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This article reads the uptake of facial-matching algorithms by fertility clinics in Spain through the lens of ‘the fertility fix’: a software fix to the social reconfiguration of kinship and a fixed capital investment made by competing fertility companies and firms. ‘The fertility fix’ is proposed as a critical, ethical lens through which to situate algorithmic facial-matching in assisted reproduction in the context of the racial politics of the face and phenotype and the spatial politics of market expansion. While an ‘infertility crisis’ is often mentioned when explaining the growth of the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) industry, the use of donated reproductive cells is tied up in societal, ecological and economic shifts. Combining Software Studies analysis with Marxist Feminist and trans*feminist perspectives on shifting re/production dynamics, the article details the role of computational technologies in promoting certain ideas and beliefs about family and fixing certain territories of capital flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the perspective of patients and professionals in Assisted Reproduction Units (ARU) on the importance of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) compared to other elective procedures, to highlight the relevance of ART as an elective procedure and the impact of delayed interventions on patients.Design, Patients and Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, online survey-based study was conducted in infertility patients and partners (n=98) and ARU healthcare professionals (n=83). The survey included a best-worst scaling (BWS) experiment and an ad-hoc questionnaire to analyze the pandemic impact on ART management and infertility patients in Spain. In the BWS, each respondent established priorities choosing which patient profile should be rated as the highest and lowest priority profile on a waiting list. To understand the importance that they give to assisted reproduction compared to other procedures, three very common elective procedures involving different patient profiles were selected: cataract surgery, knee arthroplasty, and varicose vein surgery. For each procedure, three hypothetical patient profiles corresponding to three different degrees of severity on a waiting list were designed.Results: Patients attributed greater importance to ART profiles (BWS score: patients 0.14 vs professionals − 0.05; p< 0.01) whereas professionals prioritized cataract surgery (patients 0.06 vs professionals 0.23; p< 0.01). Concerning the profile severity, more severe profiles were prioritized in all procedures by both groups. Patients' and professionals' perspectives on the impact of the pandemic were similar, with exceptions: information received for resuming ART; health care provision in crisis situations; and reduction of parenting options. The pandemic affected patients' ability to conceive a child (70.4% of those surveyed), their psychological well-being (75.5%), and partner, social, and work relationships (69.4%).Conclusion: Preference studies involving patients and professionals can provide important information to define framework criteria for the management of waiting lists for elective procedures, and to prioritize interventions during pandemic periods. The pandemic impact on infertility patients highlights the relevance of developing measures and strategies to cope with similar future situations in the most appropriate way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted reproductive technologies have expanded vastly and are frequently addressed using the language of revolution. The last two decades witnessed important transformations in Spanish repromarkets, some of which are linked to one freezing technique: vitrification. This cryotechnique tends to be presented by professionals as revolutionary as well, even if in a humbler way: a technique with the capacity to revolutionize reproductive labs. Celebrated for its ability to freeze oocytes, the introduction and assimilation of vitrification have implied many transformations in Spanish clinics and the broader reproductive industry in Spain. This paper describes the role of vitrification from the point of view of the labs, drawing on interviews with professionals and observations of laboratory work, and focusing on the changes, which include but are not restricted to freezing oocytes. I argue that vitrification has increased the role of cryopreservation in reproductive labs overall in Spain, expanding the use of strategic, short-term freezing of embryos. This is discussed as part of a "cryomedicalized" turn, using Charlotte Kroløkke and Anna Sofie Bach's term, which enlarges the scope of medicalization through optimization and prevention, in the context of late reproduction and a strong reproductive market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IVF treatment involving donated eggs increases yearly. Numerous technical and commercial transformations have reshaped how eggs are retrieved, stored and managed. A key transformation is vitrification; a 'fast freezing' method that allows efficient preservation of eggs, and therefore more flexibility in use, giving rise to new commercial possibilities. There has been limited focus on egg providers' experiences in the context of vitrification and related commercialisation. We report findings from a study in the UK, Spain and Belgium, where we interviewed 75 egg providers. Comparing