This dissertation work aims to contribute to the understanding and explanation of individual psychological experience during the process of assisted reproduction. The research objective is to understand and describe infertile individual's experience during the process of assisted reproduction techniques treatment. The aim of the project is to immerse into the experience of infertile individuals and try to understand what the individual ascribes to himself, his infertility, reproductive medicine and how the individual perceives reality. The work helps to understand the experience of individual's perception of himself, his partner and his surroundings, in relation to his infertility and assisted reproduction techniques and what feelings and emotions he experiences. The dissertation project is answering four research questions: How do the participants feel about their child? How do the participants experience the process of assisted reproduction techniques? How do participants experience the emotions in the context of assisted reproduction? How do participants think about their partners and the social environments in the context of conception and ART? The nature of the adopted epistemological anthropomorphic attitude and theoretical models of the interaction symbolism and social constructivism, a...

In den letzten Jahren wurde ein inverser Zusammenhang zwischen der Zunahme an Fettgewebe und der Funktionalität von Spermatozoen festgestellt, dessen molekulare Ursachen weitgehend unbekannt sind. Möglichweise spielen Sekretionsprodukte des Fettgewebes, sogenannte Adipokine, dabei eine entscheidende Rolle. Um diese Hypothese zu prüfen, wurden in einer Querschnittsstudie Sexualhormonkonzentionen, Spermiogrammparameter und die Konzentration der Adipokine Adiponektin, Leptin, Resistin, Chemerin, Vaspin, Visfatin (Nampt) und Progranulin im Serum von normalgewichtigen, präadipösen und adipösen Probanden bestimmt. Die Adipokinkonzentrationen im Serum wurden mit den korrespondierenden Werten im Seminalplasma (SP) verglichen. Desweiteren wurden die gemessenen Adipokinspiegel beider Körperflüssigkeiten auf Zusammenhänge mit Sexualhormonkonzentrationen im Blut und den Parametern des klassischen Spermiogramms (WHO) untersucht. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die altersgemachten präadipösen/adipösen Probanden signifikant weniger progressiv motile und normomorphe Spermatozoen aufwiesen als die Gruppe der Normalgewichtigen (p<0,05). In ihrem SP war die Konzentration von Adiponektin signifikant erniedrigt, während die von Chemerin im Vergleich zu normalgewichtigen Männern erhöht war (p<0,05). Außerdem konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die mittlere Konzentration von Adiponektin (400-fach), Leptin (5-fach), Resistin (1,5-fach) und Chemerin (1,5-fach) im Serum signifikant höher als die im SP war. Demgegenüber fand sich bei Vaspin (4-fach), Progranulin (50-fach) und Visfatin (100-fach) die Konzentration im SP signifikant erhöht. Bei Korrelationsanalysen unter Einschluss der Ergebnisse aus der Gesamtgruppe korrelierte von allen untersuchten Adipokinen nur die SP-Konzentration von Adiponektin direkt und signifikant mit der im Serum (p<0.01). Zudem zeigten Adiponektin, Chemerin und Progranulin im SP direkte Assoziation mit den Spermiogrammparametern Spermienkonzentration, Spermienanzahl und progressive Motilität (p<0.05). Wir konnten erstmals nachweisen, dass eine Vielzahl von Adipokinen im männlichen Reproduktionstrakt präsent sind und dort möglicherweise einen Einfluss auf die Spermienqualität in Abhängigkeit vom Körpergewicht haben könnten.

