.html

2.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2191495/Does-having-sex-make-women-fertile-Semen-trigger-ovulation-mammals.html

3.http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/12/2653.short?rss=1&ssource=mfr

4 & 5. World Health Organization. WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm – Cervical Mucus Interaction (4th Edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (1999)

6. Human Body Series (BBC) – Conception

7.http://cookingwithcum.com

8. http://www.medicaldaily.com/extraordinary-things-you-can-do-sperm-242190

9.http://rstl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/9/101-111/121.full.pdf+html

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The International Fertility Experts

Male Exposure to Chemicals, Alcohol, Diet and Drugs, linked to Longer Time to Conceive

Posted on June 25, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

I was going to add some further information to the last post of how males need to be held more accountable in the fertility journey and look after their health better, but I found some research that explained some more about this subject.

There is so much more research on how a man’s diet and lifestyle and exposure to chemicals, does affect his ability to conceive and also what he passes onto his future offspring. Often issues in a man, are actually a bigger factor in not falling pregnant, yet most of the time, women are the ones under the microscope. It really just does not make sense.

It’s well known that what a woman eats, drinks, breathes and puts on her body while she’s pregnant or nursing can all affect her reproductive system and the health of her baby. But there is plenty of research to show that a man’s exposure to harmful chemicals plays an important role, too.

Research has found that the concentration of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, alcohol, drugs and phthalates in a man’s body had more effect on how long it took a couple to conceive than the concentrations of those chemicals in the woman.

In this study, researchers looked at data from the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) Study at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The study explored the relationship between environmental chemicals and fertility by following 501 couples for up to a year while they tried to conceive, tracking such factors as time-to-pregnancy, miscarriages, infertility, birth size and more.

The research published in the April edition of the journal Andrology, measured the amounts of certain chemicals in the urine and blood samples of both partners. Male exposures were associated with as much as 30 percent reduction in “couple fecundity,” as measured by the amount of time it took them to conceive.

Reference: – http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/andr.12171/abstract
Things such as alcohol exposure, heavy metal exposure, cigarette smoking, recreational drug use, endocrine disruptors and dietary exposures cannot be measured in a semen analysis.

To be honest, a semen analysis is just a brief overview of what is going on for a males reproductive system. Just because a man meets the minimum parameters on a semen analysis, does not mean he has good sperm to conceive naturally, or with assisted reproduction, quite the opposite actually. Semen analysis is not what normal sperm, for natural conception parameters should be, or are based on.

Semen analysis parameters are only an evaluation for Assisted Reproduction levels only, and we know that these parameters only need to be very low to meet the requirements for IVF and ICSI.

If you meet the minim parameters of this test, it does not mean you have good sperm, or sperm good enough for natural conception. Quantitively normal semen, does not mean it is qualitatively good. Plus, you can’t measure DNA damage and other environmental damage to sperm on a semen analysis. This is why so many couples are still having failed cycles, because they are told everything is OK, when in fact it isn’t.

This is why I always treat both the female and male, because over 50% of fertility issues are related to males and 85% of miscarriage issues are related to chromosomal factors relating to the male. It takes two people to have a baby, not just the female, unless you are a single female doing it on your own, or are in a same sex relationship.

Even then, sometimes the frozen sperm has issues too and a new batch is required to bring about success.

If a man is really serious about having a baby, then he will have no issue in giving up the things that are known to affect sperm. It is all about where his priority lies. If alcohol, cigarettes, drugs etc are the priority, then it begs the question, is this the right person to be trying to conceive with.

If you aren’t having success and need some answers, you can call my friendly staff and inquire about my fertility program that has assisted over 12,500 babies into the world… and counting.

Regards
Andrew Orr
Women’s & Men’s Health Crusader”
-Leaving No Stone Left Unturned

-The International Fertility Experts

Men’s Diet, Drinking Habits and Health Affects The Health of Their Unborn Child.