experiences within different donation 'regimes' allows an exploration of how varying national practices and policies shape information‐giving and women's experiences. In the UK, a system of 'informed gift‐giving' was described, where egg providers saw their actions as not‐for‐profit and felt relatively well informed. In Belgium, the system was presented as 'trusted tissue exchange': with less information‐giving than in the UK, but clinics were trusted to act responsibly. In Spain, a 'closed‐door, market‐driven' system was described, whereby egg providers received little information and expressed concerns about generation of excess profit. Our findings extend understandings of how egg donation is managed at the national level and how donation regimes produce specific experiences, expectations and subjectivities amongst tissue providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: How do individual religious, political, and social tolerance orientations influence the acceptance of ART among Spanish citizens?, Summary Answer: Social tolerance and religiosity are predictive factors for the acceptance of ART, with more tolerant individuals and those with lower levels of religiosity being more accepting of ART; political conservatism mediates the relationship between social tolerance and acceptance of ART, particularly for left-leaning individuals., What Is Known Already: The rapid advancement of ART has raised questions about its societal acceptance, especially in the context of religious, political, and social beliefs., Study Design, Size, Duration: The analysis utilized data from the combined Europe Values Study and World Values Survey, comprising cross-sectional national surveys from 1981 to 2021. Each country's population was surveyed a maximum of seven times and a minimum of two times during this period. This study uses the cross-sectional data of 2021. After filtering for Spanish citizens and deleting cases with missing key variables, a sample of 1030 valid responses from Spanish citizens was obtained. Quotas were set for sex, age, and educational level, following guidance from the Spanish Statistics Institute., Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: The study surveyed participants' attitudes towards ART, their religious and political orientations, and collected demographic information. The sample consisted of 51.7% women, most respondents were married or in common-law partnerships, and 61.6% had children. Catholicism was the dominant religion (53.0%) and a majority had completed secondary education (66.2%), with half earning over 1400 euros per month., Main Results and the Role of Chance: Using two linear models to test hypotheses, the study found that social tolerance and religiosity significantly predict acceptance of ART, with more tolerant and less religious individuals being more accepting. Political conservatism mediated the relationship between social tolerance and ART acceptance, particularly among left-leaning individuals., Limitations, Reasons for Caution: This study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported data, which may have limitations. Additionally, the findings are based on a Spanish sample and may not be universally applicable., Wider Implications of the Findings: The results have significant implications for policymakers and healthcare professionals in the field of reproductive technologies. They also contribute to public debates on ethical considerations surrounding ART., Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was funded by the Mineco-FrontVida Program, Frontiers of Life, Social Change, and Changing Values Around the Beginning and End of Life (grant number PID2019-106882RB-I00), as part of the State Program for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening, and the State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of Society, 2019, Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities of Spain. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., Trial Registration Number: N/A., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Study Question: Does the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FSH receptor gene (FSHR) and/or FSH beta subunit-encoding gene (FSHB) influence ovarian response in predicted normal responders treated with rFSH?Summary Answer: The presence of FSHR SNPs (rs6165, rs6166, rs1394205) has a statistically significant impact in ovarian response, although this effect is of minimal clinical relevance in predicted normal responders treated with a fixed dose of 150 IU rFSH.What Is Known Already: Ovarian reserve markers have been a breakthrough in response prediction following ovarian stimulation. However, a significant percentage of patients show a disproportionate lower ovarian response, as compared with their actual ovarian reserve. Studies on pharmacogenetics have demonstrated a relationship between FSHR or FSHB genotyping and drug response, suggesting a potential effect of individual genetic variability on ovarian stimulation. However, evidence from these studies is inconsistent, due to the inclusion of patients with variable ovarian reserve, use of different starting gonadotropin doses, and allowance for dose adjustments during treatment. This highlights the necessity of a well-controlled prospective study in a homogenous population treated with the same fixed protocol.Study Design, Size, Duration: We conducted a multicenter multinational prospective study, including 368 patients from Vietnam, Belgium, and Spain (168 from Europe and 200 from Asia), from November 2016 until June 2019. All patients underwent ovarian stimulation followed by oocyte retrieval in an antagonist protocol with a fixed daily dose of 150 IU rFSH until triggering. Blood sampling and DNA extraction was performed prior to oocyte retrieval, followed by genotyping of four SNPs from FSHR (rs6165, rs6166, rs1394205) and FSHB (rs10835638).Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Eligible were predicted normal responder women <38 years old undergoing their first or second ovarian stimulation cycle. Laboratory staff and clinicians were blinded to the clinical results and genotyping, respectively. The prevalence of hypo-responders, the number of oocytes retrieved, the follicular output rate (FORT), and the follicle to oocyte index (FOI) were compared between different FSHR and FSHB SNPs genotypes.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: The prevalence of derived allele homozygous SNPs in the FSHR was rs6166 (genotype G/G) 15.8%, rs6165 (genotype G/G) 34.8%, and rs1394205 (genotype A/A) 14.1%, with significant differences between Caucasian and Asian women (P < 0.001). FSHB variant rs10835638 (c.-211 G>T) was very rare (0.5%). Genetic model analysis revealed that the presence of the G allele in FSHR variant rs6166 resulted in less oocytes retrieved when compared to the AA genotype (13.54 ± 0.46 vs 14.81 ± 0.61, estimated mean difference (EMD) -1.47 (95% CI -2.82 to -0.11)). In FSHR variant rs1394205, a significantly lower number of oocytes was retrieved in patients with an A allele when compared to G/G (13.33 ± 0.41 vs 15.06 ± 0.68, EMD -1.69 (95% CI -3.06 to -0.31)). A significantly higher prevalence of hypo-responders was found in patients with the genotype A/G for FSHR variant rs6166 (55.9%, n = 57) when compared to A/A (28.4%, n = 29), ORadj 1.87 (95% CI 1.08-3.24). No significant differences were found regarding the FORT across the genotypes for FSHR variants rs6166, rs6165, or rs1394205. Regarding the FOI, the presence of the G allele for FSHR variant rs6166 resulted in a lower FOI when compared to the A/A genotype, EMD -13.47 (95% CI -22.69 to -4.24). Regarding FSHR variant rs6165, a lower FOI was reported for genotype A/G (79.75 ± 3.35) when compared to genotype A/A (92.08 ± 6.23), EMD -13.81 (95% CI -25.41 to -2.21).Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The study was performed in relatively young women with normal ovarian reserve to eliminate biases related to age-related fertility decline; thus, caution is needed when extrapolating results to older populations. In addition, no analysis was performed for FSHB variant rs10835638 due to the very low prevalence of the genotype T/T (n = 2).Wider Implications Of the Findings: Based on our results, genotyping FSHR SNPs rs6165, rs6166, rs1394205, and FSHB SNP rs10835638 prior to initiating an ovarian stimulation with rFSH in predicted normal responders should not be recommended, taking into account the minimal clinical impact of such information in this population. Future research may focus on other populations and other genes related to folliculogenesis or steroidogenesis.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This study was supported by an unrestricted grant by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD). N.P.P. reports grants and/or personal fees from MSD, Merck Serono, Roche Diagnostics, Ferring International, Besins Healthcare, Gedeon Richter, Theramex, and Institut Biochimique SA (IBSA). N.L.V. and M.T.H. report consultancy and conference fees from Merck, Ferring, and MSD, outside the submitted work. P.D. has received honoraria for lecturing and/or research grants from MSD, Ferring International, and Merck. D.S. reports grants and/or personal fees from MSD, Ferring International, Merck Serono, Cook, and Gedeon Richter. A.R.N., B.A.M., C.S., J.M., L.H.L., P.Q.M.M., H.T., and S.G. report no conflict of interests.Trial Registration Number: NCT03007043. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 8% of babies born in Spain in 2014 were conceived through assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs); almost four out of every 10 babies born that year after direct-IVF depended on egg donation according to data from the Spanish Fertility Association. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork with 25 professionals linked either to researching reproduction or practicing reproduction using IVF (five researchers from universities and 20 professionals from 10 reproductive clinics), this paper suggests that the complex role of eggs, indeed what they actually are today within these bioeconomies, cannot be completely understood by relying solely on the concept of egg donation. Their roles are understood to be much better apprehended and visualized using the broader idea of transference of reproductive capacity, a concept that facilitates our understanding of the socio-technical practices in which eggs are currently entangled, signified, and made sense of. Thus, I argue that we ought to stop talking about egg donation (particularly when identifying it as a "technique") and talk instead about the socio-technical practices of transference of reproductive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although infertile couples are mentally healthy, dealing with infertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment is usually associated with psychological distress. It would therefore be useful to have short, multidimensional