It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Internet Roundup and my list of things to share just keep growing. Don’t worry, I won’t dump them all on you at once. I’ve picked through my list and will follow my usual format: a couple of entries on infertility, a couple on adoption, and a dynamite video. I so love this week’s video! So without further ado, here’s what’s worth perusing on the great world wide web this week.
- As worldwide demand grows, U.S. sperm exports become a thriving business. I had to start with this one because the picture was so cute, and the author couldn’t resist starting the article on sperm exports with the following quip: “America’s hottest new export is made by hand.” Yep, that line alone insured inclusion in my internet roundup. “Demand for American sperm is surging — up by as much as 40 percent in the last five years — as other countries clamor for genetic material with the “Made in America” label.” U.S. sperm sales are highest in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Israel, Australia, Chile, Spain and Sweden, and demand is set to increase even more in the years ahead. The US had a well-developed network of banks, and laws that allow for men to make donations anonymously.
- OK, you know me. I can’t pass up a good study/research especially if it shows what I want it to show. Check this one out on the latest research on the effectiveness of acupuncture on to increase pregnancy rates with fertility treatment. Acupuncture Ups Fertility & Pregnancy Rates – New Research The first study focused on a small group of women on Clomid. Those who also used acupuncture had a significantly higher pregnancy rate. The second study summarized in this article was much larger. The study of almost 6,000 women found that acupuncture improves clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates for women receiving IVF (in vitro fertilization).
- Great video by Martha over at Rainbow Kids about what we mean by special needs adoption. If you want to get inspired and hopeful, just watch it.
- I’ve been following Melanie Elliott’s blog for a while- Mom To The Littlest E. She’s a transracial adoptive mom, with a flair for writing. She posted this spot on blog on Some Advice For Talking With An Adoptive Parent. Some of her sage advice for those you may meet along your adoption journey: Please Don’t Be Offended If I Don’t Want You To Hold My Son, I May Refrain From Telling You The Intricate Details Of Our Adoption, etc. Check out the rest of her great advice.
Image credit: Paul Mayne
Does anyone else find the article on sperm donation creepy? We know better than to talk about international adoption in these crude (not very respectful) business terms. And there needs to be more discussion on the implications for children conceived this way – I’m not convinced that the standards and laws that are applied to US recipients will be upheld in other countries – or even that those standards should be the “gold standard.”
Anon, I hear your point. The first year I attended the American Society of Reproductive Medicine conference I was a tiny bit shocked by the tongue in cheek (for lack of a better phrase) way sperm donation was “marketed”. Egg donation to a lesser extent. I think they are treated differently because they are the “component parts” of a human, but not the human itself. There are some very interesting debates on the relative merits of the US approach to sperm and egg donation vs. how other countries treat it–especially in the area of anonymity. Ultimately, the guiding principle that I fall back on is what is in the best interest of the children that will be conceived.