Posted on June 24, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Men should have a healthy diet before conceiving, because the fathers health and everything he puts in his body, is then transferred to his future offspring via DNA in his sperm.

This is something that I have always promoted at my clinic and why I always make sure I treat the males as well as the females. Biology 101 tells us that it takes a sperm and an egg to make a baby, not just an egg. This is why preconception care is so important and why men need to be healthy prior to conceiving, just as much as the females. Healthy men produce health sperm, which then goes on to help produce a healthy baby.

Just treating the female is not ethical practice for assisting a couple for fertility purpose. By just treating the female, that is just hormone regulation and is not helping the couple. Men need to be evaluated and have their health managed and any conditions treated as well.

Semen parameters can change by as much as 20% in a given month and change daily, week, monthly and yearly. Just because the sperm has been OK, weeks, months, years ago, does not mean it is OK now.

It takes up to 90 days for a sperm to fully mature and so what you have done now, like excessive drinking and eating bad foods, can affect your sperm in that 90 days later. This is often why we see poor sperm quality in semen analysis post the Christmas and New Year periods.

Faulty DNA can be passed onto the unborn child through the sperm

We also know that many miscarriage issues are related to poor quality sperm and DNA damage of sperm as well. Up to 85% of miscarriage issues can be related to faulty DNA in a man’s sperm and this can all be due to what he eats and drinks and puts into his body.

DNA damage to the sperm that cannot be measured by normal semen analysis and requires specialised testing. If the DNA is faulty then through the mode of genetic inheritance this faulty DNA is then passed onto any future child. This can lead to many future health and developmental consequences for that offspring.

Genetic inheritance is something we all need to consider and fetal origins of disease.

Endocrine Disruption

It has been well established that environmental chemicals (endocrine disrupters) are reproductive toxicants and can be associated with impaired semen quality and reproductive potential in animals and humans.

An endocrine disruptor is defined as:

“as an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action or elimination of natural hormones in the body that is responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development and/or behavior.”

Research has shown that poor fetal nutrition to adult-onset diseases including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction,and has formed the basis for the developmental origins of health and disease paradigm, which similarly posits a correlation between perinatal health and the eventual development of chronic diseases. Toxicologists have also identified neonatal development as a ‘critical window of exposure’, such that chemical exposures (e.g., endocrine disrupters) have been linked to adult-onset reproductive cancers and many other diseases

Taken together, these models support the extreme sensitivity of the neonatal period to environmental influences, as shown by research, the models provide an explanation for fetal origins of adult obesity risk and other disease states, including infertility.

There are treatments for DNA damage and poor quality sperm

As part of my fertility program I talk to couples about what can assist male sperm quality and assist with DNA damage to sperm. Proper medical testing and evaluation and screening is done prior to commencement of treatments and ongoing management.

At my clinic and as part of my fertility program, I always make sure the male is part of the whole process and ongoing health management, when helping couples have a baby.

Just remember, Biology 101, tells us it takes a sperm and an egg to make a baby, not just an egg. This is why it is so important for men to step up and be as healthy as they can prior to have a baby and do things that can help with their sperm quality as well.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The International Fertility Experts

Adherence to a Healthy Diet a Must For Fertility Success

Posted on June 24, 2017August 22, 2019 by Andrew Orr

Is it time you that you got your diet healthier to help assist you getting the baby you have been longing to have?

While eating a health diet isn’t going to be a miracle cure to having a baby, it may help you increase your fertility and chances of a healthy pregnancy.

Of course, there are so many other factors to fertility and proper evaluation and assessment is crucial, but research does show that by adherence to a healthy diet can increase pregnancy rates by up to 80%. (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 61st Annual Clinical Meeting: Abstract 96. Presented May 6, 2013.) + (Fertil Steril. 2012;98[Suppl]:S47)

It is well known that healthy couples produce healthy sperm and healthy eggs and healthy parents produce healthy babies. A proper healthy diet may also help assist with gynaecological conditions as well, alongside medical management.