instruments to be able to identify people who present more intense emotional reactions and follow up their emotional distress throughout the ART. Objectives: The goals of the study were to analyze the psychometric adequacy of the original 90-item version of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) in a sample of Spanish women and their partners undergoing ART, as well as to develop and analyze two brief versions of the SCL-90, given the absence of adequate short versions for this population. Methods: A cross-sectional design for patients and their partners in the process of ART through in vitro fertilization was used. The two brief scales were obtained, which took into account the levels of variance explained by the items and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Two brief instruments were developed. The first, with 45 items (SCL-45-I Infertility), includes nine subdimensions: Somatization, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Paranoid Ideation, Phobic Anxiety, and Psychoticism. The second instrument contains nine items (SCL-9-I or Global Severity Index [GSI]), one item for each dimension. Both instruments were psychometrically adequate (SCL-45-I: χ2/ df = 7.24, RMSEA =.057, 95% CI [.056,.059], CFI =.97, NNFI =.97, SRMR =.049; SCL-9-I: χ2/ df = 9.66, RMSEA =.068, 95% CI [.061,.076], CFI =.97, NNFI =.96, SRMR =.035). Measurement invariance analysis by gender was conducted, and the instruments were shown to be suitable for both men and women. Discussion: The suitability of the SCL-90-R for use in ART was verified, and two valid instruments—useful and easy to use for nurses, psychologists, and other care providers—were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politica y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Politica y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual communities for women coming to assisted donation in Spain have gained an important presence. There is a wide range of families that are shaped by assisted techniques, including single-parent by choice, homoparental with lesbian couples and biparental heterosexual. Women find in these communities a care network that supplies a lack of assistance from their immediate environments, not only medical help but also psychological support, channels of emotional expression and even material and educational resources necessary for setting up their family projects, which are not offered by assisted reproduction clinics and neither by a limited welfare support. Virtual communities can be considered as horizontal care frames among women. They are given by other women as peers, who share the experience of getting to motherhood in similar circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Postponement of childbearing since the 1970s has led to an increase in permanent involuntarily childlessness. We will address the magnitude of this trend, the effect of IVF/ICSI and the effect on total fertility rate (TFR an often used demographic measure for the level of fertility) in six EU countries. METHODS Using a fertility micro-simulation model, we estimate the effect of postponement of first motherhood on permanent involuntary childlessness in six representative European countries since 1970/1985: Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, West Germany and Spain. To estimate the effect of IVF/ICSI on this trend, we use data on the results of all IVF/ICSI cycles performed in The Netherlands in 2003 and 2004. RESULTS Permanent involuntary childlessness approximately doubled since 1970s and rose to ∼4% in the Czech Republic and to ∼7% in Spain with the other countries in between. If all couples entitled to have IVF/ICSI were to be treated, the effect of postponement would almost have been neutralized. However, only a limited proportion of eligible couple are being treated. Without postponement, TFRs would have been between 0.03 and 0.05 higher. CONCLUSIONS The effect of postponement on permanent involuntary childlessness is considerable. So far IVF/ICSI only had a slight effect on this trend. The impact of postponement on TFRs is small compared with other demographic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the past 50 years the incidence of multiple pregnancies has increased dramatically due almost exclusively to two factors: delayed childbearing and assisted reproductive techniques. In this paper we analyze the variations in the incidence of multiple gestations in Andalusia, one of the biggest administrative regions in Spain, over the last decade. Assisted reproduction techniques are very often evaluated only in terms of implantation and pregnancy rates per cycle, ignoring everything related to complications of multiple births, prematurity or economic overload. The rate of twins in Andalusia has increased from 10.9 per thousand in 2000 to 16.2 per thousand in 2009. The rate of triplet births has also increased in recent years. After a decline in 2003, motivated by promulgation of the first Human Assisted Reproduction Law, there was an increase after a second law came into effect in 2006. Health care spending attributable to the excess of multiple pregnancies reported in the decade 2000-2010 may have been much higher than € 25 million. