Between 5% and 10% of all breast cancers are metastatic at diagnosis, and 20%-30% of patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer eventually progress to the metastatic stage. The most common type of metastatic tumor is estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-), representing 68% of metastatic tumors.
Debates over the right to reproduce in the United States sit at the intersection of constitutional law, ethics, economics, and healthcare policy. Although the Supreme Court has historically recognized procreation as a fundamental liberty interest, questions remain about what this right means in practice—particularly as reproductive technologies such as IVF, donor gametes, surrogacy, and preimplantation genetic testing become more common and more expensive.
Infertility is defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as the inability to become pregnant after 12 months or more of unprotected intercourse for women under 35 and after six months for women over 35.
Infertility in women can stem from a variety of root causes, often involving complex interactions between hormonal, structural, and physiological factors.
Non-IVF fertility treatments include lifestyle changes, medications to stimulate ovulation (like Clomid), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and less common approaches like restorative reproductive medicine. Treatment choices depend on the cause of infertility, with methods like ovulation induction or IUI being less invasive and costly than IVF but having lower success rates.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) designed to help individuals and couples achieve pregnancy. The process involves several meticulously coordinated steps to facilitate fertilization outside the body. It begins with ovarian stimulation, where fertility medications such as FSH are administered to encourage the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs instead of the usual single egg per cycle.
The timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation strongly influences the chance of conception. In the days leading up to ovulation, rising estrogen levels cause the cervix to produce thin, watery, and highly permeable mucus that facilitates sperm passage, creating an optimal environment for fertilization. During ovulation, progesterone plays a crucial role in transforming cervical mucus from a receptive, fertile state to a less hospitable one.
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect and destroy bacteria, presenting a potential solution for treating antibiotic-resistant infections. These microscopic entities operate by attaching to bacterial cells, injecting their genetic material, and using the host's machinery to replicate. This process culminates in the lysis, or bursting, of the bacterial cell, releasing new phages to continue the cycle.
Oral contraceptives are highly effective in preventing pregnancy when taken consistently and correctly, boasting a success rate of over 99%. These contraceptives typically combine synthetic forms of estrogen and progestin, which work synergistically to inhibit ovulation by suppressing the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. Additionally, oral contraceptives thicken cervical mucus, creating a barrier to sperm entry, and alter the endometrial lining, making it less receptive to a fertilized egg.
Pregnant women are more vulnerable to infections and tend to experience more severe symptoms due to several physiological and immunological changes that occur during pregnancy. The immune system undergoes modifications to accommodate and protect the developing fetus, which is genetically distinct from the mother.
Endometriosis is classically defined as the presence of endometrial tissue both endometrial glands and stroma (connective tissue), in ectopic locations outside of the uterus, primarily the ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic peritoneum and rectovaginal septum. Affecting 6-10% of women of reproductive age, endometriosis is characterized by dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, irregular uterine bleeding and/or infertility and is occasionally accompanied by painful intercourse, bowel movements and/or urination.