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ESHRE 2023

Precongress courses at ESHRE23 characterised by practicality and topicality

Nineteen PCCs have been scheduled for this year’s annual meeting, 13 organised by ESHRE’s Special Interest Groups covering a wide range of themes and presenting speakers of international renown. A record number of abstracts have been received for the main scientific programme.

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CAMPUS: PREGNANCY LOSS

Many possible causes of pregnancy loss, but few clear remedies

A well attended Campus meeting in December organised jointly by the ESHRE SIGs Implantation & Early Pregnancy and Endometriosis & Endometrial Disorders considered the conditions and diseases associated with recurring loss of pregnancy, and the interplay between endometrial and embryonic factors.

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CHROMOSOMAL MOSAICISM

New ESHRE recommendations steer a path through the complexities of managing embryonic mosaicism

A survey of how centres manage chromosomal mosaicism in their PGT patients was the basis for new ESHRE recommendations. There remain many knowns and unknowns, but the new publication offers recommendations on how to manage the detection of chromosomal mosaicism, validation of techniques, risk assessment, reporting, embryo transfer policies, prenatal testing and genetic counselling.

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FERTILITY PRESERVATION

No guarantee of success for preserving fertility ahead of treatment for benign conditions

A September Campus meeting organised by the SIG Fertility Preservation reviewed approaches to fertility preservation in benign conditions such as endometriosis, POI and haematological diseases.

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CAMPUS: ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

New guideline on fertility sparing in endometrial cancer introduced at Campus meeting

Although most cases of endometrial cancer are diagnosed in postmenopausal women, there is a minority for whom pregnancy remains welcome and possible. This February Campus meeting explored the treatment of endometrial cancer with fertility preservation in mind, with many speakers members of the new guideline’s development group.

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CAMPUS: ERRORS IN ART

Serious adverse-event errors are rare in ART today, but must still be reported

A Campus meeting in November organised by four ESHRE SIGs reviewed the most common source of errors in fertility clinics – in egg collection, embryo transfer and OHSS – but maintained throughout that scrupulous reporting and being honest with patients were necessary to maintain and restore trust.

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SPERM COUNT

The decline in sperm count has become steeper since 2000

A follow-up to the 2017 meta-analysis of Levine et al finds that sperm count is declining at an accelerated pace (now at 2.64% per year) and throughout all parts of world; male fertility described as a ‘major public health problem’.

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ACCESS TO ART

Many patients still denied fertility treatment on grounds of sexual orientation, health and income

ESHRE hosted a session at the annual conference of the UK’s Progress Educational Trust, the publishers of BioNews. The conference’s overall theme was fair access to treatment, with the ESHRE session looking at disparities in funding and regulation in four European countries: Turkey, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

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CANNABIS IN PREGNANCY

Cannabis use in pregnancy raises risk of adverse maternal and infant outcomes

A large cohort study from Canada has found that around 2% of pregnant women used cannabis during the study period and that this use was particularly associated with a greater infant risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and small-for-gestational age.

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CAMPUS: MALE INFERTILITY

Many more questions than answers at male reproductive health Campus meeting

A far-reaching Campus meeting in support of the Male Reproductive Health Initiative exposed gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility and highlighted basic needs for research. Men’s reproductive medicine, said the WHO, is ‘important but neglected’.

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