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the discourses on the motivations that Single Mothers by Choice (SMC) use to choose among the possible ways to get parenthood. These discourses, produced in qualitative interviews as well as in other contexts of interaction (Internet forums, kedadas or informal get-togethers, female gatherings, etc...), have been subjected to observation in the context of an ethnographic research conducted in Madrid, Spain, during 2008-2009. The results show, first, that SMC display a variety of notions about motherhood and mother-child bond, which are the basis for, again, the variety of 'motivations' they assess to justify the option they finally choose. Second, their decision making process is mediated by a sociomoral hierarchy of values that arranges the different ways to get single parenthood. In this hierarchy, the lowest position is occupied by the categories of "cheating" and "known donor", while the highest is allotted to international adoption. As a conclusion, it is stressed that the statements of value by which the hierarchy is based explain the continuous presence of the "motivation of solidarity", in spite of its continuous delegitimation by expert knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Antropología Social is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The FIVCAT.NET database in Catalonia is the only official obligatory registry of human assisted reproduction practitioners in Spain. The present study assessed the effectiveness and outcomes of assisted reproduction over the period 2001-2005 relative to other established worldwide registries. The data analysed were derived from all centres conducting assisted reproduction in Catalonia, and included users of the services (resident and non-resident); all cycles performed; descriptive characteristics of the assisted reproduction procedures; and sociodemographic characteristics of the women. Effectiveness of assisted reproduction was measured by standard indicators such as rates of pregnancy and rates of live births per pregnancy. The results indicated that the preferred number of embryos for transfer changed from three to two over this period. Pregnancies per transfer improved from 33.2% to 37.1% (from 36.9% to 40.2% using fresh embryos and from to 18.4% to 27.0% with frozen embryos). Multiple births decreased from 50.1% to 38.6%, premature births from 37.5% to 28.3% and low-birth-weight infants from 38.0% to 25.6%. It is concluded that the conduct of assisted reproduction in Catalonia has improved considerably and compares favourably with other countries, not only with respect to the level of activity, but also the effectiveness and outcomes achieved, although the quality of the sociodemographic information requires improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the ways in which egg donors from a private infertility clinic in Barcelona try to render their new experience meaningful. Donors are striving to see their action as a contribution to the creation of a particular kinship bond - motherhood in another woman - by means of the abrogation of a bond that also looks very much like kinship, which links them to the individuals that will be born thanks to their eggs. The specific meaning that egg donation has for each donor varies according to her particular circumstances, but the language constructed in order to convey this meaning emerges from the creative expression of several cultural paradoxes and dichotomies that constitute, in themselves, an original and highly significant cultural grammar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the perinatal and maternal outcomes of pregnancies in women infected with SARS-CoV-2, comparing spontaneous and in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies (with either own or donor oocytes)., Design: Multicenter, prospective, observational study., Setting: 78 centers participating in the Spanish COVID19 Registry., Patient(s): 1,347 pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 positive results registered consecutively between February 26 and November 5, 2020., Intervention(s): The patients' information was collected from their medical records, and multivariable regression analyses were performed, controlling for maternal age and the clinical presentation of the infection., Main Outcome Measure(s): Obstetrics and neonatal outcomes, pregnancy comorbidities, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation need, and medical conditions., Result(s): The IVF group included 74 (5.5%) women whereas the spontaneous pregnancy group included 1,275 (94.5%) women. The operative delivery rate was high in all patients, especially in the IVF group, where cesarean section became the most frequent method of delivery (55.4%, compared with 26.1% of the spontaneous pregnancy group). The reason for cesarean section was induction failure in 56.1% of the IVF patients. IVF women had more gestational hypertensive disorders (16.2% vs. 4.5% among spontaneous pregnancy women, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45-10.93) irrespective of oocyte origin. The higher rate of intensive care unit admittance observed in the IVF group (8.1% vs. 2.4% in the spontaneous pregnancy group) was attributed to preeclampsia (aOR 11.82, 95% CI 5.25-25.87), not to the type of conception., Conclusion(s): A high rate of operative delivery was observed in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, especially in those with IVF pregnancies; method of conception did not affect fetal or maternal outcomes, except for preeclampsia., Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04558996., (Copyright © 2021 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of a transnational gamete donation (TGD) programme based on the shipping of vitrified donor oocytes., Methods: A retro-prospective observational study was conducted in the Assisted Reproductive Technology Center of the University Hospital of Florence, Italy. The study population included 622 consecutive donor oocyte cycles. A mean number of 6 vitrified oocytes per couple were shipped from two Spanish biobanks. In the receiving centre, gametes were warmed and inseminated and the subsequent embryo transfer (ET) was performed. The main outcome measurement was LBR. Secondary outcomes included oocyte survival rate, ICSI damage rate, normal fertilization, cleavage, and implantation rate (IR) in both 'fresh' and cryotransfer cycles., Results: A total number of 3536 mature oocytes were warmed with 81.4% surviving oocytes. 