What do you think about assisted conception?

[JOS]

While looking for info about the action of everyday chemicals on pregnant mothers possibly being responsible for some intersex conditions, I saw this abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en... ids=17190972

in this review
http://www.emcom.ca/summaries/references07.shtml

the review summary was
Reproductive technologies may be propagating effects of environmental endocrine disruptors through generations. The authors review the hypothesis that assisted reproductive technologies are allowing effects of endocrine disruptors to be propagated from individuals that would otherwise be sterile, thus by-passing barriers put in place by natural selection.

and also (old news I admit) that invitro fertilization can result in mosaic children with related intersex conditions

http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1998011413.shtml

As I have a relative who has experience of IVF, I wondered how members here felt about this technology?

[Kailana]

I think IVF technologies provide an extremely beneficial service to many couples. I also wanted to add, that its quite likely that the reason alot of those couples werent able to conceive on there own is because they are intersexed and dont know it. They carry the genes and arent aware of it. Thats why they have such a hard time getting pregnant. I really doubt that its the IVF that is causing the mosaicism, I really believe its the couples themselves. 1 or the other, or both , carries that mosaicism. That is what is interfering with normal pregnancy's. I also want to add, so what if its increasing the likely hood of an intersexed condition. There is nothing wrong with being intersexed. Most of the medical community just thinks there is. Not all doctors are as bigoted as the doctors that reccommend surgical reassignment early in life or the doctors i have dealt with from 93-2005 here in the states.

[JOS]

I could be wrong but I think they are aruging that the mosaicism arises sometimes from the actual physical process when they're dealing with the embryos.... doesn't mean there couldn't be some genetics at play too though I suppose... dunno?

I guess I was kind of thinking of a slightly different point though... I have a really long time friend that I grew up with who happens to be deaf. She always said as a child that she HOPED her children would also be hard of hearing.

I've been hoping that my niece isn't CAIS, since there's a chance that my sister is a carrier..... but perhaps that's the wrong attitude?
... I remain to be convinced otherwise but in a way it's strange that although I hate the idea of normal, that's exactly the life I've been hoping for my niece!!!

Sometimes I've wished I could have a child..... but it was never meant to be if you see what I'm getting at. Finding out about the CAIS I suddenly realised that.