Bakgrund   Fertilitet beskrivs som kvinnans biologiska natur och definieras ofta som förmågan att kunna bli gravid. Fertilitet kan även ses som ett tecken på hälsa och att kroppen är i balans. Idag är det många kvinnor som lider av nedsatt fertilitet. Det finns flera olika faktorer som kan påverka en kvinnas fertilitet varav vissa av dessa kan vara livsstilsfaktorer som kvinnan själv skulle kunna påverka om hon får tillgång till rätt kunskap. Syfte  Syftet var att belysa livsstilsfaktorer som kan förbättra kvinnans fertilitet med hjälp av sjuksköterskans informativa roll.   Metod  En icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt utfördes baserad på 15 vetenskapliga artiklar där majoriteten var av kvantitativ design. Inkluderade artiklar eftersöktes i databaserna CINAHL och PubMed med hjälp av relevanta sökord för föreliggande syfte. Kvaliteten på de valda artiklar granskades och innehållet analyserades för att sammanställas i tre huvudkategorier: livsstilsfaktorer, kost och sjuksköterskans hälsofrämjande arbete. Resultat Från huvudkategorierna skapades subkategorier gällande livsstilsfaktorer; vikt och träning, stress och sömn, mikronäringsämnen, jod, Omega-3, D-vitamin, koffein samt gällande  sjuksköterskans hälsofrämjande arbete; behov och utbildning. Samtliga livsstilsfaktorer visade sig inverka på fertiliteten. Ett behov gällande utbildning och information kring detta framhålls som betydelsefullt för kvinnor och det framgick att redan aktuella sjuksköterskor efterfrågar utbildning för att kunna tillgodose kvinnor med detta. Slutsats Det finns livsstilsfaktorer som har en direkt påverkan på kvinnans fertilitet och som kvinnor själva kan påverka så länge de har kunskapen. Att sjuksköterskor utbildar kvinnor gällande livsstilsfaktorer och fertilitetsförståelse skulle vara värdefullt för kvinnor för resten av livet, inte enbart för att gynna fertilitet men även för varje kvinnas allmänna hälsa eftersom ägglossning inte enbart är ett tecken på fertilitet utan även kan ses som ett hälsotecken. / Background Fertility is described as the biological nature of a woman and is often defined as the ability to conceive. Fertility means more than the ability to get pregnant, it can also be seen as a sign of health and that the body is in balance. Nowadays many women suffer from infertility. There are several factors that can affect a woman's fertility where some of them are lifestyle factors that the woman may be able to affect if she gets the right information. Aim The aim of this study was to describe how lifestyle factors can improve a woman's fertility with help from information provided by a nurse.  Method A non-systematic literature review was conducted based on 15 scientific articles where the majority were of quantitative study design. The database searches were performed inCINAHL and PubMed, using relevant keywords for the aim of the study. The quality of the selected articles were reviewed and the content was analyzed to be grouped into three main categories: lifestyle habits, diet and the nurse's health promotion work. Results The main categories were divided into subcategories. Lifestyle factors into; weight and exercise, stress and sleep, micronutrients, iodine, Omega-3, vitamin D, caffeine and the nurse's health promotion work into; needs and education. All lifestyle factors were shown to affect fertility. A need regarding education and information about this was shown to be important for women and it appears that nurses already request an education about fertility and lifestyle factors to provide women with this knowledge.  Conclusions There are lifestyle factors that have a direct impact on a woman's fertility and that women themselves can influence as long as they have the knowledge. If nurses were able to educate women regarding these lifestyle factors and fertility awareness it would benefit women for the rest of their lives - not only to prevent infertility but also for each woman's general health since ovulation is both a sign of fertility and a sign of health.

