Access to fertility services is not equal and/or equitable. Discrimination exists based on societal factors, like economic status and available insurance coverage. But women are also discriminated against by third party payers and IVF centers, based on advanced female and other poor prognosis factors and, often, prematurely forced into egg donation. This workshop will explore all of these access restrictions and suggest remedies.

Underwriting of IVF in the USA

Eli Y. Adashi, MD, MS, MA

History and current status of the Massachusetts insurance mandate

Alan S. Penzias, MD

Advocacy at and beyond DC to advance the underwriting of IVF

Barbara Collura, MA

Most fertility centers still utilize uniform ovarian stimulation protocols in daily IVF practice. This work shop will address the importance of individualized stimulation protocols, especially based on female age and ovarian reserve, if IVF outcomes are to be maximal for each patient population.

What is the best routine protocol for young patients with normal ovarian reserve?

Raoul Orvieto, MD

Should we use oral contraceptive pretreatment in GnRH antagonist cycles?

Nigel E. Pereira, MD

Androgen (DHEA or testosterone) pretreatment for women undergoing IVF: when, how and to whom

Andrea Weghofer, MD, PhD, MS, MBA

Everybody understands that crossing the germline will be an essential step if Assisted Reproductive Technologies are to make further significant clinical strides. This workshop will explore current state-of-the-arts, legal and technical challenges in treating specific genetic mutations in embryos (in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA), and in potentially enhancing pregnancy chances for older women through plasma exchange procedures (nuclear transfers).

Mitochondrial replacement in human oocytes

Dietrich M. Egli, PhD

Self-organization of the in vitro attached human embryo

Gist Croft, PhD

Haploid human pluripotent stem cells

Michael Zuccaro, PhD

Poor prognosis patients not only are frequently refused treatment with use of their own eggs but, when receiving treatments, often receive “alibi” treatments. This workshop will demonstrate that in many poor prognosis patients, with appropriate treatments, pregnancy and live birth rates can be better than is widely appreciated.

Androgen supplementation n women with low functional ovarian reserve

Norbert Gleicher, MD

Human growth hormone supplementation in women with low functional ovarian reserve

David H. Barad, MD, MS

Why embryology must be different in older women and women with premature ovarian aging

Yan-Guang Wu, PhD

Donor egg-recipient cycles are the most rapidly growing IVF cycle format in the U.S. The reasons are multifaceted, and involve social, economic as well as medical contributions. At the same time, a recent out of court settlement between the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and a group of egg donor plaintiffs, and a rapidly evolving donor egg bank industry are on the verge of upending traditional donor egg practices in the U.S. This workshop will address these impending changes.

Trends in egg donation

Vitaly A. Kushnir, MD

Practical tips: The NYU perspective

Kara Goldman, MD

Practical tips: The Cornell perspective

Nigel Pereira, MD

The FMR1 gene (sometimes called the fragile X gene) is mostly known for causing Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). FXS occurs when the gene is fully mutated with an expansion beyond 200 CGG repeats. While it is widely considered a “neurological” gene, there is evidence that the FMR1 gene also impacts ovarian function. This has been shown particularly in carriers of between 55 and 199 CGGs trinucleotide repeats ahead of the FMR1 transcriptional start site; these are referred to as Fragile X premutation (FXPM) alleles. In this workshop, we will review the current literature connecting this gene to various clinical presentations in the OB/GYN REI clinic, as well as the biological impact of Fragile X alleles upon ovarian physiology and broader female reproductive function. This session will include discussion of the sometimes inconsistent and evolving research on a wide range of trinucleotide repeat lengths (shorter-than-normal repeats, intermediate repeats, FXPM length repeats) in women. Opportunities for clinical and basic research in this area will be highlighted. Overall, the workshop seeks to offer a comprehensive discussion of the clinical implications of FMR1 gene variants for oocyte quality, embryo development, and live birth in the IVF setting.

FMR1 Gene in the REI Clinic: Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, and IVF Success

Lisa M Pastore, PhD

FMR1 and Fragile X Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: How Do Specific Trinucleotide Repeat Alleles Give Rise To Oocyte And Granulosa Cell Dysfunction?

Johsua Johnson, PhD