When I talk about diet, I am not talking about it in term of dieting. I am talking about it in terms of the proper way to way. Diet is such a crucial part of my fertility program that has helped with assisting over 12,500 babies into the world.

So many people neglect a healthy diet and don’t try hard enough to adhere to it. Preparation for falling pregnant is just as crucial as preparing for a marathon. If you don’t put in the work, nutrients and the training, you won’t make the distance, or get a result.

It is so sad seeing people go through cycle after cycle and not doing anything to change their diet and lifestyle and then getting a failed cycle time and time again.

Of course their can be other factors to take into consideration as I said before. But, you can’t go into a cycle, or try to fall naturally, if you not eating properly, or if you are overweight, or underweight for that matter.

Medically we know that the risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, complication etc is high in women who are either under, or overweight. (Lifestyle management before fertility treatment -Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2007;110:1050-1058.)

So many people think they have a good diet, only to find out that what they have been taught is not right. It isn’t their fault. Some people really just do not know what a healthy diet its either.

A poor diet that is high in High GI Carbohydrates causes inflammation and this has a negative impact on fertility. Inflammation is causes by high sugars, which then spikes your insulin and this causes the inflammatory response. This may also affect hormones as well.

High inflammatory response then causes oxidation which may then affect your egg and sperm quality and this may then result in damage to the DNA of the sperm and egg.

As I shared before, a healthy diet is a big part of my fertility program and those on the program then know what a good diet is supposed to be like. Yet we see many ignoring it and wondering what has gone wrong, or what else they can do.

One of the answers is, be good with your diet!

Close enough is not good enough in this case. It is all or nothing, because this is so important. This is about having a baby. But, while having a baby is one thing, we also need people to realise that a healthy diet is also important for living a long and healthy life long after baby has arrived.

If you are overweight, you need to lose weight and if you are underweight you need to put some on. Many people are looking for miracles and go looking for an answer that doesn’t exist, or blame something else, when the fix may be as simple as adhering to a healthy eating regime.

Again, obviously diet is only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to fertility, but it is an important one at that.

There is so much medical research out there showing that adhering to a low GI diet and the diet I promote at my clinic and for those of my fertility program

The nurses study of 17,500 women showed that a diet with protein, full cream dairy, multivitamins and supplements, good fats etc increased fertility rates exponentially. (Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nov 2007)
Harvard medical schools study on 19,500 women showed that having full fat diary increased fertility while low fat dairy decreased it by 85 % and had an anovulatory effect. (Journal of Fertility and Sterility Feb 2008)
A recent study in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility showed that diet increased embryo quality and pregnancy rates by as much as 80%. In a study presented at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in 2012, IVF patients who switched to a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet and then underwent another an IVF cycle increased their blastocyst formation rate from 19% to 45% and their clinical pregnancy rate from 17% to 83% (Fertil Steril. 2012;98[Suppl]:S47).

Even non-IVF patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis have improved pregnancy rates after making dietary and lifestyle changes.There are many other research papers out there showing this.

So if you are having failed cycle after failed cycle, or not being able to conceive naturally, you need to start looking at your diet and lifestyle as a major factor.

If you are overweight, or underweight, the same applies. An easy way to work out what weight should be (roughly), is take 100cms off your height and this will give you what you should be in body mass.

So if you are 165cms tall, then you should roughly be about 65kgs (give or take a few kilos).

All men should have a waist size of 94cm or below for good health, and all women should have a waist size of 80cms or below for good health. This is measured from the belly button around, not higher, or lower than this point.

If you are on my fertility program you should be doing this. If you aren’t and need assistance, then you can call my friendly staff and find out more about my fertility program.

I always tell my patients that the time for making excuses is over. If you do want to have this baby you have been longing to have, then you need to prepare the body as though you were about to train for a marathon. We always say that the ones that do everything right have a much higher chance of getting the results.

Is it time you got your diet and lifestyle back on track?

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The International Fertility Experts