Introduktion: Polycystisk ovarial syndrom (PCOS) är ett vanligt förekommande endokrinsjukdom som oftast drabbar kvinnor i fertil ålder. För att bli bekräftad diagnosen PCOS så måstetre kritetrier gällande kvinnans hälsåtillstånd uppfyllas; ovulationsstörningar, hyperandrogenism och polycystiska ovarial morfologi. Förutom de nämnda kriterierna såverkar insulinresistens (IR) ha en viktig roll för PCOS patofysiologi. Därför har ämnen sompåverkar insulinkänsligheten såsom myo-inositol (MI) hamnat i större fokus som potentiellbehandling av PCOS. Därav har syftet med detta arbete varit att undersöka om MI förbättrarovulation och fertilitet för kvinnor med diagnosen PCOS. Metod: För att genomföra detta litteraturstudie har vetenskapliga artiklar sökts via databasen PuBMED med sökorden ”PCOS and myoinositol on infertility” och ”myoinositol for PCOS”. Totalt valdes fem originalstudier vilka svarade mot utvalda urvalskriterier, därefteranalyserades och sammanställdes de fem valda studierna vidare för att undersöka hur MItillskott påverkar ovulationsstörningar och infertilitet hos kvinnor med PCOS. Resultat: Majoriteten av de valda studierna visade en statistisk signifikant förbättring påkvinnans ovulationsstörning, vilket ledde till förbättrad fertilitet och därmed uppnåddesgraviditet hos många deltagare i studierna. Slutsats: Sammanfattningsvis visar MI tillskaott vara en bra behandling motovulationsstörningar och infertilitet hos kvinnor med PCOS. Dock bör fler studier genomförasdär hänsyn till hur MI tillskott påverkar androgennivåer för att förbättra ovulationsstörning ochinfertilitet vid PCOS tas in.

Permanent involuntary childlessness is increasing, and it is something that has been shown to have a strong psychological impact on the affected individuals. At the same time, research linked to the concept of acceptance has become increasingly popular. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how permanent involuntary childless people experience acceptance. That includes their attitude to the concept, any change in their attitude and their experience of going through or being in an acceptance process. Furthermore, the study also intended to investigate which factors may influence the experience of acceptance. The expectation based on this was to gain a deeper understanding of how healthcare and fellow human beings can support, help and respond to people who are facing an unchangeable situation. Nine permanent involuntary childless women were interviewed using a semi- structured interview guide, and the data were analyzed based on a narrative analysis method. The results showed that acceptance is a complex process that is closely linked to grief. The attitude to the concept and the experience of acceptance can also be perceived differently depending on where in the process a person is. Furthermore, the results showed that the breaking point, where people go from an involuntary childlessness to a permanent involuntary childlessness, is a critical phase and that a clear turning point is needed to be able to begin an acceptance process. An important conclusion is that the healthcare, the surroundings and the society have an impact on the acceptance process, where their respond both can be a help and an obstacle. / Permanent ofrivillig barnlöshet ökar alltmer och det har visat sig ha en stark psykologisk påverkan på de personer som befinner sig i den situationen. Samtidigt har forskningen kopplat till begreppet acceptans blivit alltmer populärt. Syftet med denna studie var därför att undersöka hur permanent ofrivilligt barnlösa upplever acceptans. Detta innefattar deras syn på begreppet, eventuell förändring av denna syn samt upplevelse av att gå igenom alternativt vara i en acceptansprocess. Vidare ämnade studien även undersöka vilka faktorer som kan påverka upplevelsen av acceptans. Förhoppningen utifrån detta var att få en djupare förståelse för hur behandlare och medmänniskor kan stötta, hjälpa och bemöta personer som ställs inför en oföränderlig situation. Nio permanent ofrivilligt barnlösa kvinnor intervjuades med hjälp av en semistrukturerad intervjuguide och datan analyserades utifrån en narrativ analysmetod. Resultaten visade att acceptans är en komplex process som är nära sammankopplad med sorg. Synen på och upplevelsen av acceptans kan även uppfattas olika beroende på var i processen en person befinner sig. Vidare visade resultaten att brytpunkten, där personer går från en ofrivillig barnlöshet till en permanent ofrivillig barnlöshet, är en kritisk fas och att en tydlig brytpunkt behövs för att kunna påbörja en acceptansprocess. En viktig slutsats är att vården, omgivningen och samhället har en påverkan på acceptansprocessen, där deras bemötande både kan vara en hjälp och ett hinder.

