Theme Day Fertility EN

While figures vary, it is estimated up to 20% of couples’ infertility is solely male factor.  A further 37% involve male and female factor infertility.

Biomedical reproductive medicine unduly focuses on the female when offering therapy.  While IVF was initially developed to help women conceive who didn’t have patent fallopian tubes, it has become a ‘catch all’ treatment of choice for childless women and couples - even when male factor is the sole cause, or a contributing factor in, a couple’s infertility. 

The standard measure of male factor fertility is the semen analysis.  As a test, the semen analysis has, surprisingly, changed little over the course of time it has been used.  

While the semen analysis can be useful in identifying problem areas with a man’s fertility, from a biomedical perspective it does little to inform treatment options because treatment options  for male factor sub-fertility are limited in the biomedical model. 

In short, there is poor correlation between the outcomes of a semen analysis (SA) and any meaningful therapeutic options to correct those poor parameters.

In this presentation I will offer an integrative model which uses Chinese medicine concepts to bridge the gap between biomedical and traditional medicine systems in the treatment of male factor sub-fertility.

In particular, I will examine the issue of DNA fragmentation and consider herbal, acupuncture, nutritional and lifestyle factors as a legitimate therapeutic intervention to support sperm health.

Information to be covered:
1. Understanding men:  the psycho-social aspects of male infertility and how this can be a barrier to therapy
2. The great conundrum:  limitations in the historical/theoretical model of Chinese medicine’s ability to accurately diagnose male factor infertility
3. Biomedical physiology:  why knowing this benefits the practitioner of Chinese medicine
4. Biomedical diagnosis:  the strengths and limitations of the semen analysis (SA) as a diagnostic tool
5. Developing an integrative model of diagnosis:  viewing the SA as diagnostic tool for Chinese medicine
6. Clinical focus:  complex infertility/DNA fragmentation
· herbal intervention:  Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan (what this formula might do biomedically)
· acupuncture intervention:  personal needling strategies
· nutritional/dietary medicine intervention:  anti oxidant therapy
7. Conclusion

A lot has changed since the first studies of acupuncture added to in vitro Fertilization (IVF) were published in the 1990s. And, the body of research is controversial and not easy to interpret.  In this presentation, we will discuss the evolution of IVF and acupuncture, review the latest research investigating acupuncture as an adjuvant to IVF, contextualize the results within East Asian Medicine theory, and propose future directions for research.

The southern expression is one of flowering, flourishing and expressing our innermost creativity and beauty. In women of child birthing age, these energies are expressed in the ability to become pregnant, to carry to term and birth - the ultimate creation and expression of self. 
What could possibly go wrong with this universal, natural way? As practitioners dealing with the rising amount of fertility issues in our clinic, we know the answer - a multitude of things can go wrong. In this 90 minute lecture I will present 2 cases from the clinic with an emphasis on implantation issues. Diagnosis, points and herbs will be discussed in detail