Fertility Blog

Dr. Tur-Kaspa, Dr. Cohen, and IHR staff are happy to announce that Dr. Seth Levrant, a well-known and respected specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI), will join IHR as of 1/1/2022.

Every year, the Institute for Human Reproduction (IHR) donates a free In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment to a qualified patient in need. The winner will be selected anonymously through a voluntary lottery, announced on New Year’s Eve.

Let’s start by discussing what genetic carrier screening entails. A genetic carrier screening is a test that is done during the diagnostic phase of treatment (initial testing) to check if you are a carrier for specific genes/disorders. IHR uses Invitae’s Comprehensive Carrier Screen which currently is able to test for 289 genes. ‍

How many of your friends, sisters, and coworkers, are openly discussing their LH, FSH and AMH over brunch? How often are the terms “stimulation start” or “trigger shot” used in your vocabulary outside of your home or the walls of your physician’s office? Unfortunately, though it is talked about more frequently in 2021, the shame, taboo and stigma of the infertility world perpetuates today.

Controversy swirls around the United States regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in relation to women hoping to conceive or are pregnant. It is a frequently asked question and concern among women of reproductive age, as the disputing information swirls through the media making it near impossible to comfortably decide about receiving the vaccine at this time. However, upon reviewing the data, it is highly advised for all women of reproductive age to roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Preparing for assisted reproductive therapy can be mentally and physically overwhelming. So many questions and worrying about what more you can be doing to improve positive outcomes can become consuming and increase ones stress and anxiety. ‍

The choices made in everyday life can have a large effect on fertility. By making a few alterations in our daily routine, it can help to improve our chances to not only conceive but also have a successful and healthy pregnancy.

A list of recommended places offering PCR COVID-19 testing in Chicago.

A new study published Thursday in JAMA shows sperm count and quality did not drop in healthy young men after receiving a first or second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. CNN talks to Dr. Cohen, among other doctors and scientists about the findings.

Dr. Tur-Kaspa co-moderated and lectured at an international online symposium on COVID-19 and fertility organized by The International IVF Initiative, a non-profit global educational project for the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) community.

Does COVID-19 affect fertility? Is COVID-19 a sexually transmitted disease? IHR doctors, Drs Tur-Kaspa and Cohen, and their interns have published a timely and important review synthesizing global data on these topics in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Fertility & Sterility Reviews. Their conclusion: “COVID-19 may affect male fertility but is not sexually transmitted”.

IHR Physicians, Drs. Ilan Tur-Kaspa and David Cohen, join ASRM, ACOG, and SMFM in their joint statement asserting that COVID vaccines do not impact fertility.

Fertility mapping is a unique supportive holistic framework designed to personalize and optimize patient’s wellness before, during, and after fertility treatments, such as IUI, IVF, or FET.