Background: The trend of male infertility is increasing and it correlates with industrial development which has introduced various industrial contaminants in the environment and human life. PFASs are one of those contaminants. Humans are exposed to PFAS through various routes and sources, especially through food and diet. On the other hand, some foods are beneficial for the male reproductive system. Aim: The study aim is to investigate the role of per-or poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) contaminated food in male infertility. Method: This study has used scoping review to assess the current knowledge concerning the aim that what has been done in this field. A systematic search was done in three databases namely PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, as well as manual search of related articles and reference lists during March-April 2023, and found 68 articles. Inclusion criteria included all articles written in English, related to humans, and PFAS exposure to adult males through food worldwide. Articles related to only the female population, other non-human species, human exposure to PFAS in fetal life, molecular level information, information about transport mechanisms of PFAS in food, other environmental contaminants and with no food contamination, toxicological, or health impact information were excluded. Titles, abstracts, and selected full-length articles were read and evaluated. CEBMa checklist for critical appraisal of the cross-sectional study, CASP checklist for systematic review, and randomized control trial were used as quality assessments of articles. Results: In total 68 abstracts were initially found, of which 15 were included in the review. Majority of the studies were either from Europe (European panel data from 16 different European countries) (n=2) or any European country (Italy=2, Georgia=1, Denmark=1, Sweden=1, Spain=1, Denmark + Sweden=1, Denmark + USA + Faroe Islands=1) and the rest were from USA (n=2), Australia (n=2) and Peru (n=1). The articles were analyzed according to the concept combinations of PFAS, food, or male fertility. Out of 15 included studies 3 deals with Pfas in food, 8 with Pfas and male fertility, 2 with male infertility related to PFAS in food, 1 with diet and human PFAS levels, and 1 with relation of food to male fertility. The articles included were of either good or moderate quality. Studies related to the direct impact of PFAS through food on male fertility are scarce. According to most of studies, PFASs have a significant impact on male hormones and sperm morphology but there was no significant association was found between PFAS levels to other seminal parameters. The combination of different PFAS and the combination of PFAS with other contaminants may alter the impact on male fertility. PFAS may have a long-term effect on human spermatogonial cells. Mediterranean diet is associated with high serum levels of PFAS in humans. Fish is a major source of PFAS exposure through food. 8 oz. of fish is recommended without causing health hazards, provided thatthe levels of PFAS contaminations in fish are not high. Conclusion: More studies especially longitudinal studies concerning PFAS exposure through food and its impact on male fertility are needed. No studies are found from the African continent and low-income countries. There is a need to check the levels of contamination of PFAS in food so that the health impacts on male fertility can be avoided.

One of the numerous complications of obesity is infertility. Leptin has been shown to reverse infertility; however, exact mechanism is poorly understood. Recent evidence indicates Ecadherin/ β-catenin complex, which is a structural constituent of adherens junction, is expressed in the rat ovary during folliculogenesis. We hypothesized that systemic leptin modulates the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in dietary-induced obese infertile rats to reverse infertility. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either regular chow diet (RCD) (n=6) or high fat diet (HFD) (n=14). Oestrus cycles were monitored daily until their cycles became irregular. 100 ug/ml of leptin was given intraperitoneally to HFD-fed rats (n=5) with irregular cycles. The control rats HFD (n=9) and RCD received saline. Leptin treatment restored regular estrous cycle and increased the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in all the 5 rats (HFD+Leptin). This could represent the mechanism by which leptin reverses infertility in obese infertile rats.

No description available.

No description available.

This is a creative thesis that focuses on the infertility experiences of the author. The introduction examines the author's justification for choosing personal essay as a genre and French feminism as the guiding theory in writing the essays. Six personal essays center on the author's attempts to have a child and the discoveries and failures along the way. Throughout literary history, women's bodies have traditionally been viewed from the outside looking in, as objects to be reified and preserved or exploited and used. Using the writing the body critics as a theoretical framework, the essays discuss the comforts and discomforts of being inside a female body looking out. Although personal, the essays attempt to connect to the larger world. In several of the essays associations are made between the experiences of the author and the experiences of other women. Several essays also reveal the differing perspectives between her and her husband as they experience infertility.