A topically applied, short-acting, viscous solution of lidocaine provides highly significant pain relief for women undergoing insertion of an IUD, and no safety concerns are apparent.

The rare formation of monochorionic dizygotic twins after laser zona dissection, blastocyst culture, and multiple embryo transfers can be efficiently and effectively avoided by applying single-euploid embryo transfer.

A 50-year-old woman conceived with her own oocytes by means of in vitro fertilization and successfully delivered a healthy male baby by cesarean section.

This report covers >1,251,881 procedures by >3,354 institutions in 55 countries. At least 229,442 babies were born. Declining numbers of transferred embryos, and aging of patients, are discussed.

An analysis of embryo sex by means of time-lapse monitoring identified different cleavage timings. The sex ratio could be affected by the embryo selection method for transfer based on kinetic parameters.

No association between male and female BMI, individually or combined, and IVF success was found after accounting for important confounding factors, including male and female age, partner BMI, and parity.

Blastocysts with a more developed inner cell mass developed into newborns with a greater weight, when corrected for gestational age and gender.

The appearance of the meiotic spindle and the durations of the first, second, and third mitoses are related to the degree of fragmentation of human embryos.

This meta-analysis suggests that estradiol addition during the luteal phase does not improve in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes through oral medication, even with different daily doses.

Analysis of sperm membrane charge using microelectrophoresis demonstrates that semen samples with a higher proportion of negatively charged sperm are associated with improved ART outcomes.

Reflections on “Efficacy and safety of repeated use of ulipristal acetate in uterine fibroids” by Donnez et al.

Reflections on “The Great Recession, insurance mandates, and the utilization of in vitro fertilization services in the United States” by Kiatpongsan et al.

Reflections on “First reported case of sextuplets conceived via letrozole for ovulation induction” by Warraich et al.

Letrozole appears to be superior to clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction in subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

In subjects with surgically confirmed endometriosis, cumulus cells obtained after IVF stimulation and oocyte retrieval have decreased mitochondrial activity compared with controls.

Research on mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) holds the promise of helping women who have, or are at risk of transmitting, mitochondrial disease, but has recently been blocked by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thus, several critical ethical and policy questions arise. Mitochondrial disease can be devastating for those who have it. Yet existing treatments remain supportive rather than curative. Women confronting this disease have a high chance of having an affected child and limited reproductive alternatives.

The disappearance of natural reproduction is a well-known aspect of the society described in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. In this classic novel, children are not born, but are created by technological means. Huxley presented this as one more characteristic of a dystopian society. Lee Silver of Princeton University recently shared his vision of a future in which people will not conceive naturally (1). According to Silver, natural conception is too risky. To create this less risky future, Silver is introducing a patented technology that uses the DNA of prospective parents to predict disease risk in their hypothetical children.

Omics technologies offer several noninvasive platforms for the investigation of biomarkers for embryo viability.

Retrospective studies have shown correlation between time-lapse parameters and embryo viability. A recent randomized study has shown improved pregnancy rates. Strict evidence still seems weak.

The oocyte is the major determinant of embryo developmental competence. Technology has improved the noninvasive assessment of oocyte quality. Analysis of polar body DNA may provide insight into the prediction of embryo developmental competence.