2PN oocytes were 1941 with an ICSI normal fertilization rate of 70.4% and a cleavage rate of 93.4%; 857 day-3 embryos were transferred in 498 women, 63 blastocysts in 44. Couples with at least one vitrified embryo were 181 (32.3%). IR was 25.1% and 33.1% for day-3 ET and blastocyst stage respectively. Crude pregnancy rate and LBR after the first ET were 35.5% and 27% correspondingly with a conservative cumulative LBR of 34% and an optimal LBR of 51.4%., Conclusion: Imported vitrified donor oocytes retain their competence and are capable of resulting in ongoing pregnancies and healthy babies in a proportion comparable to other existing systems as egg donation with vitrification/warming in the same laboratory and transnational fresh oocyte donation.

The emergence of the novel coronavirus infection that arose in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has resulted in an epidemic that has quickly expanded to become one of the most significant public health threats in recent times. Unfortunately, the disease has spread globally. On March 11th (2020) World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic and has called governments to take urgent and aggressive action to change the course of the outbreak. Within the context of Assisted Reproduction, both reproductive medicine professionals and patients are also fighting against this unprecedented viral pandemic. In view of events, most of us had to make serious decisions, some of them with a lack of scientific evidence due to the circumstances and with the only objective of ensuring the safe care of our patients, reduce non-essential contacts and prevent possible maternal and fetal complications in future pregnancies. Pregnant women should not be considered at high risk for developing severe infection. Up to date, there are no reported deaths in pregnant women with Covid-19, while in the cases that have presented pneumonia because of Covid-19, the symptoms have been moderate and with a good prognosis in recovery., (Copyright © 2020 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of a psychological intervention focused on stress management in women who are candidates for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Method : Pre-post study with two groups ( n  = 26). The psychological intervention group (IG) received a 90-minute session that included psychoeducation, relaxation training and coping skills. The control group (CG) did not receive any psychological intervention. All participants later underwent IVF. In the initial and final evaluations, state anxiety, emotional imbalance, adaptive resources and quality of life were measured. In the initial evaluation, demographic and clinical variables were also measured. Results : In the IG, the final evaluation reflected: (1) decreased levels of anxiety and emotional imbalance; (2) the perception of enhanced quality of life. Moreover, among the participants who received the psychological intervention and later achieved a successful IVF, the level of anxiety appeared to have decreased more strongly. Conclusions : A brief intervention focused on stress management can benefit the psychological adjustment of women who are candidates for IVF, reducing the anxiety they may experience in this regard. However, our conclusions are based on a small sample, and so should be considered with caution. Nevertheless, these results are promising and highlight the advisability of further research.

Objective: To study reproductive outcome in patients cured of cancer who required oocyte donation (OD) owing to iatrogenic ovarian dysfunction., Design: Multicenter, unmatched, retrospective cohorts study., Setting: Private, university-affiliated group of clinics., Patient(s): Women treated and cured of cancer (n = 142) who underwent 333 cycles of OD (exposed group) and women without a previous cancer diagnosis (n = 17,844) who underwent 29,778 cycles of OD (unexposed cohort) between January 2000 and January 2012., Intervention(s): Retrospective chart review., Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy, implantation, miscarriage, and ongoing pregnancy rates., Result(s): There were no differences in terms of pregnancy (55.7% vs. 54.7%), implantation (39.8% vs. 38.2%), miscarriage (29.5% vs. 26.9%), or delivery rates (39.3% vs. 39.9%) between the unexposed group and the patients previously diagnosed and cured of cancer, respectively. There was no correlation between OD outcome and cancer type., Conclusion(s): Endometrial receptivity in women treated and cured of cancer was comparable to that of general patients without previous malignancies who had received OD, based on the largest series available in the literature., (Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)